Useless full structural survey for 900 pounds

toja

Hi everyone. I just paid £900 for full structural survey arranged by Woolwich (the only option they have) and got something like this:
- no signs of subsiding or wall cracks as seen from the main road - this I could see myself
- the condition (of wires, walls, ceilings etc) is satisfactory given the age of the property (110 old Victorian maisonette)
- there is small damp on the window in one of bedrooms which is likely a local issue (not a major I guess)
- I am recommended to get damp expert to check damp (I thought it was their job???), electrician and heating engineer – so now I am supposed to pay privately for everything again?
- They couldn’t check walls because of wallpapers and floorboards because of the carpet and loft because of the waste storage there – not sure what they checked at all!

The main outcome of the survey:
- the property condition is average
- the house is likely not collapsing or subsiding
- it is recommended to paint some kind of joinery outside the window (that is the only detailed recommendation)

I am already trying to arrange electrician and heating specialist to check the condition of pipes and wires and not sure should I ask damp specialist as well because of the small damp? I am afraid I will be paying for it again and it is nothing to cover for the vendor of the house, isn’t it?

I am very, very disappointed

silvercar

Was the surveyor recommended?

For a full structural survey, I paid £1100 in 2006. The report was 34 pages long with lots of photos highlighting each small fault.

toja

The surveyor was assigned by the lender – I could not choose. My one has no pictures…

Snooze

This sounds more like one of those 'homebuyers' surverys to me, not a full structural. On full structural you get them pulling up bits of floor and walls and stuff. Imho surverys are a complete waste of money anyway. If you've more than a brain in your head you can do them yourself.

Rob

Pigster_2

I agree that what you've got sounds like a homebuyer report. A couple of years ago we considered one and we were told that the surveyor would have charged us about £500 if we had been able to employ him directly. Because it was being done through the lender, though, it would have cost us over £900. Nice work if you can get it!

We decided to have a full structural survey, which was about £1300 but well worth it as it exposed all sorts of difficulties which led us to pull out. I don't think these would have been picked up in a homebuyer survey.

Best of luck though.

toja

What I ordered it was defo full structural survey by description. Just wondering who I should complain to.
I am getting my own builder now to check main things for additional.. hmmm... £100!

chickmug

I wonder if the person at the lender was getting a bung for suggesting that surveyor? I suspect that may of been the case. Disgraceful.

Snooze

toja wrote: »

What I ordered it was defo full structural survey by description. Just wondering who I should complain to.
I am getting my own builder now to check main things for additional.. hmmm... £100!

With all due respect, what is your £100 builder going to tell you that you can't see for yourself?

The builder can't advise on wiring, plumbing or roofing, so that leaves him to look for damp patches and tell you've got damp patches and look for cracks and tell you it may or may not be falling into a hole.

Save your cash and use your own eyes.

Rob

silvercar

toja wrote: »

The surveyor was assigned by the lender – I could not choose. My one has no pictures…

All suggests that it is a home buyers report.

My lender doesn't even offer full strucutral surveys. Sure you can pay to upgrade the valuation to a home buyers report but that is not the same thing.

Normally for a full survey you would ask around for a reccommendation, not just use someone assigned by the lender.

princessamy86

Was the surveyor RICS accredited? I believe they have a complaints procedure if you are not happy. www.rics.org

marybishop

The surveyor definitely doesn't get the fee charged by the lender, only a proportion of it. You are better off commissioning your own independent survey. That way you know who to contact if you want to ask questions once you've received the report.