Urgent What Survey/What Surveyor Question

dfarry

A few weeks ago we had the surveyor around to our place to do a Home Buyer Survey... it took him about 20 minutes and I thought to myself which do surveys cost so much?

It's now my turn to decide what to do... I am paying £270 to my lender for a basic valuation but am unsure what to do regarded a more extensive survey. I have been reading here http://www.rics.org/Property/Residentialproperty/Acquisitionanddisposalofresidentialproperty/understanding_surveys.htm
and have been quoted around £600 for the separate HSV and over £800 for the structural survey.

That is alot of money for not alot of time I think (or am I underestimating the work)

The house I plan to buy is a 10 year old detached house, it has had a conservatory built on the back and a internal non-loading wall removed to extend the kitchen, Apparently the vendor checked with the local planning department and was advised in writing that planning permission of building regs were not required.

I could go with the lenders panel surveyor but I just don't feel that they will represent my interests over the lender....I'm almost tempted (foolish perhaps) to save the money and take the risk. Either way I'm going to need to have to make a decision in the next day or two otherwise the sale will be held up longer again.

Ian_W

If it's only 10yrs old with minimum alterations as you describe I certainly wouldn't go for anything more than a homebuyers report.

I really don't understand your comments about using the lenders surveyor as I can't see a conflict between the lenders interest - the property is a suitable security for a mortgage - and yours - that it has no serious or hidden structural or other problems that mean it's unsuitable to be your home. In any case as you've paid the surveyor for the HB report/survey that will have a professional duty of care and liability to you for that part of their inspection.

HTH.

dfarry

Thanks for the reply.

The HSV will work out cheaper with the lender perhaps as they need to do their valuation anyway but I don't want a 20 minute scrape the surface survey like was carried out on ours..... £600 is alot of money (but then so is the house) - I am getting quite disillusioned with the whole thing it seems like just another opportunity for someone to cash in on what is already a horrendously expensive thing to do (sell and buy).

The house will be a home as well as a investment for the future...I wonder if a HSV is actually going to tell me much more than I already know (for example the boiler won't be tested, a basic review of the woring might be carried out, I'd be surprised if damp is an issue on such a new house).

Also the estate agents said they have the telephone number of the builder that carried out the alterations, so I can build up a history of the property...

Hmmm I still don't know what to do...it will probably come down to money - whats the chances of me getting a HSV for say £200?

Cryogenic

Hi,
The cost to increase from a valuation survey to a home buyers report with my lender (A&L) was an additional £190 (£320 to £510) as you have to have the valuation anyway it worked out cheaper than an independent survey where I had a quote for habitus for £290 (which included some time limited discount of about 10%).

Jorgan_2

dfarry wrote:

The house I plan to buy is a 10 year old detached house, it has had a conservatory built on the back and a internal non-loading wall removed to extend the kitchen, Apparently the vendor checked with the local planning department and was advised in writing that planning permission of building regs were not required.

Sorry, slightly off thread, but its not clear from your posting about the internal wall being moved, or are the non loading wall & conservatory not realted? Is the conservatory part of the house, i.e. no doors seperating the conservatory from the property or has kitchen been extended into the conservatory. If so, planning is usually required, it won't be covered under permitted development rights.

seven-day-weekend

Jorgan wrote:

? Is the conservatory part of the house, i.e. no doors seperating the conservatory from the property or has kitchen been extended into the conservatory. If so, planning is usually required, it won't be covered under permitted development rights.

This is a building regulations matter....nothing to do with planning permission.

dfarry

Hi again...Basically the kitchen sat in the middle of the house at the rear, utility room on one side and dining room on the other.I believe the kitchen and diner were a single room rather than partitioned.The kitchen then led into a small utility room and from this to a door that leads to the side path. It is just the partition between the kitchen and utility room that has been removed I think. At the rear of the house now is effectively one long room - the kitchen/diner that extends along the full width of the house (25 feet).The conservatory is self contained on the rear of the house, the entrace to it is from the dining area side of the house. The original wooden french doors are still in place to separate the conservatory from the dining area. The conservatory is nothing more really than a place to sit.

Jorgan_2

If it is a load bearing wall that has been removed, building regs may be required.