Building Survey Results

LeoTLion

We are in the process of buying a house and have had both a mortgage valuation and a separate Building Survey carried out.

The mortgage valuation came out at the purchase price, but the survey identified some essential repairs (to be honest most seem just routine maintainence jobs to me) and has valued the property at £3k less than the purchase price.

The surveyor recommends re-negotiating to his valuation, but in the T&C's there is confidentiality term that expressly forbids disclosure or copying of the report to the vendors or their agent.

So, does anyone have any advice on how I should broach the subject of reducing our offer based on the results of the survey, without disclosing the contents of the report?

phill99

Teality is that if you want a house without defects then you need to buy a new house. Every house has maintenance issues. You are suggesting that the issues raised by the surveyor are routine maintenance. it will be difficult to negotiate on that.

I would be tempted to go with the mortgage veluation.

marksoton

Depends if you want to poke the beehive that is the vendor based on someone who has just disavowed and forbidden disclosure of their findings.

Is it really worth arguing with the vendor over issues you can't even substantiate when you yourself admit they are minor ones...

LeoTLion

That is pretty much what we had reconciled ourselves to do.

But then part of me thinks, this guy is a professional surveyor with over 30 years experience in the local area and I'm not, so if I have paid for his advice then it's a bit stupid not to follow it. Otherwise, why bother paying him in the first place?

The issues of most concern to us relate to some roofing repairs and repositioning of some decking as it is obstructing the airbricks at the rear of the property. Nothing major, not a roof replacement and no signs of damp/leakage, but enough to need sorting out.

davidmcn

£3k is what percentage of the price? I wouldn't get too concerned if everything is in the same ballpark.

And I don't see a problem in discussing the survey results with others if you want, the confidentiality clause is mainly aimed at wholesale copying of the report.

LeoTLion

1.26%

Our feelings were that at this level, going back to the vendor is going to be more trouble than it's worth. But three grand is three grand and this is Money Saving Expert after all ;0)

I was toying with the idea of contacting the agents and mentioning that the survey flagged up some issues with the roof and decking and asking if the vendors would be ok for me to get some tradesmen in to take a look and give me a quote, that way there is no disclosing the report contents.

G_M

If I was your vendor and you asked for a £3K price reduction on the basis of a survey, I'd say "Show me."

If you refused, I'd say "Then I now want £3K more than we originally agreed."

And if you showed me the survey (or relevant bits) and it was routine maintenance, then I'd agree to sell to you at the original price.

LeoTLion

G_M wrote: »

If I was your vendor and you asked for a £3K price reduction on the basis of a survey, I'd say "Show me."

If you refused, I'd say "Then I now want £3K more than we originally agreed."

And if you showed me the survey (or relevant bits) and it was routine maintenance, then I'd agree to sell to you at the original price.

Luckily, you're not my vendor :rotfl:

G_M

How can you be sure......

LeoTLion

Cue lightning flash and 'dun, dun, duhhhhhn' organ music:eek: