Help / Advice needed on surveys

gkinrade

Hi

I need some advice on whether to go for a survey or not and if so, which of a homebuyer's report or a full building survey to go for.

My girlfriend and I are first time buyers and looking to buy in an area where the houses are all fairly new (anywhere between new-builds up to around 15 years old). Most of the houses that we're currently interested in are about 3 years old.

Having read around, many people don't rate the homebuyer's report at all and to me a full building survey for a 3 year old house is a bit OTT....

What do people think - to go for a survey or not and if so, which one?

Thanks

Orlando_Virgin

gkinrade wrote: »

Hi

I need some advice on whether to go for a survey or not and if so, which of a homebuyer's report or a full building survey to go for.

My girlfriend and I are first time buyers and looking to buy in an area where the houses are all fairly new (anywhere between new-builds up to around 15 years old). Most of the houses that we're currently interested in are about 3 years old.

Having read around, many people don't rate the homebuyer's report at all and to me a full building survey for a 3 year old house is a bit OTT....

What do people think - to go for a survey or not and if so, which one?

Thanks

Considering the age of the house mate I think there would be no need for a full structural. My Mum and Dad had a full structural survey done when they moved and I had a look at it when we were deciding whether to go with a higher level of survey and there was a lot of:-

"Floorboards look ok but might wear over time"

They didn't go into the loft because they didn't bring ladders etc etc. A basic valuation should be fine for you IMO.

cattie

If you're looking at houses around the 3yr old mark then they should be covered under the NHBC guarantee.

I think if I were buying a house over 10yrs old, thus having no NHBC cover, I'd feel more confident about the property if I had a homebuyer's survey done.

My creed has always been any property at least 80yrs old to have a full structural buildings survey, anything built later to have a homebuyer's, unless my eye and instinct tells me it might be more prudent to go for the more expensive structural survey.

suisidevw

My homebuyers was helpful but poorly written. When we spoke to the surveyor on the phone we got a lot more out of the whole process!

nansenst

Get the basic survey - the home buyers is for older houses and is likely to waste your money. If anything comes up on the basic survey - pull out since the house is only 3 years old.

gkinrade

thanks for all the replies so far - greatly appreciated. One quick question - the previous post referrs to a 'basic survey' - what do you mean by this?

Orlando_Virgin

gkinrade wrote: »

thanks for all the replies so far - greatly appreciated. One quick question - the previous post referrs to a 'basic survey' - what do you mean by this?

Its just a standard basic valuation, where they walk around the house looking for things, basically the more you pay, the harder they look. I'm not entirely sure on what the breakdown is on each level but a basic survey is just where the surveyor comes and checks the valuation of the property meets for them to lend you money.

cattie

What people call a basic survey is actually just a valuation for the lenders information & will tell you nothing constructive about the property.

gkinrade

ah right - thanks for that. Having done some more research I can see that a homebuyer's report sounds quite good but what would it actually pick up - I suppose not a lot on a 3 year old property!?....

superfran_uk

gkinrade wrote: »

ah right - thanks for that. Having done some more research I can see that a homebuyer's report sounds quite good but what would it actually pick up - I suppose not a lot on a 3 year old property!?....

Well, you'd certainly hope not. If they DID find anything, you could at least walk away and thank your lucky stars that you didn't buy the place!