Survey with factual inaccuracies

loveka

I have now had another damp specialist in who said that there is no damp behind the kitchen units.

So I really feel that this surveyor has lost us our sale. The buyer was scared off by the things he said I reckon- it probably seemed quite daunting to her.

Would it be pointless to contact the surveyor myself? I

AdrianC

loveka wrote: »

Some of the work he said needs doing is factually inaccurate. E.g. says the bathroom taps and plugs don't work - he clearly just couldn't work out how to use them. He said the shower screen had been fitted wrong and would result in water pouring onto the floor. Clearly he had missed the pull down seal.

If any half-way sensible grown-up (let alone a qualified property surveyor) couldn't figure out how to use them, then it's entirely likely that they actually are far from intuitive. Nobody should need instructions on how to use a tap or shower screen.

Other things are subjective. Says he can't check for damp behind kitchen units so they need to be ripped out to check!

Standard backside-covering truism.

Says kitchen units are damaged and ' just usable'. They are solid wood bespoke and not damaged in my opinion. Says decor is 'tired' throughout- we decorated every room. Says radiators are scruffy looking as they are painted.

I'm sure the buyer is sensible enough to have actually looked at the radiators and cupboard doors and formed their own opinion as to the cosmetic merits.

I know in all likelihood she has dropped out because of the recommendation to rip out the kitchen to see if there is damp (there isn't any as far as we know as we had a damp survey). But the other things a that are just untrue must have had an impact too. Is there anything we can do?

I find it very unlikely that anybody has walked away on the day of exchange, having already committed a substantial amount of money to the property, solely because of a debate about whether some clearly visible cupboard doors are "scruffy" or whether the taps are a bit weird.

loveka wrote: »

I have now had another damp specialist in who said that there is no damp behind the kitchen units.

Lovely. But the surveyor said he couldn't tell, because the units were built in. And he's right. He couldn't tell. So, rather than make it up, he said so.

Would it be pointless to contact the surveyor myself?

Yes. You have no contract with the surveyor.

davidmcn

loveka wrote: »

Would it be pointless to contact the surveyor myself?

Why would you want to do that, given all the advice already provided?

cloo

TBH, sounds more like a case of flighty buyer to me, none of those sound like major things, but it is very common for buyers, especially FTBs, to assume that there should be nothing whatsoever wrong with a property. Or even just cold feet and survey's a good excuse to drop it.

We lost a set of buyers because the survey suggested 'too much work' apparently (despite our asking they wouldn't give us any indication of what this work was, which would have been nice in order to help us rectify the worst of it, but there's really nothing you can do). A more experienced buyer came along, didn't baulk at all and gave us a decent offer.

loveka

We were in the house towards the end of his visit. He didn't ask how to use the shower screen or taps! I just tf think he has been incompetent. It seems odd to recommend a kitchen be ripped out to check for damp when there is no indication of damp at all.

G_M

Are you reading the replies you get?

Repeating your disgruntlement is not going to change the advice.

AdrianC

loveka wrote: »

He didn't ask how to use the shower screen or taps!

I don't think I've ever been in a house where I've needed to ask how to use a shower screen or taps. They normally... just work.

Mickygg

Each surveyor has their own way of doing things. My surveyor asks if there is anything specific I want checked, the buyers may have done this.

As said above, it sounds like the buyer is a time waster and only wants a new build. Those comments you mention from the surveyor would not scare off most serious buyers. Whenever you buy a second hand house there are naturally things that won't be in tip top condition. Whenever I move I ensure I have a budget of £20k to put things right/fix/replace.

I would move on, remarket and don't waste more time on this buyer, they want a new build.

loveka

Adrian... they really do ' just work'. I am saying if he couldn't work out how he should have asked.They are normal bathroom things from a normal bathroom supplier.No visitor has ever not been able to work them. So my point is, the surveyor was totally inept in that he couldn't use quite normal bathroom stuff.

alumende27

Have you actually seen the survey or are you going on what the buyer has said? I highly doubt that a surveyor would have written what you have said.

Did he really write the kitchen units need to be ripped out and so on, or is this just your/buyers spin on what he actually wrote?

I've had surveys with similar conclusions, if the work is done it'll make a great home, etc., and to be honest many of the things they've unearthed on past surveys are far more serious than a tap or two not working and an incorrectly fitted shower screen, but nonetheless fixable without great expense. (E.g. Chimney repairs, bathroom fan venting into loft space, rotten joists, woodworm, subsidence, no lintels, blocked drains, and so on)

As others have said, pulling out on the day of exchange is unlikely to be (solely) because of what a surveyor has written and in any case I doubt a RICS surveyor would be as unprofessional as you've indicated. Although I'm always willing to be proven wrong!