On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 00:18:53 +0100, "G&M"
wrote:


"MM" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:24:21 +0100, Andy Hall
wrote:

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:09:33 +0100, MM wrote:

My estate agent has just called to say that the buyer's building
society survey report has come back saying that there are "traces of
asbestos" in my property and a separate special investigation by an
environmental services company is required. Consequently, a man is
coming later this week.

Is this where I should really start panicking?

Of course not.

I am, though. I'm sure my BP is now higher than it was an hour ago.

That's normal with selling a house. If it wasn't asbestos it would be
subsidence/rising damp/flooding/name your favourite problem. I worry too
but there's nothing you can do but wait and see what the other side do
first.

So far, so good. The specialist environmental surveyor came and was
very thorough indeed, spending about an hour going round the entire
property, inside and out, into the roof space, the shed, everywhere.
Stickers on sample points were left, saying "Do Not Remove". His
feeling was that someone was just being ultra careful, having read the
"traces of asbestos" remark in the original survey report. What was
found was corrugated asbestos sheeting on the shed roof, and
(something I was unaware of) asbestos cement soffits under the eaves.
All of this was declared to be a good condition, for which the
recommended treatment was to "monitor it" and leave alone. Even if a
future owner did decide to replace the soffits or the shed roof, these
sheets can be removed by the owner provided the appropriate steps are
taken. The sheets should be made and kept wet (hose) and then wrapped
in polythene. They must be taken to a council-approved site that
accepts asbestos.

MM