Estate Agent denying Surveyor access to intended purchase

safsnowball

Finally had an offer accepted on a house and chose a Surveyor to do a Home Buyers survey, Had a call from them the following day to say the selling agent was denying them access to the house.

Spoke to Agent but despite my protests they are sticking to their guns. It apparently relates to a historic problem where the Surveyor gave a lower valuation on a property the Agent was selling and caused problems.

I thought this was the Surveyors job !

Anyway apart from pulling out of the purchase there seemed little I could do, and I have had to find another Surveyor.

Anybody had a similar problem or any views on what else I could have done?

googler

You should have stuck to your guns, and insisted that your chosen surveyor was given access. Now that you've found another, it's too late for that.

safsnowball

googler wrote: »

You should have stuck to your guns, and insisted that your chosen surveyor was given access. Now that you've found another, it's too late for that.

OK how do I do that, I said I wanted to use them, they said sorry no access? What feasible threat can I use to make them change their minds ?

Road_Hog

safsnowball wrote: »

OK how do I do that, I said I wanted to use them, they said sorry no access? What feasible threat can I use to make them change their minds ?

If you use a local solicitor (not the one the estate agent suggested or online one) then you should get details of the buyer and his solicitor. I have on the property I'm selling, I know the full name of the buyer, his address and the same details of his solicitor.

I would contact the seller and ask him to tell the seller to give access to the surveyor.

That said, as a seller, I'm having terrible problems with the buyer's surveryor (E.Surv) and would not accept them on any further properties that I sell.

harrys_dad

I would pull out, or go direct to the vendor and inform them that the EA is obstructing the purchase process.

mrginge

safsnowball wrote: »

OK how do I do that, I said I wanted to use them, they said sorry no access? What feasible threat can I use to make them change their minds ?

You say - this is who i am using. If you will not permit them access then there will be no survey and no sale. Please let me know when you will permit access, in the meantime i will go look at alternative properties.

kingstreet

The agent may well have discussed this with the vendor first.

Some surveyors get a reputation and once you've had two or three properties downvalued where other surveyors have not felt it necessary to do the same, you really want to avoid it happening again.

mrginge

kingstreet wrote: »

The agent may well have discussed this with the vendor first.

Some surveyors get a reputation and once you've had two or three properties downvalued where other surveyors have not felt it necessary to do the same, you really want to avoid it happening again.

Or equally, this particular surveyor may be more thorough and value more realistically than others.

kingstreet

TBH they all use the same instructions, the RICS "Red Book" and they all have access to the same comparables.

Let's say I have a block with 60 apartments. Ten surveyors all value the same size/spec apartment the same, for several different lenders. One surveyor comes along, values for one of the same lenders (so consistency of criteria) and values at less each time.

Either that surveyor is wrong, or the other ten are.

witchy1066

kingstreet wrote: »

TBH they all use the same instructions, the RICS "Red Book" and they all have access to the same comparables.

Let's say I have a block with 60 apartments. Ten surveyors all value the same size/spec apartment the same, for several different lenders. One surveyor comes along, values for one of the same lenders (so consistency of criteria) and values at less each time.

Either that surveyor is wrong, or the other ten are.

I understand this and know how it works but surely its not up to the seller or his EA to dictate which surveyor's company the OP as the buyer chooses ,

something very fishy going on in my opinion when an EA refuses the buyers surveyor access

kingstreet

It's not fishy, it's just simple common sense to the vendor/agent.

If you think there's a better than even chance the surveyor in question will downvalue it, you'd want to avoid having them anywhere near it.

The agent may well have told the vendor to terminate the sale to the buyer if they insist on using this surveyor. That's the vendor's prerogative, as it is the purchaser's prerogative to withdraw their offer if they are unhappy with this.

It could be argued the vendor's position, is wishing to get the best possible price for their home; while the purchaser's is to get it for the lowest. If the purchaser had learned of this surveyor's proclivity beforehand, they could use it to get a lower price.

As I said, the purchaser has the right to withdraw from the purchase if they feel unable to comply with this request. The vendor cannot dictate which surveyor the purchaser chooses, but can determine who they wish to allow in their home.