Getting a builder to quote house I haven't bought

drummer_666

I viewed a house and I liked the potential

It needs a total refurb.

Downstairs seems ok but just needs redoing.

Upstairs, felt dodgy walking across! Not safe. Now I don't have a clue if it just needs new floorboards or if it's something major

I wondered if I could get a local builder to have a look and give me a rough quote me to see if it's worth buying.. and how I do this and if they would charge or do it for free?

Obviously if it all added up I'd get a full structural survey if I got an offer accepted

Its in Erdington, Birmingham

pmlindyloo

May I ask if this is an occupied house or empty?

We viewed an empty property and wanted to know how much it would cost to 'put right'.

We had the full structual survey done first. The guy who did it met us at the house and talked us through what needed doing. He charged us a reduced fee because we decided not to have a written report.

Then we got in a builder to quote for the work that needed doing.

I am not sure if this could be done if the property was occupied.

PS Sorry, forgot, the builder did not charge for a quote. Don't know if this is common - you would need to ask.

drummer_666

pmlindyloo wrote: »

May I ask if this is an occupied house or empty?

We viewed an empty property and wanted to know how much it would cost to 'put right'.

We had the full structual survey done first. The guy who did it met us at the house and talked us through what needed doing. He charged us a reduced fee because we decided not to have a written report.

Then we got in a builder to quote for the work that needed doing.

I am not sure if this could be done if the property was occupied.

PS Sorry, forgot, the builder did not charge for a quote. Don't know if this is common - you would need to ask.

Hi,

It's unoccupied. EA said they bought it at auction for £67k, its up for £75k and says no negotiation on survey. Houses in ok condition are worth up about £105k on that road.

I'd need to get builder to look at it prior to putting on offer on and prior to survey. I need to have an idea if the work is more like 5k for sorting the floor or 20k+

How did you go about getting builder quote even though you hadn't bought the house? Had you made an offer on the house before the builder went to see?

GAH

Arrange a 2nd viewing with agent, call up a builder, take them along and then they can give you an idea on price. Its that simple.

G_M

Just be clea what you are getting from the builder.

A free quote: so he has a vested interest in getting work out of this. A survey you pay for on the other hand is an independant, disinterested assessment.

As well as this, surveyors are trained in different skills to builders - so may spot problems a builder would miss. A survyor should be able to give guide prices for any work he reckons needs doing.

But in principal - as said - no reason not to take a builder, an electrician, a gas engineer, your aunie Aidie, and little baby Moses to the viewing....

drummer_666

G_M wrote: »

Just be clea what you are getting from the builder.

A free quote: so he has a vested interest in getting work out of this. A survey you pay for on the other hand is an independant, disinterested assessment.

As well as this, surveyors are trained in different skills to builders - so may spot problems a builder would miss. A survyor should be able to give guide prices for any work he reckons needs doing.

But in principal - as said - no reason not to take a builder, an electrician, a gas engineer, your aunie Aidie, and little baby Moses to the viewing....

you're kind of missing my point...

I need a rough figure, as i have NO clue if it would cost £1 grand or £20 grand to sort the flooring upstairs.

If the rough figure is say 5k then I can put an offer on and get a full structural survey. If it's closer to 20k then there's no point in me putting an offer on at all.

Yorkie1

If you are decided that a builder will spot everything wrong with the house and will give you a disinterested quote, then do that first.

As G_M said (and was not missing the point), the surveyor will be able to spot everything wrong with the house, and give you a ballpark idea of figures.

Up to you which way round you do it.