Selling house - home buyers survey

HC14

Hi

This is a bit of a moral one. We bought our house in October 2015 and had a home buyers survey done. We have just sold subject to contact and the new buyers want to see a copy of the home buyers survey we had done. There are a few issues we have not done anything about. Should we give them a copy with the problems highlighted or potentially risk them getting their own survey done and new problems arising?

Any advice please!!

luklik

If it is not a big problem, will you consider to give to them to make a sales progresses faster? (they may hire some home buyer survey later and find out bigger problem)


Or, you may consider to sell in a cheap price for survey?

illusionek

It does not look like you have much of a choice. Clearly they want a survey on the house. It looks like they want to save the money and want to use yours instead of paying themselves. You can either give them your survey and hope they can live with issues highlighted. They may order their own and find out about the issues or they may get cold feet thinking there is something seriously wrong with the house and this is why you are not sharing yours. I guess there is also a slim chance they will go ahead without a survey.

I am just really surprised they want to use vendor's survey, as a buyer I would always insist on doing my own.

Thanetia

No. Firstly it's not their survey, it's your survey. It was done for your purposes, not theirs. There is usually something in the small print that states this. Secondly, it's out of date. If your buyers need a survey, for mortgage purposes, or for their own info, they need to get their own.

It may, or may not throw up different issues from last time. Was there anything critical which you haven't fixed from last time?

ReadingTim

I'd say you don't have your survey anymore - it was posted to you, and you've mislaid or binned the paperwork; but from memory, there weren't any problems with the property, which was why you went ahead and bought it. I'd then play dumb/act surprised if their survey uncovers anything.

What sort of survey you paid for in 2015 is none of their business, and isn't really relevant - if they want to find out the state of the place in 2017, they can pay for their own survey. And if as a buyer, they don't comprehend this, you're probably better off finding a less flaky buyer.

Cakeguts

No you can't use a survey done in 2015 for a house in 2017. The 2015 one is out of date. If they want a survey they will have to have one done this year.

Davesnave

It depends what exactly the problems were.

If they're things that might cost £10k to fix, I'd be wary, but if they could be dealt with for a grand or so, I'd not worry.

Technically, the survey shouldn't be shared without the surveyor's permission, and from a more practical viewpoint, it's not terribly relevant now.

I'd not reveal it if I'd had a survey done, but then, I've not yet had one to reveal.

hounsehunterftb

Surprising they are asking for a survey done by you in 2015. They do want to save some money. If you give them your survey now, they will have second thoughts about the whole thing if there are major issues highlighted in it. Also one would ask why would you sell the property in such a short span? I would definitely think you encountered too many problems with it and hence you are deciding to sell.

So don't be surprised if that happens. But be prepared with some sort of reassurance that you could give your buyers.

OxfordGirl

When we bought our house, vendor offered their Home Buyer Report which was done only 18 months prior of us buying the property. We did take it to have a look at it, however weren’t bothered about it as family member is a surveyor and did the house inspection for free. We had to pay only for the basic survey for the mortgage company, which is what your buyers likely will have to do anyway.
If your buyers know that you have the report and just don’t want to disclose it, that would likely put them off as it looks like you want to hide something about the house. If they don’t, just say you don’t have one...
Personally, I would give it to them if the issues highlighted on it on aren’t too expensive to fix, especially as you can say that these things didn’t cause you any problems living in the property quite happily.

G_M

I disagree.

Thanetia wrote: »

No. Firstly it's not their survey, it's your survey.
so you can show it to whoever you choose.

It was done for your purposes, not theirs.
Correct. But that does not stop you giving it to them, or them looking at it.

What you mean is: they will have have no come-back against the surveyor who wrote it, as they have no contract with that surveyor. But that is their choice, and their potemtial problem - not yours.


There is usually something in the small print that states this.
It will state that it is for the benefit of the original person who paid for it (ie no one else can rely on it. But they can certainly look at it if it's provided).

Secondly, it's out of date.
Again - that's their choice and problem, not yours. If they are happy with an out-dated survey, more fool them - but it's their choice.

If your buyers need a survey, for mortgage purposes, or for their own info, they need to get their own.
If it's for mortgage purposes, yes, the lender will instruct a surveyor.

If it's for their own info, they can do as they please.

It may, or may not throw up different issues from last time. Was there anything critical which you haven't fixed from last time?

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