Help! Is this structural issue?

[Plastertom1]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone could advise. I went to see a property to buy but I noticed that the stairs have cracks underneath them, and also the ceiling has cracks in it.

 

Are these a worry? Do they just need filled and replastered or is it a sign of subsidence and structural damage?

 

The house is semi detached built in 2003 and is very very close proximity to a busy rail line.

 

Thanks

Tom
 

 

[ToughButterCup]

Welcome.

You appear to me to be asking BH members collectively to suck their teeth and say...

 

"Welllllllll, it could be, but I'm not sure ..... on the one hand this, ....  on  the other that......

(But that won't stop us offering opinions 😉)

 

So, get a proper survey done, and reduce the offer by the cost of the survey (and the repair) plus +100% if there is a problem. We just can't tell on the basis of a few photographs.

Ian

Edited May 23, 2022 by ToughButterCup

[PeterW]

Stairs looks like bodged and dried out decorators caulk - dig a bit out and see if it’s a hard whitish filler. Ceiling is a settlement crack where they haven’t boarded to the edge of the room and bodged it with some skim coat that has cracked. 
 

Built by one of the big 4 house bashers I assume ..??

[Mr Punter]

No, not structural.  Structural cracks normally run down the height of the wall, often at an angle and wider at the top.  They often form at door and window openings.

[Chanmenie]

As the other guys said they look like shrinkage / drying out cracks, pretty typical of mass new build estates.

 

[ToughButterCup]

23 hours ago, Plastertom1 said:

...

The house is semi detached built in 2003 and is very very close proximity to a busy rail line.
...

 

?