Diagnostic report

[jcb]

Hi I am new on here.We have been looking for a french property for a number of years and have now found one, that we have made an offer on. We have now received the diagnostic report which we dont fully understand because of our poor french. Does anybody know of any companies that can translate the diagnostic report into something that we can understand before going further. It is a renovation project but there are a couple of things on the report ie mention of rotten wood/ wood boring beetle that we would like to know the full implications.

[Théière]

Welcome JCB, it may help if you say roughly where you are in France. [:)]

[woolybanana]

There are dozens of pages in the full diagnostic report which would cost and arm and a leg to get translated. Can you choose those which really matter and get is done informally?

[NormanH]

Here is a page in French about termites and other insects which attack wood.

You could try a google translation and compare the two to begin to learn the appropriate French terms

http://www.lexpert.fr/expert-diagnostic-termites.html

At the bottom of the page you will see a map of the départements which are most affected

I am sure if it is only a couple of sections you could type it up here and you will get help, either as translation or as advice.

[Russethouse]

Could you use something like SDL which offers a google type translation with the an addition of a human translator at a fairly reasonable cost, just enter the sections you need translated, not all of it. http://www.freetranslation.com/translate-version3.asp

[nomoss]

Hello jcb.

If your diagnostics are anything at all like all those I have seen, the last only a month ago, the one referring to termites, borers, rotten wood, etc. will usually only state that one or more of these are present in the building, without specific details about the location or extent of the infestation.

I have a suspicion that, because these are present in most, if not all old buildings, they are mentioned just so that the "expert" covers himself.

The obligatory inspections carried are usually the bare minimum to satisfy the legal requirements, as most sellers want to spend as little as possible for them.

If you want detailed information about the state of the building you should inspect the faults mentioned closely yourself if you have the expertise, or, preferably, pay a surveyor to do this, as you would in the UK.

Even though it does not seem to be the custom in France there are plenty of surveyors who will do this.

I have bought five houses here, knowing they would need some work, and thought I knew enough not to need a professional survey.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to be really objective when buying a house you like, and I have regretted this for the last 2 years, as we continue to spend for major work which we never imagined would be necessary, including completely replacing:

the (very large) roof (the places having severe rot were not easily accessible to the "expert"),

a structural chimney (inaccessible for inspection),

badly damaged internal load bearing walls which had been studded, covered with plywood, and wallpapered so they appeared solid.

 

 

[woolybanana]

That last lot of damage, nomoss, comes Under the laws about vices cachés, surely? If it was deliberately hidden, then you have a claim on the previous owner?

[nomoss]

[quote user="woolybanana"]That last lot of damage, nomoss, comes Under the laws about vices cachés, surely? If it was deliberately hidden, then you have a claim on the previous owner?[/quote]

There is no vices cachés clause in the Acte. According to 2 Notaires here, the clause is not applicable in the sale of old houses.

The only way I could claim would be if the condition were imminently dangerous. I am sure experts for both sides could quite easily reach opposing conclusions on that point, while I spend money on fighting a court case instead of on the house[:(]

In any case I would have to establish that the seller, a divorcee of several years, knew about the items at the time of the sale. Her husband bought the house in the late 60's, there is no way of proving when the work was done on the walls, and there is no way I could prove that she herself knew about it, even if the work was done after they bought the house.

I could have spent about half as much on the roof as I did, but piecemeal work would have spoiled the appearance and ruined the value of the house.

 

 

[jcb]

Hi the property in question is in Morbihan near Josselin, we have had a friend look through the report now. With her help we were able to find the bits of importance regarding the house. Although she struggled on some technical terms. The report itself is quite general at times it says that there is evidence of this or that but doesn't quantify how much. We know its a renovation project and realise that there is a lot of work to be done. But as somebody commented it looks like the person who writes the report do try to cover themselves.

[Pickles]

[quote user="jcb"]Hi the property in question is in Morbihan near Josselin, we have had a friend look through the report now. With her help we were able to find the bits of importance regarding the house. Although she struggled on some technical terms. The report itself is quite general at times it says that there is evidence of this or that but doesn't quantify how much. We know its a renovation project and realise that there is a lot of work to be done. But as somebody commented it looks like the person who writes the report do try to cover themselves.[/quote]

IIRC, it isn't really the task of the diagnostic report to quantify "how bad", just the presence or not of the various issues. If something is said to be present, then you really ought to get that investigated or else assume the worst.