Survay RIP OFF

entwistle18

I am currently in the process of buying a new house. I have just just spoken to the survayer about having a survary/valuation on the new house that is not yet built. He told me it would cost 300 pounds for a basic survey.

Firstly how can they survay a house that is not built and put a correct valuation on it? Secondly how can they warrant charging me 300 pounds for a 20 second job, which will tell me what i already know? The cost of the survey is the same as the one i had done on a real house that is built?

I complained to the survayer and even he thought it was a joke. Surely there is someonelse i can complain to? Is there any chance of me getting some of the fee back?

I do understand that survays need doing for banks to lend the money but i feel i am being conned.

Anyone else in my situation?

bridiej

I would assume that they would survey the house after it's finished, £300 is about the going rate around here (Kent) for a basic survey. Have you asked him for a Homebuyers Valuation?

Thorpeedo

entwistle18 wrote:

I complained to the survayer and even he thought it was a joke. Surely there is someonelse i can complain to? Is there any chance of me getting some of the fee back?

I do understand that survays need doing for banks to lend the money but i feel i am being conned.

Anyone else in my situation?

Why did you pay it if both yourself and the surveyoer feel it's a joke....
did you speak to the bank ?

sfell

We did our survey through HSBC and it cost £155.

deemy2004

Surveyors do charge anywhere from £150 to £450.

Frankly its no laughing matter..... :rotfl:

Debt_Free_Chick

If the house is on a development, the surveyor will look at the quality of the build of another similar propert, if there's one completed or close to completion.

criminal_smile

Not going to help you Entwistle, but when I bought my house last year, the surveyor I commissioned informed me that he kept copies of all the surveys he had carried out on houses in the area. If someone approached him to do a job, he would simply look back through the records, and as long as there were no major changes to the property, and it was within a reasonable time of his last visit, he could supply the previous report for a much reduced price, £70.00. With the housing market over here so busy, the same houses appear time and time again. Unfortunately, mine wasn't one of them, so I had to pay full price....£125.00, whereas other surveyors in the same area were quoting up to £500! Definitely worth ringing round and asking if your local surveyors offer the same service.

bunking_off

Are you sure you need a survey? On a new build, my lender just wanted copies of the sales particulars and a price list for the remainder of the estate. I assume they were happy with the pricing and that the builder would be liable for any defect the subsequently emerged.

I *did* get a survey, but 18 months later to give me peace of mind that any snags hadn't been missed.

MarkyMarkD

Many lenders will charge you the scale valuation fee, irrespective of whether they actually choose to do a valuation (not a survey). That's their right - it's their risk and their choice whether to bother valuing the property in the traditional way or by alternative methods - like comparison to similar properties in the area, etc.

If your lender operates in this way, there's no reason for you to get the fee back.

We recently remortgaged and the lender didn't visit the property at all - there was no point, as we are only borrowing 75% and the value is obvious (within the bounds of reasonable error) from a review of the Land Registry comparatives in the area. I accept that the valuation fee is part of the cost of remortgaging - and I recognise the value to me of the lender not bothering us by actually looking around the property!

yogi3

just sold my house and the buyer's surveyer was only in the house for 12 minutes. Value for money or a ripoff!

garysletters

how about employing a snagger instead.
I cant say I've used them (i wouldnt go near a new build), but they seem to do a good job of finding probs, and will keep the builder on his toes.
plus, they spend more that 5 mins in the house, so are better value. They might even be able to tag a survey type report on to their visit too.