Help with survey results please...

T-Sil

Hi There

We just had our homebuyers survey done on the house we want to buy and there are a few things that we aren't sure how to interpret so hoping for some advice!

There is no banister on the stairs, which we knew and just thought we will have to get one put in when we move in because we have a baby and it could be dangerous. I didn't expect this to come up on the survey as 'urgent' but it says we should get someone in to quote for the work before exchange. Is this something we should negotiate the price on? Is it something that should be done before selling a house? (We have only ever bought a flat, so inexperienced here!).

Electrics - It says there hasn't been a test in the last 10 yrs and that we should get one. Anyone know how much this costs roughly?

Gas/Heating - Same as above, needs testing and that there is no service agreement and that our solicitor should check if there are any service records.

Side Garage Extention - this has a flat roof, and it says whilst no sign of damage is there, the roof does have some moss and plants on that will need to be removed, but in the process can cause irreversible damage. Is this something we should try to negotiate for?
It also says the felt roof has rucked, but a quick google search and I am non the wiser as to what this means...
It says there is some loose brickwork and some finishing off inside the garage needed and that the up and over door is quite ill fitting.

Should we go back to the house and re-look at these things? We did feel like we had a good look around but with a 6 month old baby, it can be quite hard!

Thank you in advance.

bonzer

Sounds like my survey.

On the bannister, there's building regulations about what bannister must be present. So he's just letting you know it doesn't meet the standard which is why it is marked urgent. On mine the balustrades were too far apart. So whether you do anything about that is up to you, but as you say with the kid you will definitely want to install one for safety. Personally, assuming you are keen on this house, I wouldn't bother negotiating on that. A basic bannister is not going to be a big deal. Maybe a couple of hundred. Depends on what style you want and whether you do it yourself or get someone in.

On the gas/electrics he's basically saying he's not tested it. I'm not sure they ever do and pretty much will always say that to cover their back.

On the gas you should get something in the sellers property info which says if it at least "works". I'm assuming nothing about the boiler in my property and that it will need replacing in not too long. Unless it's brand new, in warranty I don't think you can. I would definitely get that serviced when you move in as you can guess the previous owner has never done it and gas can be a bit iffy. Probably £100 or so if there's nothing wrong with it but make sure you've got more cash available unless it is.

On electrics, it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, he's just covering his back because you can't easily tell if the owner has done something stupid. If you want someone to look at it it'll probably be up to a couple of hundred. I think there might be a fair variance on what an electrical "test" is i.e. whether they just plug in a tester or actually unscrew everything and inspect all the wiring for damage and faults which will take a lot longer.

On the roof felt, "rucked" I think means it has folded up a bit whereas it should be flat. Not sure what the implication is. You could contact the surveyor and ask for an explanation of the point. I'd just assume new roof in a few years. Flat roofs are always bother.

cootuk

There is no banister on the stairs...an open look can be quite stylish, but get a few estimates...maybe allow up to £1k

Electrics - depends what fusebox is in there.
Really old rubber cabling would need a rewire pdq.
Old style rewirable fuses and you might be advised to update the fusebox.
Modern fusebox with rcd and things should have been done properly.
A basic test would be a up to a couple of hundred pounds, with a new fusebox at a few hundred.
A full rewire could be thousands.

Gas/Heating - a basic service/test should be under £100 for the boiler, plus additional little extras for other gas fires.
No real guarantee how long any boiler will remain serviceable.


Side Garage Extention - flat roofs will always leak eventually. If you can see the underside of the plywood supporting the felt then you should be able to spot any leaks. moss and stuff wil send out roots which penetrate seams so will cause leaks eventually. Same with rucking and air lumps as the felt weathers. Will eventually need replacing but not usually urgent.

Up and over door - can it still be opened easily?
Long ones can bend over time, but you should be able to see how well it works. A few hundred for a new door 7ft ish, maybe up to £1500-£2k for a 14ft fully motorised...depends what you have.

Overall I would expect this - mostly surveyor putting in standard things to cover themselves.
Check things work as you look round on a second viewing might show up some faults such as faulty circuits, ill fitting doors etc.
If you like the house, it's fairly priced, and what you want, then these should all be relatively minor.

I would also see if the surveyor had a look in the loft, you could get stepladder and look, check for any signs of leakage or slipped tiles.

yorkshire_terrier_owner

Similar sorts of things came up on my homebuyers. No bannister to lower staircase (there are 3 staircases in my property). My thoughts "ta very much for letting me know something I already knew". Electrics not been tested in last 10 years - given that the vendors of the property had the consumer unit replaced recently, I think it probably has been tested in the last 10 years!!! Basically means he hasn't personally tested it, but I did get a sparky friend to check it for me. Gas same thing. Entire central hearing system incl boiler only been in a couple of years so I didn't bother getting it tested. I transferred my British Gas homecare agreement to new property then had them out to service it (and gas fire) when I moved in.

Garage roof - my garage is integral, but flat roofs do not have long shelf lives. My mum and dad had theirs done twice in 32 years at their old property. Not sure of the cost though.

Garage door - does it open and shut ok? When it's broken, then fix/replace it.

Brickwork - wouldn't think it would be that expensive to get it re-pointed.

How old is the house? Any house will require some sort of repairs/maintenance.

Tbh there's nothing there that would have me running for the hills.

ruggedtoast

T-Sil wrote: »

Hi There

We just had our homebuyers survey done on the house we want to buy and there are a few things that we aren't sure how to interpret so hoping for some advice!

There is no banister on the stairs, which we knew and just thought we will have to get one put in when we move in because we have a baby and it could be dangerous. I didn't expect this to come up on the survey as 'urgent' but it says we should get someone in to quote for the work before exchange. Is this something we should negotiate the price on? Is it something that should be done before selling a house? (We have only ever bought a flat, so inexperienced here!). If I were the seller I would say this was already evident but you can try.

Electrics - It says there hasn't been a test in the last 10 yrs and that we should get one. Anyone know how much this costs roughly? A proper test would be a 2 - 3 hundred quid but you may well be able to find a local electrician to do one for considerably less than that, especially if you're going to have a new fuse box or similar installed by him

Gas/Heating - Same as above, needs testing and that there is no service agreement and that our solicitor should check if there are any service records. Gas safe check and boiler service would be 2 - 3 hundred

Side Garage Extention - this has a flat roof, and it says whilst no sign of damage is there, the roof does have some moss and plants on that will need to be removed, but in the process can cause irreversible damage. Is this something we should try to negotiate for?
It also says the felt roof has rucked, but a quick google search and I am non the wiser as to what this means...
It says there is some loose brickwork and some finishing off inside the garage needed and that the up and over door is quite ill fitting.

Should we go back to the house and re-look at these things? We did feel like we had a good look around but with a 6 month old baby, it can be quite hard!

Thank you in advance.

As above, yes of course go back and poke around everything. You can ask for another discount but be prepared to justify it.

_Andy_

If I was the seller there's no way on earth I would give a discount re the bannister - given you were well aware of it prior to the survey

G_M

Whilst you may wish to investigate further some of these, that is entirely up to you.

And there is nothing there which could genuinely justify a price re-negotiation.

Bannisters. You knew about this when making your offer. It was self-evident. The surveyor has to flag it up. It is his duty to warn of a potential danger. Whether you want to put up a bannister is entirely a matter of choice.

Gas/electrics. There is no obligation on a home-owner to have them tested. Or even serviced. Of course, you can ask if they have, and if so it makes sense for the seller to show you for example his boiler service records. But if you want to be sure the boiler or electrics are in good nick - test them! £100 each?

Contact a Gassafe engineer and NICEIC electrician.

Garage roof. "No sign of damage" so roof is fine! Personally I would ring him and ask why the moss needs to be removed (given that doing so might result in damage to the felt roof)? My garage is covered in moss. Looks much nicer than bare black felt! Keeps out the rain fine. OK, the moss stays a bit soggy after rain.... so what?

I can only guess 'rucked' means like a carpet. Felt is laid on a flat roof much like a fitted carpet in a house (except it is waterproof!). Maybe when laid it was 'rucked' slightly rather than stretched tight, but if there is no sign of leaks, or damp, so what? Is it a new roof? If so, under guarantee, so any problem should be fixed. If old, and not leaking, then it's clearly not a problem!

" loose brickwork and some finishing off inside the garage needed and that the up and over door is quite ill fitting."
Might be worth looking at the loose brickwork, but if its the garage it's hardly a major problem. You could always get a brickie in for a day to sort it. But why not ring the surveyor to ask how extensive and/or go take a look?
Likewise the door. Try it! Does it open? I had my up/over door 'serviced' last year (20 years old). They tightened the bolts holding it to the frame which had come loose, cleaned and greaced the mechanism. Cost £75.

No idea what 'finishing off' means. The interior decor hasn't been done in a nice pale blue? :rotfl: