When does the buyer instruct a survey?

shallowpockets

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help me, we've accepted an offer on our house and I was wondering when the buyer will instruct the survey. Can you also advise that once they've instructed the survey is this when I will know that they are serious about buying the house. I've already taken on a solicitor but obviously do not want to instruct them to proceed until I know that the buyer is serious. Or am I wrong and should the solicitor's pack be signed and forwarded before?

susieb

I'm in the same position as you, and am lead to believe the solictor puts the fixtures list etc in the post to me, I return and they go to the buyer, and then the buyer sorts out survey and valuation etc.
I was told it would go quiet for the first 2 weeks.

lilybugs

I'm a buyer and didn't receive the fixtures & fittings or anything else until almost the end. This was after I'd had the survey, got my mortgage, building insurance etc.

WestonDave

You may never know the survey has happened! It was more or less outright stated by our mortgage company that for the basic valuation the surveyor wouldn't be entering the property! The valuation report is so limited that they only have to check that there actually is a property, and that its in the sort of condition that justifies its security value. If your house is new or obviously in good condition from outside they may just do a driveby job.

Its true that the fixtures form gets sent to the buyer at various points in the transaction depending on their solicitors policy - some send everything at once with the contract for final approval, others send stuff out as it comes to maintain communication. However the other form - the Property Information form has questions on boundaries, services, improvements etc - these may result in questions from your buyers solicitors so if you hold it back, you will delay the process as they will still have to ask those questions - just later in the process.