Structural survey - recommendations

panic-prone

Hi all

I’ve had my offer accepted on a property (hurrah!) and just lining up the solicitors, bank etc. Does anyone know of a good surveyor as I would like to get a structural survey done?

I previously paid about £1k for a structural survey on a period 2 bed end of terrace with Countrywide. The property I am currently after is also of the same size and specs. Would it be reasonable to have £1k as a benchmark (property is in Croydon, Greater London)?

Looking forward to your thoughts, suggestions and recommendations (websites, firms, etc)! thanks all.

hazyjo

Cheapest I was quoted was a deal at £500 for a full structural survey. Usually around the £800 mark, I think, but could well be £1k depending on property/location/what needs looking at, etc.

Are you getting a mortgage? Might be worth seeing if there are any deals tied in with that, or whether the valuation can be joined in with the survey - sometimes cheaper.

Jx

oipalic

In the same situation: Looking for a good structural surveyor for around £500 in south east London. Not a easy task

FireWyrm

Wow, I got a full structural survey in Daventry for £420. Go to the RICS website and ask for a job lot of quotes and see what you get. Some surveyors just going self employed give very good deals indeed. Mine was a newly minted independent and he did a really excellent job three times I asked him to.

abankerbutnotafatcat

We're a bit south of you in Redhill and the surveyor came from the Croydon area. The structural survey on our 2 bed property was £1k.

Owain_Moneysaver

If you want a structural survey then get a structural engineer.

A structural survey from a surveyor just comes with longer lists of stating-the-bleeding-obvious and items-not-inspected than a cheaper homebuyers survey.

teneighty

If I was commissioning a full building survey (I don't like the term "structural" survey) I would give 2 bits of advice.

1. Use a Chartered BUILDING Surveyor, not a Chartered General Practice Surveyor and not a Structural Engineer.

2. Use a small local independent practice, not a big national chain like Countrywide. You should be able to find details on the RICS website but also do a local/google search as some small practices don't appear on the RICS list as they have to pay and its very expensive.

£1k fee should be plenty, a full building survey for anything less than £750 probably isn't worth the paper its written on and will just be full of generic clauses and disclaimers.

Amphion

I know this is an old thread but I stumbled upon it and just had to reply!!
Waw that’s expensive….I really wish I worked in London!
Is it really that much more expensive to live in London than it is in any other British city to warrant a premium on most goods and services?
A few years ago a friend of a friend of a friend who I vaguely knew from my university days bought a property in London and had the same problem getting a cheap survey. Even with paying my train fare from Manchester and my standard hourly rate I was still 50% cheaper than the best price he could find locally.
If you really don’t want to pay London prices look for quotes ooop north. Worth a shot as there are a few who don’t mind traveling.
Also the key to getting a cost effective survey can sometimes be if you know what product you need.
What used to be called a structural survey or full survey is now known as a Building survey or and it’s carried out by a RICS surveyor not a structural engineer. Costs up to £1000
The main details of the Building Survey will include:

• All major and minor faults found within the property, and the implications that these will have.
• How much the repairs for these defects will cost.
• Testing for dampness of the walls, and results for these tests.
• Testing of all woodwork for damp and woodworm, and the results of these tests.
• Investigation into the condition of damp proofing, insulation and drainage, although the drains will not actually be tested.
• Technical information about how the property was construction, and all materials which were used in the process.
• Information about the location of the property.
• Proposals for any further special inspections and subsequent work which may need to be done on the property.

If there is a problem with the structure (roof, walls, foundations or cellars) usually highlighted in the building survey then you need either a general Structural inspection or a specific structural survey. Costs up to £500
Good luck