vendors want to do survey themselves

illusionek

Hello

I did a building survey on the house I want to buy. There were lots of issues highlighted including damp and potential issue with the timber in the loft.

I have spoken with the surveyor and he advised me to do timber survey as he could clearly see that there were some timbers replaced in the past and the old timbers are in deteriorated condition. So he advised me to get timbers checked to make sure there is no ongoing issue.

I have spoken to the EAs and advised that would like to arrange damp and timber survey. They have just sent me an email saying that the vendors will arrange this survey themselves.

I am really surprised and to be honest concerned, so I was wondering if this is a common practice of it they are trying to pull a fast one on me.

sparky130a

No, you instigate your own one. With your chosen contractor.

AnotherJoe

illusionek wrote: »

Hello

I did a building survey on the house I want to buy. There were lots of issues highlighted including damp and potential issue with the timber in the loft.

I have spoken with the surveyor and he advised me to do timber survey as he could clearly see that there were some timbers replaced in the past and the old timbers are in deteriorated condition. So he advised me to get timbers checked to make sure there is no ongoing issue.

I have spoken to the EAs and advised that would like to arrange damp and timber survey. They have just sent me an email saying that the vendors will arrange this survey themselves.

I am really surprised and to be honest concerned, so I was wondering if this is a common practice of it they are trying to pull a fast one on me.

The vendors are quite at liberty to get their own survey, but that no concern or relevance to you for obvious reasons, so yes definitely get your own.

illusionek

I have no problem with vendors doing their own survey my problem is that when I asked for a date to arrange my own then I was told that the vendors will do it for me.

It does not sound right to me but since I am FTB I just wanted to check whether this is me panicking or something else is going on here.

sparky130a

illusionek wrote: »

I have no problem with vendors doing their own survey my problem is that when I asked for a date to arrange my own then I was told that the vendors will do it for me.

It does not sound right to me but since I am FTB I just wanted to check whether this is me panicking or something else is going on here.

Absolutely not.

"Do it for you" reads as their mate Mick down the road doing it. Insist on your own and if they refuse walk.

waamo

My suspicious mind would think they have something to hide. Why on earth would they splash out on getting a survey done for you unless they got something out of it?

It also opens up all sorts of problems if the surveyor manages to miss something significant. You wouldn't be able to claim of their indemnity insurance as you didn't engage them.

saajan_12

I would politely just thank them for the offer, but say that you would like to organise the timber survey yourself and go on to suggesting / asking for dates.

No point getting accusations going and ruining the relationship incase they are just trying to minimise disruption and haven't thought you might like your own survey. However do be firm that you need to choose and instruct the surveyor (so you have a direct contract with the surveyor incase of any compensation due and you know there's no *minimising / influence by the vendor).

G_M

I suspect the survey is unecessary anyway.

Having sais that, if you want one, you arrange it yourself - if the vendors refuse access for your surveyor, walk away. If they also want to arrange one, that's up to them.

Do not arrange a 'free inspection' by a damp/timber company. You'll get a salesman who is bound to find problems. Pay for an independant surveyor who does not do remedial work himself so has no incentive to find problems.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

No, you choose the company, arrange and pay for any extra surveys yourself. You are not under any obligation to share the results with the vendors either.

Obviously the surveyor needs to agree a covenient date with the vendor to visit the property- just double check that there isn't a misunderstanding over what "arrange it themselves" means.

AlexMac

If you commission a survey the surveyor is accountable to you.
If they contract it and pay for it, you have no come-back as the surveyor is not accountable to you.

Case in point; when we last bought, the vendor's solicitor sent our solicitor a copy of the surveyors report that the vendor had comissioned 10 years earlier, which gave the all clear to some internal structural work (removal of a wall) prior to them buying.

But our solicitor pointed out that while, in the event of movement or cracking, the previous owner would have been able to claim against their surveyor's professional indemnity, the accountability was not transferrable and that if we wanted protection, we'd need a new survey.

In the event, we just got our own builder to inspect, then decided to take the risk, as it hadn't moved or cracked in over ten years!

So appoint your own inspector!

Hoploz

It could be not that the sellers are trying to pull a fast one - it could be they are thinking you might be, and they want to get a picture for themselves. If you have your survey you could also get your mate Mick down the road to say there's all sorts wrong with the place in order to negotiate thousands off the price, when they've lived there for X years with no damp or timber problems apparent .... It works both ways, just depends what side of the fence you're on.