Buying without a survey?

stator

I think you should get one done. There are houses that I've seen where I didn't notice some subtle cracks but they were picked up on the survey and might have been significant. Structural issues are your main concern. I agree 90% of a survey report is irrelevant nonsense they just put in to cover themselves and it is very annoying they don't bother trying to look at the roof unless they can see it from the road.

gigi7

Lungboy wrote: »

There was a thread on here a day or two ago where the buyer was looking to sue someone as they hadn't had a survey done and discovered tens of thousands of pounds worth of broken roof.

Thats interesting and worth considering. But having said that, would a building survey necessarily have identified that? I've looked through a few surveyors websites and roofs are generally either a visual external inspection or a touch and feel in the loft. All of which I could do. Plus my other half used to be a roofer. And when it comes to the caveats I imagine surveyors would cover themselves with these types of things. Plus there are many suggestions on such websites to have a specialist roof surveyor in if you really want to be sure. It just seems pointless to spend money on a general building survey if they would just recommend further investigation by a specialist, for example.

gigi7

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

In the US you go round the house with your surveyor. Asking questions, getting clarification on issues. Seeing for yourself and getting stuff pointed out.

I sold my house to Americans and the surveyor was horrified when they turned up and insisted on accompanying him. For five hours.

I laughed but really, that is probably the best way to do it.
Much better than puzzling over the written report later days later and having to ring up the surveyor with awkward questions.

That's a really good idea actually, I think I will insist on doing that if I do get a surveyor in. It would certainly make it more worth the money.

gigi7

kinger101 wrote: »

Not always as standard. Sometimes you have to ask specifically for this.

Yes, I've read a structural surveys don't include a valuation which is strange to me.
Plus, you have to have a valuation survey as a minimum anyway, so that plus specialist checks (gas etc) I imagine would give you a much better bargaining tool.
I read a post where someone had the gas, electric and plumbing checked for less than £100 and the results helped knock 3k off the price but the building survey didn't really contribute much.

gigi7

stator wrote: »

I think you should get one done. There are houses that I've seen where I didn't notice some subtle cracks but they were picked up on the survey and might have been significant. Structural issues are your main concern. I agree 90% of a survey report is irrelevant nonsense they just put in to cover themselves and it is very annoying they don't bother trying to look at the roof unless they can see it from the road.

Yeah I do get your point, and its always good to err on the side of caution because you never know 100% what you're buying. But then again I can be quite sad with details and when it comes to making an offer I'll probably have spent hours labelling the floorplan with which crack I'd seen where and what it could mean.:cool:

LittleMax

We had a full structural survey on the first house we bought, we went on local recommendation and used totally independent surveyor not the valuer for the building society.

The survey did not pick up that the garage was falling down. When we went back through the report it looks as though the cracks in the garage were erroneously recorded as being in the lean-to and it says they appeared to be historical. Buildings insurance paid out. Caveats through the report meant there was no come back on the surveyor, we even paid extra for an insurance policy, but that only covered anything picked up within 3 months of the report being issued. Total waste of money.

We have learned over the years what to look for and now rely on our own experience, I would not pay for a survey again.

Ingah

Viewing the above, i'm seeing a lot of survey-bashing, and i'm wondering if any of the above posts are where people have mixed up a full building survey with a cheaper homebuyer's report or condition report? (explanations: http://www.which.co.uk/money/mortgages-and-property/guides/buying-a-house/house-surveys-explained/ )

With any professional task, I think a large part of the value is in having a decent individual that wants to do a good job - is it the cowboys and the lazy that are the problem, or is it that even full building surveys performed by good people just aren't detailed enough for their intended purpose?

Perhaps escorting the surveyor round, politely asking questions as you go, might be a better way of getting your money's worth out of them - has anyone found that to be the case?

Butti

You could decide not to have one and miss subsidence, wet rot or even worse dry rot. It's only a few hundred quid and can be used to barter the price down.

I rang the surveyor (HBR) and quizzed them on the grey areas.

Babychan

I didn't get a survey done on my house. I took my builder who we trusted and got him to look over the house for us.

Davesnave

Ingah wrote: »

Viewing the above, i'm seeing a lot of survey-bashing, and i'm wondering if any of the above posts are where people have mixed up a full building survey with a cheaper homebuyer's report or condition report?

Perhaps escorting the surveyor round, politely asking questions as you go, might be a better way of getting your money's worth out of them - has anyone found that to be the case?

The regulars here wouldn't make the mistake of muddling-up the types of report.

The idea of accompanying the surveyor on their visit to the property would go down like a lead balloon in most instances, as it would be an added complication, likely to slow to slow things down. It could also lead to more "you said" scenarios, where there is confusion over what was pointed out when a problem arises later.

Despite the above, some surveyors are willing to discuss their visit off the record, when they may be less guarded about their findings than they are on paper.