Complaint about buyer's survey

G_M · 4 October 2016 at 12:21PM

I sympathise completely. However as others have said, this is how surveys are all written.

I strongly believe they are (all) misleading and, as has we regularly see on this forum, cause FTBs to panic uneccessarily due to the misunderstanding caused by the wording.

Condition Rating 3 – defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.

FTB see 'condition 3 - defects' and understandably think there is a (serious) problem, when in fact it is simply a poorly worded way of saying "I'm not qualified to judge the electrics (etc) so you should get someone else"

But it is the system that is wrong, not this surveyor.

phoebe1989seb · 4 October 2016 at 4:29PM

G_M wrote: »

I sympathise completely. However as others have said, this is how surveys are all written.

I strongly believe they are (all) misleading and, as has we regularly see on this forum, cause FTBs to panic uneccessarily due to the misunderstanding caused by the wording.

Condition Rating 3 – defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.

FTB see 'condition 3 - defects' and understandably think there is a (serious) problem, when in fact it is simply a poorly worded way of saying "I'm not qualified to judge the electrics (etc) so you should get someone else"

But it is the system that is wrong, not this surveyor.

If I were a first time buyer - as opposed to someone who hasn't had a survey of any kind carried out on their last three (very ancient

) house purchases - I would be scared off by the use of the term "urgently" in this context as it does imply some underlying serious issues. I feel for you, OP and think an overhaul of the house buying system in England and Wales is long overdue

Smodlet · 15 October 2016 at 10:31AM

Hi. So-called "damp" meters actually measure conductivity. Water, as we know, is a great conductor of electricity so, apply a damp meter to a piece of copper and the reading would be damp to the point of soggy. The meter can't tell the difference between one conductive material and another. The surveyor, in true backside-covering spirit, assumes any conductivity must be caused by damp, when there may be another explanation.

The other issues have all been addressed but to sum up: Can't see it/can't be bothered to lift drain cover/ain't qualified = 3

The gas/electricity/heating you have certificates for. Most of the rest you have evidence for. You could get a drain survey done, if you wanted more evidence but that is usually the buyer's headache. HTH.

peter_we · 15 October 2016 at 8:33PM

Its a valuations survey, maybe the buyer ought to have got more appropriate report. There are five levels.
http://www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/home-survey-suite/rics-home-surveys/

slowpoke_rodriguez · 15 October 2016 at 9:03PM

Apollo wrote: »

Thanks for the replies so far folks. Picking up on the responses:

The bullet point list that I posted is pretty much verbatim. It's taken from section J of a standard RICS report under the heading Risks to the Property and is a summary. There is lots more narrative on each of these points within the main body of the report.
.

Not exactly verbatim then...

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Complaint about buyer's survey

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