Got our survey results back-help?

marybishop

Purply - if you want a survey done check out the RICS website https://www.rics.org. There's a section Find a Surveyor, look for ones in your area then phone a few and get some quotes. Also look at the bit called 'Understanding Property Surveys' which will give you some guidance.

Worried

danuk wrote: »

For info, i recently had a valuation only done on a purchase and they did send a report though identifying certain problems.... so it does happen sometimes.

Me too - with the Abbey

purply

cheers everyone for replying.

thing is i dont think we can afford a survey-hence my reason for going only for the valuation.

it appears that i need to find someone to do these 'reports'-now my mission is to find someone who could do free reports or very cheaply.

when im looking in yellow pages, what I'm i looking for-surveyor?

Sorry for the thick questions-im stumbling in the dark really to get through this house buying malarky (and ive only just started!)

cattie

Make your first point of call your estate agent who probably knows tradesmen who can give you either free reports or much cheaper than usual.

They usually have a list of people they use to check properties out & carry out work on rentals & such.

purply

thats exactly what i was thinking.
jut spoken to hubby and we regret not having gone with the homebuyers survey if it meant things would have been simpler (i dont know if that would be the case?)

i have briefly spoken to estate agents (a few days ago) and he said he would sort it out-thing is i dont trust him as far as i can throw him-one is a big guy too, so prob wouldn't be too far ;-)

just don't want to get screwed by them-dont want them sending in cowbuys etc. so i shall be firm and ask for specialist firms if poss (thing is we are buying, so they dont owe us anything)

my better judgement says dont go to these guys (btw, if it was any other agent in the area, i wouldnt mind, just have a bad feeling about this particular one), but cost wise i think i will have to.

Woody69_2

Don't worry about not getting the homebuyers, it will only have told you the same thing-to get these things checked. Look up damp proofing in the yellow pages, many of the companies also check for timber decay and wall tie failure.

purply

thank you!
rang one surveyor company for a quote- £495 for a full structural survey but thats not really what i want is it??

i just want reports-if i didnt know better, i could easily be spending ALOT of money thinking i needed these things ( i might do, but hopefully i wont need to).

will check yellow pages..or maybe go with the estate agents trademen (big sigh of reluctance).

marybishop

Purply - why not ring your local Trading Standards Office and see if they've got a list of approved tradesmen. I think it's called Buy with Confidence or something (at least it is in our area). If your gut instinct is telling you not to go with the agent's people then don't do it!! Or check with which ever professional bodies cover each trade, eg NICEIC for electricians - don't just go by logos on yellow pages adverts - anyone can put those in - phone the actual organisations to check.

purply

Finally managed to get the reports done-the estate agent sent trades people in-as you know i have had reservations about them sending their own people in, even though they told me they were tradespeople that all the local estate agents used.
I have been thinking that it was best to use a firm that I would find and send in as well as the estate agents-can compare then.

Anyway, rang a damp proofing place up (they have the words 'damp proofing solutions' in their company name...been advised not to go with firms that sell solutions...?). Sounded like a local person rather than a big company. Rang the number and it was their home phone!
He quoted me £35 for doing the reports that we need (damp and cavity walls), which i think is really good. Said I would need a builder for the lintel quote. Fair enough.

Dilemma-do I book this other guy to do the damp/cavity wall tie reports or shall i make do with the reports i have got (these are free of charge btw). Ive been quoted what the repairs would cost. Shall i wait to see what this other guy might quote?

Help...Any advice re how to move forward?

PS Valuation stated that without the repairs, the house was worth £1500 less than what we have offered, so we are obviously looking to negotiate. Repairs came to about £1150.

pieceoffluff

i'm in the process of getting a damp specialist i think you'll find this post really useful when it comes to choosing who to use

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=287736&highlight=damp+timber

i personally got my quotes off the association mentioned in the post above