survey help please!!!

shockingmoment

If the house is empty it makes the rewire (and it sounds very much like you need one) a lot easier (and cheaper) if its done now. Get 3 quotes but give them a written specification (where you want stuff, numbers of sockets / switches etc). Don't go for single sockets. Doubles are about £1 extra!

As previously mentioned - spend a little time deciding on where you want sockets / light switches.

Do you want an electric shower?
Do you want an alarm system? Outside light?

If so, and you can afford it, get them done at the same time.

Make sure the contractor is registered (NICEIC or ECA) and complies with Part P of the Building Regs. Get a completion certificate.

Sorry for the mess you find yourselves in.

TJ27

I've seen homebuyer reports that recommend getting an electical report for the electrics, damp report for the damp, structural engineers report for the cracks, plumbers report for the gas installation, timber report for the infestation, tree surgeon's report about the oak in the garden, etc.

If I was paying for such a report I'd wonder why I'd bothered spending the money. Perhaps that's why many people don't!

Some surveys go to great lengths to tell you the stuff you already know. "The house is a 1930's property constructed of brick....... uPVC windows...... plastic gutters...... blah, blah, blah." It's just a bunch of hastily inserted standard paragraphs. But if you ask about anything that might be significant, like a tree in the garden, they tell you to get a specialist report.

And I'm a surveyor myself (albeit I don't do homebuyer reports). I do try to give at least a little bit of advice rather than passing the buck onto somebody else.

silvercar

You either rewire the whole house before you move in (sensible in terms of decoration and cheaper if your not there) or you do the bits that are urgent now and the rest as and when. At the very least I would suggest (and I'm not an expert) that you have the main consumer unit replaced with an up to date one. That will (a) mean that you have a main on/off switch and (b) if there are problems on any of the circuits you will know about it.

How old does the wiring appear to be? rubber/ plastic coated thick wires suggest at least 30 years old, material coated wires could be 50+ years old that any spark could set alight.

The fact that there is no mains switch suggests that someone has been messing with the electrics at some point.

There is no reason to presume that you will not be able to live in the house as the previous occupants did. But safety has been tightened up in recent years because accidents do occur.

mr.broderick

TJ27 wrote:

I've seen homebuyer reports that recommend getting an electical report for the electrics, damp report for the damp, structural engineers report for the cracks, plumbers report for the gas installation, timber report for the infestation, tree surgeon's report about the oak in the garden, etc.

If I was paying for such a report I'd wonder why I'd bothered spending the money. Perhaps that's why many people don't!

Some surveys go to great lengths to tell you the stuff you already know. "The house is a 1930's property constructed of brick....... uPVC windows...... plastic gutters...... blah, blah, blah." It's just a bunch of hastily inserted standard paragraphs. But if you ask about anything that might be significant, like a tree in the garden, they tell you to get a specialist report.

And I'm a surveyor myself (albeit I don't do homebuyer reports). I do try to give at least a little bit of advice rather than passing the buck onto somebody else.

Excellent post ...

TJ27

Thanks Mr B. I've noticed one or two of yours which are superb too.

I remember my brother having a survey done on his house, as a buyer. The homebuyer recommended getting a damp specialist in. The damp specialist turned out to be a bloke I knew from the pub, and I knew that he was a lorry driver until a few months previously.

"Who's the specialist?" I thought, "The chartered surveyor, who'd spent several years in college learning about damp and had plenty of experience, or the trained lorry driver??"

Anyway....

mr.broderick

TJ27 wrote:

Thanks Mr B. I've noticed one or two of yours which are superb too.

I remember my brother having a survey done on his house, as a buyer. The homebuyer recommended getting a damp specialist in. The damp specialist turned out to be a bloke I knew from the pub, and I knew that he was a lorry driver until a few months previously.

"Who's the specialist?" I thought, "The chartered surveyor, who'd spent several years in college learning about damp and had plenty of experience, or the trained lorry driver??"

Anyway....

:j cracker ... sums it all up..

blossom385

:rotfl: Yep. Well said TJ27. I a 'damp specialist' who was working in Tescos until last year. Did a one day training course and now calls himself a surveyor/assessor.

Must remind people to always look for qualifications - anyone can call themselves anything and people seems to take them on face value and rarely check

OBald1

zoemcphr wrote: »

Hello

First time poster needs help. We have just exchanged on our first property two weeks ago. On the valuation/survey it was noted that the property needs a damp proof course and some timber replacing. The mortgage company retained £1500 until we get the work done which is fine. We also had a small budget for new kitchen, bath, plastering etc. When we got the keys and went in to start ripping things out we noticed that there didnt seem to be a mains electric switch. My husband and I both thought this was strange and dangerous. We called in my brother to take a look and as soon as he opened the cupboard whre the meters and things are kept he said 'woah! this is not right'. Anyway to cut long story short every man (sorry, not being sexist) that has seen the house has said the same thing 'why on earth was this not picked up on?' as there are live wires everywhere and to turn off the electric we need to pull out every fuse which as it happens still left one light on!

The house needs a complete re-wire (approx £3500) which is not in the budget at all. My qeustions is do we have any sort of comeback with the surveyor? I called the mortgage company and they basically said not our problem and to take it up with surveyor. Despite leaving messages this week we are yet to hear back from them. Has anyone hared of this before? Surely the electric is something they notice? How come they noticed damp but not this? Any advice/ comments would be welcome as we are at the moment feeling thats its not fair! We have waited so long to own our own house and now its jyst like a big mess.

thanks in advance zoe xxx

Surveyor's reports normally contain a get out clause along the lines of "if I haven't seen it I am not responsible for it..."

Estate agents (masters of the understatement) cover themselves with a little phrase such as "electrics MAY need upgrading..."

It isn't fair, but for many years I have advised clients / customers UNLESS the property has a current electrical safety certificate ALWAYS think the worst - it requires a rewire. Then, anything less, is a bonus.

If I were to sell a house I would spend £150-200 on including an Electric Installation Periodical Inspection Report in the package... Others may simply spend the same on adding new socket fronts to disguise the fact that the electrics are in need of serious upgrading.

I recently went to a house in Manchester due to the estate agents stating to FTB's the electrics MAY need upgrading... The electrical installation was so bad I would not even turn the electrical supply on to undertake live testing!

May I use your information on a website I am putting together to provide advice to house buyers?

geoffky

its from 2006... obald1