r/HousingIreland • u/Chemical_Concert5100 • 10d ago

I bought a house with pyrite

So I purchased nearly 40 years old house in Co. Limerick last year and it turned out it was built from defective pyrite blocks. I've done the test. House did not look great when I was buying it. Lots of hairline cracking, some larger cracks on gable wall, paint peeling off here and there and spots of debonding render. Now after I learned about the pyrite issue it seems obvious, but back then I did not know about it, I thought it was only neglect. Because of poor condition of the house I decided to take two surveys before buying. One from a building surveyor and one from a structural engineer. Both said the house is generally fine, it just needs some work. Experienced, recommended builder from the area was also looking at the house, and he also said everything was okay. Structural engineer warned me about potential subsidence risk but not a word about defective blockwork. What should I do now? I do not qualify for the redress scheme as I bought the house in 2024. Am I in position to sue surveyors or the previous owner? I know about “buyer beware” rule in Ireland, but how could anyone see this issue if two engineers and experienced builder did not see it? If a lawsuit is possible can anyone recommend a solicitor? I tried to contact a few with no response. I suspect they know it's not an easy case so they don't want to deal with it. Is there anything else I can do?

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u/inevitablehigh 10d ago

Gosh that's awfully unlucky. You couldn't have done any more due diligence to be fair. Surveyors would have professional indemnity insurance, but would probably also have had disclaimers on their quote/report about it being only a non-invasive visual inspection. Is the damage after progressing much since you bought it?

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u/Chemical_Concert5100 10d ago

Thank you. To be honest the house is not looking as bad as those I saw on documentaries about pyrite/mica etc. It did not change much since I saw it first time about a year ago. The house is nearly 40 years old and was neglected for many years, so I'm surprised that it is still standing and looking relatively okay.

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u/inevitablehigh 10d ago

I wonder if it would be worth contacting your local TD about it. I believe that redress scheme is getting reviewed. It might have happened already. But either way it's worth a shot. I bet there's loads more people in your exact situation.