If you have bought an old house or apartment in Lisbon are you sure that you did enough detective work before you purchased an old house or apartment in Lisbon.
We are seeing more and more inquiries from people who have put an offer in for or have already bought an old house or apartment in Lisbon and are looking for advice and reassurance that the property they have bought is not a disastrous money pit.
We know the problems and pitfalls which come as part of the package when you buy an old house or apartment in Lisbon so it’s often surprising to see just how late in the purchase process people leave it.
Take for instance a typical old house in Lisbon it will be from around 1900 built of stone and timber with a clay tiled roof – What can go wrong it has been here for generations!
These houses are remarkably stable especially when you consider the lack of real foundations.
Over the years and through the many mild earth tremors they kind of slump a little into the adjoining ground and just stay up.
There are 3 main problems to be found in these houses and it is the same in every case.
1, Fragile, sun dried roof tiles.
These tiles break over time and allow water to enter the house walls and roof space causing rot on the timbers. Here a typical clients contact – “We have just purchased an house from 1930 in ******Lisboa, and are planning a renovation of it during the summer. It has some moisture problems, like marks on a few walls (allegedly from a leak from the roof a few years back), and some minor black spots in the ceiling in some rooms. Would appreciate a survey”
2, Extensive woodworm and wet rot in timbers.
As the tiles break over time and allow water to enter the house walls and roof space it cases dry and wet rot on the timbers. The water quickly penetrates structural timbers effected by wood worm with the result that the roof sags and can often collapse into the house or push out and break the external walls. Both of which are dangerous and very expensive to repair.
3, Even the best homes of this period suffer from damp in the lower walls.
Basements are often uninhabitable and at the very least on the ground floor there will be large patches of loose plaster, flaking paint and rotten floors.
These 3 things have to be sorted out before you start to remodel or decorate the property.
Castelo Construction can help you understand the potential problems and costs before you buy. Our independent reports can enable you to negotiate hard on the price of the property that you want to buy. Our estimates enable you to know exactly where you stand financially and what exactly needs doing to get the property back into good condition before you start to remodel or decorate.
Saving you thousands and cutting the time involved in getting your new home into a habitable condition.
Contact Castelo Construction by email here and be sure of what you are buying
00351 927168247
