homebuyers survey quick question

lindos90

We are in the middle of selling our house and buying another.

A survey has been arranged by our buyers for tomorrow, and Ive just found out this afternoon it is a homebuyers survey, not just a basic valuation, which I first thought.

I had a quick search on here, and it seems that this type of survey is often used to slash the agreed asking price if things turn up in the report, which has got me worried!...anyway...

My question is, what do I do during the survey? Am I supposed to go round with the surveryor and show him/her what improvements we have done (like with a viewing), or do I have to let him walk round alone while he makes notes (like with the EA valuation).

Is he likely to ask me lots of questions, or is he just observing the condition of the house?

Im guessing he will want to go into the loft, so I will have the hatch ready open, and steps ready for him, what other preparation should I do, to hopefully show my house to its best?

g_attrill

It's quite a detailed inspection, so I imagine they would probably prefer to be left to do their thing after initially being shown around. It's factual and objective, so there isn't much else you can do.

chickmug

Unlike the basic valuation which can be 20 minutes it can take a few hours. They prefer to be left alone but will shout if they need you. But domake sure you try and get over the good points.

Make sure you give them lots of tea/coffee with a few biscuits so you can expect a favour returned by your asking if all is OK or not when they are done.

Yes any form of survey can be used to try and knock the price down but wait and see and post again for help when it arises. If it arises.

Good luck.

lindos90

Really happy to find responses this morning, thank you.

So I will show them round initially if they want, but not hover over them all the time, or be too pushy.

I will make sure I point out the best bits (including school catchment, as that is a big 'value' point for the house)

Helpful, honest, with a cup of tea, I can do that!:T

chickmug

lindos90 wrote: »

Really happy to find responses this morning, thank you.

So I will show them round initially if they want, but not hover over them all the time, or be too pushy.

I will make sure I point out the best bits (including school catchment, as that is a big 'value' point for the house)

Helpful, honest, with a cup of tea, I can do that!:T

Good luck.

Let us know how it goes and don't forget to ask them on the way out if all was OK.

keith969

lindos90 wrote: »

I will make sure I point out the best bits (including school catchment, as that is a big 'value' point for the house)

He is unlikely to be much interested in the school, its your house he's surveying!

Must confess I was worried about my buyers having a proper survey done. He took about an hour and a half, but his comment at the end was 'they're pretty solid these houses, there's no major problems'.

tek-monkey

lindos90 wrote: »

A survey has been arranged by our buyers for tomorrow, and Ive just found out this afternoon it is a homebuyers survey, not just a basic valuation, which I first thought.

I had a quick search on here, and it seems that this type of survey is often used to slash the agreed asking price if things turn up in the report, which has got me worried!...anyway...

Not necessarily, some people just want the piece of mind that they're not buying a lemon. Have you watched The Money Pit? Especially for FTBs, this house buying lark is a daunting business. Having someone actually check the state of the property rather than just give it a price seems essential to me.

My Homebuyers has turned up several issues which may well affect if I buy the house. I see it as money very well spent, £465 for the survey compared to possibly tens of thousands in repair - its just common sense. I now need a further drain survey, which is more money spent, but if it has collapsed as the surveyor suspects I don't want the house!

Soot2006

The HBS we commissioned certainly did mention things like local schools. It also mentioned where the nearest shop was & how well constructed the area in general seemed to be .... It was very precise about the house, too, luckily - turned up some little niggles that will addressing some day, but nothing disastrous or that affected our decision to pay what we had offered.

keith969

Soot2006 wrote: »

The HBS we commissioned certainly did mention things like local schools. It also mentioned where the nearest shop was & how well constructed the area in general seemed to be ....

Thanks, I did not know that. Still seems a bit odd though, that's the sort of information I want to know before even putting an offer in for a house!

lindos90

keith969 wrote: »

He is unlikely to be much interested in the school

But the value of the house is affected by school catchment areas, by many thousands!

Anyway, she has been and gone, two full hours!

She used to live in the area, and confirmed with me that it was within the catchment of the good school in the area.

Asked lots of questions about the work we have had done on the house, which was nerve racking, worried about saying the wrong thing, but just told the truth, but it was difficult to remeber everything as we have done lots of little things/improvements to the house over the years.

Gave her a cuppa, she used the loo several times (?checking the plumbing:rotfl:)

At the end she said that she was not really supposed to discuss the outcomes of the survey, but did say that as she hadnt got more questions to ask me at the end, and that was perhaps a 'good' sign.

So I'll keep my fingers crossed and try and stop fretting now!