where to find a surveyor

silvercar

1930s house with 2 storey extension finished 2 years ago.

I want peace of mind (ie some comeback if things go wrong) so I'm going to get a full structural survey done.

I have three options:

1) Ring the mortgage company ask who they will use for the valuation and ring them to negotiate a price for the survey (the BS only has standard prices for homebuyers reports).

2) Ask the EA to recommend someone. I'm presuming the surveyor still has to do an honest job even if he's mates with the EA.

3) Ring round yellow pages/ RICS website and find the cheapest.

I'm presuming that the quality should be similar if they are all qualified. I'm mainly doing it so they can check the extension was done OK and the roof looks alright and to give me comeback if the house sinks in a year. I'm not interested in pricing major works or design and extension ideas.

Ian_W

I wouldn't do it through the EA that is selling the prop but maybe the one who is selling yours if different, alternatively go to:
http://www.rics.org/RICSservices/Findasurveyor/Public+Zone.htm
where there is a number & email contact for the rcis. I've no doubt they'll supply several who cover your area so you can ring around for prices. You can also get an online quote at:
http://www.surveyorsreports.co.uk/bs_quote.html

HTH.

silvercar

£1,155.01 - obviously that penny is very important!

I need to check whether the valuation willbe acceptable to the BS or I'll have to pay another £500+ for a mortgage valuation.

AndrewSmith

You can arrange for a full structural survey to be carried out by the surveyor when he visits the property to carry out the valuation. Quite standard practice.

If you let the lender know when you book the valuation they will put the surveyor directly in contact with you to discuss the cost and any specific requirements you have.

If you do have your own carried out not using the lenders surveyor you will still have to pay the lender to carry out their own valuation. This is because the basic mortgage valuation is for the benefit of the lender to ascertain if the property is suitable security for mortgage purposes and has sufficient value for the money they are lending you. This is how any lender's application form T&C's will describe the basic valuation.

If you ask the surveyor to carry out anything in addition to the valuation he will do so on your behalf, the lender will not get to see anything other than the basic valuation report. There is no reason for him not to work on your behalf so don't be too cynical about using the lender's surveyor for a Full Structural Survey.

Andy

silvercar

That's really helpful, will try and speak to them in the morning.

My only thought was that if I have the full structural survey first and there are problems that means we decide not to go ahead with the property, I will save on the mortgage booking fee (£200) as well as the valuation fee (£500).

If I use the same surveyor I will have to pay for all 3 before I've seen the full survey.

silvercar

If you let the lender know when you book the valuation they will put the surveyor directly in contact with you to discuss the cost and any specific requirements you have.

Contacted the lender and they refused to tell me who they would instruct! They said they don't get involved in full surveys and suggested I look in Yellow Pages. Even spoke to the underwriting department who wouldn't give me the info.

Phoned the EA who recommended someone. Wasn't that impressed with him on the phone and he said he was booked up at the moment. He quoted over £1,400.

Went back to the EA for someone else. Second guy seemed interested, knew the area and more pleasant. He quoted £1,050, so I booked him. Unfortunately he's not available for a week but has promised to phone me the day after he's done the survey to discuss things.

Going to hold off putting the mortgage application in until after the survey is done as I'll have to pay another £600 for valuation and arrangement fee. Mortgage application tool 2 weeks last time, this time should be quicker as its same application just on a different property.

Mad_Max_3

As of next year this will all become easier as any seller will be required to produce a Home Information Pack before they can market the property. this includes a survey which is almost as detailed as a full survey, as well as other information such as energy effeciency.
Home inspectors will carry indemnity insurance so you should be covered if they fail to inform you of a major defect.

Hope this helps (I'm currently training as a Home Inspector)

BobProperty

Mad_Max wrote:

... this includes a survey which is almost as detailed as a full survey....

Wonder why all those surveyors bother to get their RICS exams.

Mad_Max wrote:

...Home inspectors will carry indemnity insurance...

Got a quote for it yet?

As you may have gathered I am not impressed with HIPs. I think they are "a sledgehammer to crack a nut" and all they will do in the vast majority of cases is cost the vendor money. Have a read back through this forum for HIPs, there's a lot in there.