Would you still bid on a house with visible water damage if everything else about it was perfect?
Viewed a house today that I absolutely loved, but there are some visible concerning ceiling issues upstairs (water stains, patch repairs, bits of plaster coming away when touched, etc.).
The house was built in the early 2000s, so it’s not particularly old, which is partly why I’m a bit concerned.
The estate agent said there had been a storm and a few roof tiles came off, which caused a leak, but that the roof issue has since been fixed and they just haven’t repainted the ceilings yet, because no one currently lives in the house and the house's owner lives in another country.
This would actually be our second house, not our first. When we bought our current house, we deliberately chose somewhere that needed absolutely no work because we tend to be quite risk-averse with property decisions.
I obviously wouldn’t buy without getting a full survey done, but I’m wondering what people would do strategically in this situation.
If it’s a house you really love, would you:
• still put in a bid and if chosen, proceed with the survey and wait?
• or walk away now because visible water damage is already a red flag?
I know surveys often uncover issues that can then be renegotiated, but I’m trying to figure out whether this is something reasonably fixable or the kind of issue experienced buyers avoid entirely.
Photos in the comments