Who Arranges Full Structural Survey?

DurhamWolf

Hello

I wonder if you can help me.

My fiance and I have just had an offer accepted on a house. We have instructed a solicitor and have contacted our mortgage broker today to make a full application for our mortgage. Our broker wants to know what type of survey we want on the house – a valuation, a homebuyers report or a full survey – telling me that if I want the latter then I need to ring a chap recommended by Halifax, who we will be taking our mortgage out with, to arrange a cost.

My question is, why do I need to arrange for this to be done with someone recommended by a mortgage company rather than a solicitor. Who usually arranges for the survey to be done and do I need to have this confirmed to make a mortgage application?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Fire_Fox

In order to get a mortgage you must pay for a valuation: this is for your lender's protection NOT yours and they choose their own surveyor. If you require a Homebuyer's Report or Full Structural survey you can arrange for your own surveyor to do this or you can use the lender's surveyor for convenience. No idea why you think the solicitor has anything to do with surveys, he doesn't??? You do not have to have a Homebuyers Report or full structural survey, but unless the house is new or virtually new you'd be mad not to as this is the biggest purchase of your lives by a country mile. If you do not know what each survey entails you should read the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors website.

princessamy86

The only survey your lenders (Halifax) want is a valuation survey. If you want a full structural then you can either tag it on to the valuation survey with the chap from Halifax, or you can instruct a separate surveyor to do one for you. You'll have to have the valuation survey regardless of whether or not you want a full structural.

You arrange for any survey which is extra to the valuation, but a lot of people tag extra surveys on to the valuation so everything is coming from one person. Your broker should be able to find you a local surveyor, otherwise just have a look at the RICS site for a list of surveyors in your area. Halifax will have their own people, as you mentioned, but 9 times out of 10 these guys are local surveyors who have contracts to get business from Halifax. Chances are they will be working for a local firm you would have chosen anyway.

I really hope that makes sense, I have brain mush this afternoon

TrickyDicky

For us with HSBC, it was cheaper to have the valuation done by the bank and get our own surveyor rather than let the HSBC guy do homebuyers or structural by about £200!

DurhamWolf

Thanks Fire Fox and princessamy86 for your prompt replies, both really useful and help me clarify what's required. I don't know why I assumed the survey was something to do with the solicitor - I think I just assumed it was linked to law somewhere so must be to do with them!

Is it likley then that the same person who carries out the valuation will also do the full structural survey? Also, do these people liase directly with my estate agent with regards access to property etc?

Thanks again.

Richard_Webster

I don't know why I assumed the survey was something to do with the solicitor - I think I just assumed it was linked to law somewhere so must be to do with them!

The confusion does happen. As I say in a note I send out with conveyancing estimates:

"Don’t confuse a survey that looks at the property itself, with a search, which looks at records of one kind or another about the property."

princessamy86

Up to you if you want the same person to do the valuation and the full structural, just make sure you compare prices of having one done separately as trickydicky pointed out, as you don't want to be paying over the odds if it's cheaper to have 2 separate surveyors go out. Yes they will liaise directly with the agent for access.

Mike_Teas

Some useful information and comments on this very subject at http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/conveyancing-solicitors-failing-clients-over-survey-advice

JA1000

How old is the property? Most people just have a valuation survey. I would suggest you go for the full structural, especially if it is older. Gives good evidence for knocking more off the price. I do this every time, found out I needed to replace the roof batons, felt etc. Provided the evidence to the EA and got further money knocked off. Well worth the extra cost and I do it every time.