Opinions on Full Structural Surveys

jonny2510

Over the past 5 years I've instructed a few "Homebuyers Surveys", and seen a few more. I've always found them to be a bit vague, and non-commital, and they seem to suggest anything they're not sure on be referred to a specialist.

I'm due to purchase a different house soon, and am wondering if it's worth paying out for the "Full Structural Survey".

Can anyone comment on:

How much it would likely cost on a house of £150,000?
If they are worth the extra money?
If they cover everything the homebuyers would?
If they provide a sufficient level of detail?

Any other comments / advice?

(My logic is if it only costs an extra £100/200/300 or so, it may be worth it in the long run - to try to ensure that all problems
are identified in advance, and that there are no surprises. Specifically a house we're looking at has some cracks in the plaster, and a bit of damp that I want checking out before committing!!!)

sonastin

Quotes I received when I was looking for surveys on a £180k property in NW England were about £300 for homebuyers and £350ish for full survey. One surveyor told me his survey was the same but the difference was in the detail that went into the report. If you opt for full survey, the surveyor will still recommend specialists for the items he is unable / unqualified to comment on.

hazyjo

How old is the property?

Ta.

Jx

jonny2510

The house is 1930s

There's a crack in the ceiling in one of the rooms (with a crack in the ceiling in a similar place in the room above). House re-plastered in past 10-15 years - cracks appeared thereafter.

ess0two

jonny2510 wrote: »

The house is 1930s

There's a crack in the ceiling in one of the rooms (with a crack in the ceiling in a similar place in the room above). House re-plastered in past 10-15 years - cracks appeared thereafter.

Ceiling cracks,probably caused by the join in plasterboard,they even crack when scrim tape has been applied over joins when the boards are butted together.

charles_b_2

If you are in any doubt about the house's condition, or it's a significantly older style house, then a Structural Survey will pay dividends.

1. If the Survey turns up a serious problem e.g. Subsidence, then you can either renegotiate the price of the house, OR decide to leave it as a possible Lemon

2. If the surveyor misses something which they should have found, then I believe that you might have legal comeback (and they'd have insurance for this) to pay for the repair costs

Either way, piece of mind for me made me go for a full structural survey on a house 12 years ago, which turned up a subsidence problem. I walked away from the deal. £700 at the time seemed a lot of money, BUT in the grand scheme of things it is not.

I'm about to move again and have just instructed a surveyor for a full structural survey (£1300). 1930's house and although it looks in good shape, I'm no expert and the Homebuyer's report is a waste of money really, as it only tells you things that are clearly visible and apparent. the Structural survey will look under the carpet and go into the loft

A House is the single biggest investment you can ever make in your lifetime. Why take a chance on something which you may later regret.... for me £1300 is a sum of money I could do with saving, but I feel is vital to give me confidence in the house's structural soundness.

Just my 2 pence worth.
Charles

jonny2510

Thanks for the replies so far everyone

ess0two wrote: »

Ceiling cracks,probably caused by the join in plasterboard,they even crack when scrim tape has been applied over joins when the boards are butted together.

Thanks for that - it's what I'd assumed. There's also a crack in the wall (about 1ft near the ceiling, and a similar one in the room above).

Prob nothing serious, but I'd certainly happiliy pay a bit extra now - than the amount it would cost to get a subsidence problem resolved later.

jonny2510

charles_b wrote: »

I'm about to move again and have just instructed a surveyor for a full structural survey (£1300).

Do you mind me asking whether this was with a mortgage lender, or an independant surveyor, as I've read there can be differences between the two?

G_M

jonny2510 wrote: »

Do you mind me asking whether this was with a mortgage lender, or an independant surveyor, as I've read there can be differences between the two?

I think you'll find mortgage lenders do not undertake surveys. They tend to be financial institutions which specialise in.... finance.

Surveys are typically undertaken by building specialists, otherwise known as .... surveyors.

When mortgage lenders want a survey done they employ surveyors.
If you want a survey done, you'll either do it yourself, get your cousin to do it, or for a more expert report you'll employ.... a surveyor.

catloverbex

I recently had a full structural survey done on a property I was buying. It cost £550 plus VAT & was very comprehensive and fortunately didn't uncover any major problems. Having bought a house of horrors in the past (where I didn't have a survey) I would never ever purchase a house now without having a full structural survey. I think the initial cost is well worth avoiding the hassle I had with my last house.

My mortgage provider (ING) did offer to do a full structural survey for about £400 I think but I decided I would rather engage a surveyor to act on my behalf (rather than on the mortgage companies). I had to pay £150 for valuation survey to them instead.

jonny2510

G_M wrote: »

I think you'll find mortgage lenders do not undertake surveys. They tend to be financial institutions which specialise in.... finance.

Surveys are typically undertaken by building specialists, otherwise known as .... surveyors.

When mortgage lenders want a survey done they employ surveyors.
If you want a survey done, you'll either do it yourself, get your cousin to do it, or for a more expert report you'll employ.... a surveyor.

What I meant was to find whether Charles employed a surveyor directly to carry out a full survey, or whether it was arranged through the mortgage lender (who obviousy wouldn't carry it out themselves).

Other threads on these boards have reported differences between full surveys instructed independantly, and those arranged with the mortgage application.