How bad does this chimney sound?

21 years ago

I really need some advice. Long story short, my husband and I are about a week away from buying a victorian house built in 1900. We had our home inspection four days ago, and considering the age of the house everything looked quite good... except for the chimney. It is basically in danger of crumbling (the part above the roofline). From what the inspecter could tell, it needs to be repointed, lined, and capped. The inspection took place after four solid days of rain and there was no water damage anywhere inside of the house except for a small damp area in the attic right up against the chimney.

So...here's the big problem. The guy we're buying the house from said he would not fix the chimney (he is a general contracter and this house is a "flip" for him). We like the house enough that we will probably buy it anyway, but because of the time of the year it's impossible for us to get a mason to even come by and take a look or give us an estimate. They are all booked up for months. Without an estimate we won't even be able to work out something financially with the seller. We thought about asking him to take $3,000 dollars off of the selling price, but we would feel pretty stupid if it ended up costing us three times that amount!

Like I said, the inspector, who came highly recommended and seemed competent, thought the work would be strictly above the roofline, and, except for the liner, not within the chimney itself....

Any advice? Worst case scenarios (money-wise)?

Thank you in advance for your help!!!

Adona

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Comments (5)

van356
21 years ago
You could try to get a chimney contractor to give you an estimate. The cost of the liner depends whether the fireplace flue or the heating system flue needs to lined.

Heating equipment should not be vented into an unlined chimney due to the moisture and corrosiveness of the products of combustion.
Xanndra
21 years ago
I would think that $3,000 is very low.
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chelone
21 years ago
I think it sounds low, too. If you want to use it as a bargaining chip, explain your concerns to the realtor and ask for a reduction that will be significant enough to cover a more expensive repair.

Here's a thought, why don't you try posting this question on the Building forum and on the Remodelling forum? I asked a few questions on the latter and there are some really savvy people over there... people who routinely face this sort of question.
adona6ct
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks for the advice.

Chelone, I posted this on The Old House forum and got a lot of interesting replies. I will try the Remodeling forum also.

Van, I'd love to get a chimney contractor to give me an estimate, but therein lies the problem. We can't get anyone to come out for months. They are all booked. Apparently this is a crazy time of the year for them.

I would like to use the defective chimney as a bargaining chip, but the seller is being stubborn and is basically saying he won't budge...he won't fix, he won't pay, etc. Now we have to decide if we should go forward on this house we love knowing that the chimney could be a major burr in our sides.

Adona
turningpoint
21 years ago
My only qualification for commenting on your post is that I have a house built about 1850 which I have put a lot of work into. Am I complaining? NO! I love this house, I couldn't live in a new one now, they often can be so lifeless. I've had to work on many things, but each thing has improved it and generally speaking, charming houses are hard to come by. Mortgage rates are still low, so if you love it and can afford it, I would buy it if I were you. I just wouldn't get hung up on an issue like the chimminey. Chances are, if you are reading this forum, you may end up getting a new fireplace anyway. Unqualified to answer, but artistic and enjoying life, Leslie