Builder or surveyor advice please

[jen]

Am being totally cheeky but is there anyone out there that I could email a pic of house we are interested in, as we have a question regarding the building. Many thanks

[Clair]

You could try posting your picture [:)].

See HERE for instructions.

[jen]

Thanks for info of how to attach pics

[jen]

not sure if pics are showing up they do appear in preview but disappear when I try to view after posting??????

[Nick Trollope]

For your own peace of mind (and it is your dosh), you should get a proper survey, but here is my take;

That "plinth" is there for one of 2 reasons; a) to fix a damp problem  - we have several like this internally, but higher. There is no access to the outside of the wall in our place. Or b) to fix a foundation problem.

Only a surveyor could confirm the latter.

 

[jen]

Thanks for your advice, how is the best way to find a surveyor in France ?

[sharkhunter]

In the second picture can i see the outline of a pipe just on the left hand side, i have seen this before in which a plinth was built just cosmetically to hide a drain ??

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="jen"]Thanks for your advice, how is the best way to find a surveyor in France ?[/quote]

Not common, but where are you?

 

[Will]

You can try these people http://www.surveyors-en-france.com/, at least one of whom is very professional and reliable, or if you google 'surveyors in france' you will get several more options.

[Wilko]

Does the house have any gutters ? It is not unusual for them not to, so to guard against splashback people concreted  the wall to stop the damp, it doesn't work. If you are going to fit gutters the problem might well be solved. I very much doubt that it is a structural problem.

Good luck

wilko

[mint]

I disagree; I think the masonry below ground level was possibly a bit ropey and so they shuttered up the wall and poured concrete around it to stabilise it.

Mind you, that's only an opinion, sight unseen.  But it's a situation I have come across before.