homebuyers survey done-didn't point out windows need replacing

td

We have just about moved into our new home - day before our little girl arrived into the world.

we had a homebuyers survey done but when weve moved in it appears that most of windows in conservatory need replacing - just the glass.

Do you think we have grounds for complaint?

td

lynzpower

was it a homebuyers valuation report?

Mr_Proctalgia

I suspect that it is because the windows are not to current standards, if this is the case then you need to bear in mind that building regulations are NOT retrospective, if they were correct for their age then they are still correct now. It is only if you change something that it has to be done to the current standards. If you think about it for a moment we would all be knocking our homes down and having them rebuilt every 2 or 3 years if they had to up to current standards.


HTH

td

It was homebuyer's report. Surely it should be pointed out that the windows weren't up to a satisfactory standard?

td

Ian_W

Hi td,
Can you explain what you mean by

but when weve moved in it appears that most of windows in conservatory need replacing - just the glass.

??
Do you mean the glass is broken or the sealed units have failed? "It appears" is a strange way to describe it, either they do need replacing cos they're broken or faulty in some way which the surveyor should have spotted - or they don't need replacing.

MarkyMarkD

I don't think that failed sealed units is a big deal, and I don't think that it's sufficient grounds to hold a surveyor negligent.

The cost of replacing sealed units is not that much.

Our house has LOADS which need doing, and it's the faff rather than the cost which is putting me off - we had three done a while ago for around £60 apiece.

td

It's the sealed units that have gone.
td

Astaroth

At the end of the day if you dont try you dont get. It can however be difficult for a survey to be done on items like this... the way I spoted that some glass needed replacing was due to condensation which was only present in the mornings (though longer in winter). When I sold the property the surveyer came round in the afternoon so there was no sign of the problem.

A friend did make a semi-successful claim against a surveyer due to a problem with condesation on the walls (which was starting to result in mold growing) - total works to fit air bricks, better extracter in the bath room and a vented window in the 2 rooms worst effected came to £1000 and he got £750 or so from the surveyers but it did take a long time - they originally told them just to leave the bedroom window open but for a 6 month old in winter to sleep with a window open wasnt considered a viable option.

JennyW_2

I know of a couple of homes which had one or two windows with failed units and they still passed a survey.

flea72

i thought a home buyers survey was the basic one, and as such wouldnt list any faults with the house?

Ive always heard that with a home buyers survey, they basically looked at the house and said well 'its got 4 walls that are still standing' and that was the extent of it!

If you wanted to know about things that were wrong with the house, that would need repair/replacing, then you went for a more substantial survey. The surveyor/mortgage company, should have given you an explanation of what was involved with all the different types of survey.

Flea

lynzpower

Me too flea