BillyJenningsBoots 3:19 Mon Sep 29
Building Surveys help needed
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I'm buying a house and not sure which survey to use. Been quoted 275+vat for a visual survey which doesn't include damp testing...... I've been looking around at the different levels of survey available and this sounds like a level 2 RICS buildings survey.
But my question is - Should I go for this or a full Fabric Survey.
The house was built around 1905 and look fine no obvious damp or structural movement, the electrics have been updated (although in surface mounted trunking) ....
I've heard stories that even a full survey will not necessarily cover everything and will include the usual caveats should anything be found post purchase...
Anyone got any advice!?
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Replies - In Chronological Order ( Show Newest Messages First)
Gavros
3:24 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Well worth paying for a proper survey on an old house....the basic one tells you hardly anything. If you do find even the slightest problem you can leverage on it to get the price down by at least the value of the survey itself.
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BillyJenningsBoots
3:26 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Gav...
what's a proper survey ... you mean a full fabric survey Level 3?
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Gavros
3:29 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Don't know what they're called bow but the full survey cost about £800 last time I saw. As i say, worth it on an old gaff, especially one that's not been looked after well. Plastic electrical trunking all over the house?
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leave my arcelona
3:32 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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is Nicey a massive cunt...
1.100% Yes
2.Defintely Yes
3.Almost certainly Yes
4.Probably Yes
5.I think so Yes
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worm
3:33 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Get a proper survey done.
Recently sold my house,we had a fairly large patch of damp under one of the upstairs bay windows.
The house was valued, and put on the market with the damp patch visible.
It was putting people off so we had a damp survey done that estimated the cost of the repair. Around 3k.
We knocked 5k off the asking price to take this in to account.
We had a couple of offers of well below asking price, complaining about the damp was the reason given by the agent.
We took it off the market, sanded down the wall repainted it and put the house back on the market.
It took about 24 hours to then get offered the asking price.
So the moral of the story is, don't be upfront about any damage you have. Hide it.
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,
3:39 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Someone that I know had a full survey on a house that they had agreed a price on. The survey found a front wall was cracked due to a nearby tree causing subsidence. The vendor was contacted and agreed to get the repair carried out under their still existing buildings insurance policy. £5K repair completed they then completed the purchase and moved in.
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cm2hammer
3:41 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Noah is the only person on here I would listen to about this.... Hopefully he'll see this and help you out.
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straightuplazy
3:42 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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£275 for a Visual survey will produce the following:
Yes, it is a house.
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Noah
3:48 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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BJB
You have WHOmail.
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zebthecat
3:48 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Go for a full structural survey especially given the building's age.
Glad I did on a potential purchase (1890s cottage) as it found:
Rising damp in kitchen
Rising damp in living room
Rising damp in hall
Front and side wall cavity ties broken/corroded resulting in bowing walls.
One of the two chimneys unsafe and both required relining.
Uncertified gas boiler.
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Gavros
4:02 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Yes Noah gave me some cracking advice once regarding a certain Nigerian council-employed surveyor.....saved me a couple of grand, that did.
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Noah
4:06 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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I was working on commission Gav. Shall we say 50-50?
swtoc?
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Gavros
4:07 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Noah, I agree and will happily pass on 1000 nigerian naira next time i see you.
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The old c wing
4:49 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Rant...
Have moved house 3 times in last 4 years so have a bit of experience in this sort of thing.
I'm assuming your mortgaged and the mortgage company are giving you the three choices?
1. Visual survey/valuation - not exactly as it sounds, they will visit the house potentially.
2. Homebuyer - mid range, about £500, headline stuff.
3. Full structural survey, approx. £800, all singing and dancing.
Bear in mind a few things...
For the full structural, they will still only look at what they can - i.e. they may test light switches to see if they work but they will not test the flow or quality of the earthing (as an example).
They will swing a damp meter about, but make no assessment beyond that unless visually obvious.
There is a significant risk (as we found out in our current house) that if you get anything above a valuation, that they can make broad comments about problems or potential problems that the mortgage company can then put a retainer on.
We had the issue of cavity wall ties, where they basically said because of the property age we should have them tested. The ONLY firms who do this testing are cavity wall tie installers.
Part of the cause for this was that they made mistakes about the property/extension age and I am in the process of trying to recover the money. We ultimately went with a different mortgage company and had a standard valuation with no issues.
The problem with surveyors is that is basically 'how they see it on the day' and its very open to abuse in my opinion.
I suppose it is very much dependent on the nature of the price you are paying and the house. We got a very good price for a property in need of TLC but nothing really wrong with it.
My suggestion? Get the standard valuation and If you know a good builder pay them for their time to go around with you for another visit and see what they think - tell the agent its to quote for some work and once your in tell the agent to bugger off or lose the sale.
Much I suppose depends on the price paid and the house - if your in the stronger position you could use the survey as leverage to get money off, if they are in the stronger position, it could mean you taking a hit from the mortgage company.
Who is your mortgage company? Again, beware many of the smaller lenders who are offering excellent deals - again from experience, many of them just want to lend not only to zero risk clients but zero risk houses.
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munkyfunk
4:58 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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Had a full structural survey on my house 2yrs ago
They missed that it needed a new roof
Damp in front wall downstairs
As a start..
They came back with the usual electrics need updating and plumbing checking but missed the major points.
I shone a torch down dwarf walls in loft extn once moved in and could seen roof had damage, water damage to rafters, front wall was black, all hidden by sofas at the time.
They are not allowed to move furniture so if the occupants have covered anything they are not at Liberty to move furniture so surveyor can check..
Tried to claim back afterwards and lost the case.
Next time I'm getting my own builder and roofer round to do checks and sort them a drink, at least you get an honest report back..
All they had to do was shine a torch down the dwarf walls and it was so obvious it was rotten..
Swings and roundabouts tho, as the house I sold had damp in outside wall which was never picked up by the people buying my old house..
Personally I have builders and trades I trust and will use them for any future house purchase..
This was a £1500 survey not just the big standard home buyers report.
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munkyfunk
5:00 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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As a note given the age of the property your buying if you don't know anyone then I'd get a full survey but read t&c's if they miss anything as I didn't have a leg to stand on
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ManorParkHammer
5:08 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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'It wasn't like that when I looked at it'
The Surveyors Guidebook
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Noah
5:13 Mon Sep 29
Re: Building Surveys help needed
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A few points about what you say c wing.
You're right a building surveyor will visually inspect mechanical and electrical services - if you want them tested, you'll need an engineer or electrician. If I saw something that concerned me, I'd make the recommendation. In this case the survey could include the wiriing if this is surface mounted.
A full survey will include a damp survey with a moisture meter. If it's missed then you'd be entitled to pursue the surveyor for damages.
The mortgage lender need not be privy to the report if the client doesn't want then to be. The building survey can be used to rebut anything raised in the mortgage lenders valuation survey.
Cavity wall tie failure is evidenced by a particular pattern of cracking. A building surveyor of engineer can carry out a survey for this not just a installers.
A full building survey will include getting into void and inspecting as much of the building as is accessible. It includes lifting drain covers where possible and, with permission of the owner lifting carpets etc.
If you had a shit surveyor then you have my sympathy but it makes good sense to get a survey done. A builder does not carry professional indemnity insurance!
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