Survey, what do they do?

alm721

Hi there, we have a a surveyer/valuer coming around next week from our buyers. Having never sold or (or bought for that matter) a house I just wondered what they do. Are there any areas that need to be clear (like the loft) or is it not that through. Is there anything I should be doing before they come?
Thanks

poppysarah

At the very nosiest a basic surveyor might come inside your house and put his head in the loft. He will prod your walls with a meter that says they're damp. He will have a look round and that'll be about it.

If you've got issues you want to hide just put huge bits of furniture in front of them.
But he'll notice if walls are leaning out or if it smells damp.

alm721

Thanks for that, nothing to hide lol, just wondered what to expect.

VortexSteve

There's some example surveys and homebuyer reports here - http://www.romans.co.uk/buying/survey.asp - Might be worth looking at to see the content of a report and how detailed it could be if you know which one your buyer is getting.

olbas_oil

poppysarah wrote: »

At the very nosiest a basic surveyor might come inside your house and put his head in the loft. He will prod your walls with a meter that says they're damp. ..quote]

Most surveys I have read state things like, 'The floorboards were not inspected because there was a covering of xxx' or 'the roof was not inspected because we were too lazy to bring a stepladder'.
PoppySarah is absolutely right to say that your walls will be declared as damp, no matter what. This is because the meter they use is calibrated for wood, not plaster, and measures conductivity, not damp.

On the other hand your buyers may have a structural survey, which costs much more, but should accurately describe the property. (Though they still won't move furniture, dig holes, inspect anything hard).

If the buyers try to negotiate on an unexpected amount of work revealed by the survey, insist on a full copy, including valuation. Much of the negatives (like re-decoration) can be dismissed. A buyer and vendor can read the same survey and come to completely polarised opinions about the 'fitness' of the property.

alm721

Thanks for that, As far as I know there should really be nothing major. The house is about 13 years old and is in good conditon but you never know! My sister recently bought a house and a survey revealed a problem which lead to the mortgage company refusing to release 10k due to the works needing to be done. My sister was going mad as it didn't seem that major. In the end the mortage company backed down after she got quotes for the work of approx £225. £270 and £250. Sometimes you wondered where they get their figures from!
Thanks