Buyer requested survey - worry overload!

hayabslee0

We're currently in the process of selling. Although we've completely renovated our property, the buyer has requested a Survey. I am guessing it's a Homebuyer's Report as he said he'll only be around 90 minutes, whereas a full structural survey would take hours.

While I know the house has been all redone (got all paperwork for electric work, boiler, windows, cavity wall insulation etc), when we purchased the house, there was a note made about how we were in a "moderate to high" risk area of subsidence (which when I researched it, a lot of Essex and London is!) However, some people panic when reading things like that.

Would a homebuyer report even mention a "risk" of subsidence? I've got to wait two weeks for this survey and am envisaging many sleepless nights over this!!!!

leon103

anyone with a mortgage will get a survey so these are common. the searches will reveal subsidence and the surveyor should be aware. 90 minutes!!! a homebuyer survey is usually 5 minutes

davidmcn

No, the surveyor will be reporting on any sign of actual movement. The vaguely worrying mentions of possible subsidence will be in any separate searches which your buyer gets (I presume that's what you mean by the "note" you got at the time of your purchase?).

hayabslee0

yes, that's what I am referring to in the Solicitor's initial searches. However, this turns out to be an issue for a lot of (most of) London and Essex. However, I remember myself being a bit concerned by this but was reassured when looking into it further. I just worry that my buyer will not. I could (hopefully) be over-thinking things, however, need this move so much and it's so important that I'm worrying about everything!

Bonniepurple

Fwiw when we sold the buyer had a survey. The bit that took the longest was when we established that the surveryor lived next door but one to my Dad, which led to a long conversation about how he wasn’t really coping since being widowed and me being reassured that the neighbours all kept an eye on him!

Lysimache

I think you will need to declare the subsidence when you get into the searches and enquiries stage of homebuying. I think there's a question on one of the property information forms about whether or not you know/have been told if the property is at risk of subsidence.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

You are right to be concerned. You will have noticed how no houses at all have been sold in London or Essex in the past 30 years. It is precisely because of this.

[Deleted User]

Worrying about anything doesn't actually do much than lose you sleep. You had a survey done when you moved in.., nothing was found. You have the paperwork you need from the work done so there's probably little that can come up.

If anything did, you deal with it then. Worrying will change nothing, particularly considering your circumstances which are good.

victoriavictorious

leon103 wrote: »

anyone with a mortgage will get a survey so these are common. the searches will reveal subsidence and the surveyor should be aware. 90 minutes!!! a homebuyer survey is usually 5 minutes

That's incorrect - a mortgage valuation report takes approx 15 mins, or some just do drive-bys to check that the house actually exists.
The next level of survey, the homebuyers, takes about 90 mins, as the OP mentions.
Third type, the full building survey, takes about 3 hours.

Don't worry OP, it's unlikely to be as bad as you fear! Our (first time) buyers were - are - the type to panic at their own shadow. They got a full building survey done and there was very little in it apart from 'the bleedin' obvious' and the usual back-covering clauses. A good surveyor should give them a call first to allay any fears as on paper, these things always seem like the house is about to collapse. Are yours first-time buyers too, by any chance
As far as I'm aware, unless subsidence is actually flsgged up in your specific property, no need to declare it in the enquiry form. As it would then relate to the general area, this kind of thing appears in the environmental searches; and as most of London is built on clay soil, it's going to be pretty standard. Ask your solicitor to guide you as to wording.

davidmcn

Lysimache wrote: »

I think you will need to declare the subsidence when you get into the searches and enquiries stage of homebuying. I think there's a question on one of the property information forms about whether or not you know/have been told if the property is at risk of subsidence.

Not in any of the standard forms - and it would be a pretty pointless question if everybody in the county had to say "yes"!

hayabslee0

Thanks all for your replies. I think each step closer this whole process gets, my brain says, "Nope, it's not going to happen", and then I start worrying about every tiny little detail.