Many purchasers may not be aware of the term ‘mundic’, particularly if purchasers are not local to Cornwall and Devon, however, mundic is a local issue to Cornwall and some parts of Devon and may be relevant depending on the type/construction and age of the property you are buying.
So, what is ‘mundic’? (The short version)
When traditional building materials such as stone, brick etc. were not available locally and it was not possible or cost effective to source such from outside the local area, the manufacture of concrete products including concrete blockwork and mass concrete was undertaken locally. This included using locally available and free materials such as local mining waste and beach gravel etc. as aggregate as part of the concrete manufacture. This process broadly began at the beginning of the 20th Century and whilst there is no definitive end/cease date of using these types of aggregate, some properties have been confirmed to have been built using these materials and therefore affected by ‘mundic’ up to 1960 and in some cases around 1965.
The use of these local materials as aggregate in the concrete can cause deterioration and mechanical weakening of the building form and thus, it is important to consider whether a property needs to be tested for ‘mundic’ prior to commitment to purchase.
Testing for mundic
Testing for mundic involves representative sampling and testing of the relevant concrete elements of the property in line with the current mundic guidance as set out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with the latest version of this guidance at the time of writing being ‘The Mundic Problem, 3rd edition’.
Testing starts with a Stage 1 sampling/testing using representative samples taken by a surveyor and provided to a laboratory for analysis. The samples taken are obtained via invasive/destructive means, typically using a heavy-duty core drill and if necessary, also a chisel or similar hand tools to collect samples. Stage 1 sampling may also include some exploratory sampling if the type of construction is unclear/questionable and suspected to potentially contain concrete. The samples taken during the Stage 1 sampling procedure will be provided to the laboratory and a Petrographer will carry out a preliminary Stage 1 test. Whilst the majority of properties receive a formal classification by way of Stage 1 testing, in some instances the laboratory will advise that the results are unclassified at Stage 1 and further testing is needed. There are two types of Stage 2 testing (Petrography and Density) and the Petrographer/laboratory will advise which type(s) of testing is next recommended (certain types of further testing will require additional sampling to be carried out). In some rare cases following Stage 2 testing, properties can then be recommended for Stage 3 testing.
Many properties in Cornwall and Devon have previously been tested for mundic. If you are aware that the property you are buying requires testing, it is worth enquiring whether the property has been tested previously and whether the report is available for ‘assignment’ to you as the new owner/purchaser. ‘Assignment’ is transferring the liability of the report and if a report is not appropriately assigned, it cannot be legally relied upon and therefore, being provided with a copy of a report does not provide you with any reliance. If you are aware a property has been tested previously, you should contact the company that undertook the test and enquire as to the result and whether the report is available for assignment.
If you are obtaining a mortgage or lending for your purchase, it is important to check with your lender that they will accept the report based on the date and classification as some lenders will only accept reports carried out within recent years and with certain classifications (this is down to the individual lender and their criteria). Of course, you should also make sure the result of the test is satisfactory.
Companies are not obliged to assign their previous reports and may refuse to do so in reasonable circumstances, particularly if the surveyor is no longer practicing and of course if the company is no longer trading, then assignment will not be possible, and a new test will be required. However, where assignment is possible, whilst a fee is charged, this is usually much less than the cost of commissioning a new test.
Determining whether a property requires testing
Determining whether a property requires testing requires various factors to be taken into account:
• Does the property contain concrete construction such as concrete block, shutter mass concrete etc? It should be noted concrete areas containing reinforcement such as foundations etc. cannot be tested as this can compromise the reinforcement etc.
• When was the property built? The RICS guidance advises testing of appropriate concrete elements should be considered up to 1950 however, it then goes on to state that surveyors should use their local knowledge to decide whether a property needs testing depending on its date of construction, location etc. This is where different surveyors may provide slightly different advice depending on their experience. Our experience has led us to believe that properties constructed up to around 1965 should be tested as properties built in or around this time period has been known to contain mundic. It is also important to note that in order to confirm dates of construction of properties, your legal adviser should investigate appropriate evidence to try and establish when concrete elements of a property were built. You should not ‘take someone’s word’ that a property was built at a certain date, it is important there is suitable evidence to confirm this. In the absence of being able to confirm dates of construction and obtain suitable evidence, a mundic test may be recommended.
Why is it so important that a property is tested for ‘mundic’ is required?
• It may be needed for mortgage or lending purposes – If you are obtaining a mortgage or form of finance/lending to purchase your property, it is likely a review/valuation of the property will be carried out on behalf of the lender. As part of this process, certain matters that could affect the security for the lender such as ‘mundic’ may be questioned and a lender can refuse to lend on a property if any requested mundic reports are not provided/available. Of course, the result must also be satisfactory in line with the lender’s requirements for them to consider lending against the property.
Many cash buyers will also query if they need to obtain a mundic test when recommended to do so because they are not obtaining any form of lending/finance? The answer is yes/absolutely. You may not require a test/report for lending but mundic can be a serious issue and purchasers that proceed to buy a property without a test where recommended are putting themselves at significant risk (see comments below in respect of financial implications and structural instability). Also, you may not require a mortgage or lending now but if you require lending later down the line, it is likely to be requested then. If you also sell the property in the future, mundic may be raised and future buyers may ask if you have had the property tested.
• Structural instability/degradation – Properties containing mundic (in some more severe cases) can become structurally unsound. This not only poses a significant risk to the safety of occupants and the public but would present a huge burden/risk and could mean the property is not suitable for occupation.
• Property value – If a property is confirmed to contain mundic, depending on the classification, it may not be mortgageable or suitable for lending in which case it can then only be sold/purchased as a cash purchase. This in turn affects what the property is worth and can have a significant impact on the value of the property.
• Removing ‘mundic’ affected areas can be costly and onerous and the only way to resolve a property having mundic is to remove the affected areas.
If you require assistance in respect of mundic testing, give our office a call on 01872 277230 or email info@cockrams-surveyors.co.uk
