Are surveys necessary?

TamsinC

Now hear me out before you jump in.

We nearly bought a house recently (fell through for various reasons, but not to do with the survey). We paid for a full structural survey through a RICS surveyor for an old property circa 1750. It was a complete waste of money. All the usual timber and damp surveys needed (it was a solid stone building) and no understanding at all of old properties (despite having asked for someone from the firm who was).

We have now put in an offer on another house circa 1600 - again stone and timber - knowing what the RICS surveyor will do and likely recommend I am wary of throwing good money after bad. We will end up with a survey recommending a damp and timber survey, which if we did and if we took their advice would recommend taking the lime plaster off the walls and popping in a chemical damp course (which will actually cause damp).

I am all in a quandary. I KNOW I should get a survey but I also don't see the point. The house is in great nick, recently properly renovated where needed. Has had an electrical certificate issued in the last 7 weeks. It is still standing after 450 years etc.

What should I do?

SG27

Before I bought my 1700 cottage I would have said 100% get a survey. £700 later what a waste money. They see 300 year old inactive woodworm holes and recommend timber surveys, they get a high damp reading (no sign of any damp at all) and we need damp surveys. Which as you say recommend totally conter productive unnecessary "repairs". They cant survey what they cant see, they wont move furniture or make intrusive investigations.

Then everything else *may* cause issues in the near future to be sure to cover themselves.
Safe to say we wont be bothering with a survey for the house we are buying. You would be better taking a builder or even just someone knowledgeable in old buildings to have a look round.

Im suprised anyone manages to buy a house the surveys are so terrifying!

Our buyers aren't getting a survey either. Dont blame them. Maybe its becoming more common now not to bother?

TamsinC

SG27 wrote: »

Before I bought my 1700 cottage I would have said 100% get a survey. £700 later what a waste money. They see 300 year old inactive woodworm holes and recommend timber surveys, they get a high damp reading (no sign of any damp at all) and we need damp surveys. Which as you say recommend totally conter productive unnecessary "repairs". They cant survey what they cant see, they wont move furniture or make intrusive investigations.

Then everything else *may* cause issues in the near future to be sure to cover themselves.
Safe to say we wont be bothering with a survey for the house we are buying. You would be better taking a builder or even just someone knowledgeable in old buildings to have a look round.

Im suprised anyone manages to buy a house the surveys are so terrifying!

Our buyers aren't getting a survey either. Dont blame them. Maybe its becoming more common now not to bother?

Thanks, that's my thoughts - I've lived in old buildings, including listed, my dad is very experienced as he did these houses up, I feel we could see all of the building that the surveyor would see and we saw nothing of a problem - just the general upkeep of an old building. It feels 'wrong' to say no to a survey, but 'right' as well.

Davesnave

I have no interest now in old buildings, but when I was encountering them during extensive property searches years ago, I used to read stuff on the Green Building Forum.


No idea if it's relevant, but here's a link anyway:


https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/

SG27

TamsinC wrote: »

Thanks, that's my thoughts - I've lived in old buildings, including listed, my dad is very experienced as he did these houses up, I feel we could see all of the building that the surveyor would see and we saw nothing of a problem - just the general upkeep of an old building. It feels 'wrong' to say no to a survey, but 'right' as well.

Sounds like your dad knows what he is looking at, personally I would take his opinion over a surveyor.

TamsinC

Davesnave wrote: »

I have no interest now in old buildings, but when I was encountering them during extensive property searches years ago, I used to read stuff on the Green Building Forum.


No idea if it's relevant, but here's a link anyway:


https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/

many thanks :j

StumpyPumpy

A lot of people will tell you that surveys are a waste of money and there is a good argument for that if the property does not have any problems.

However, I know of someone who bought a "forever home" a couple of years ago without having a survey done - "waste of money, we know about houses, blah, blah". After being there for less than 3 years they recently tried, and failed, to sell it at auction - surveys made by potential purchasers all picked up major problems despite the vendors publicly being in denial about them (although the problems became obvious soon after moving in which was why they attempted to sell at auction).

They finally managed to sell it privately but took a £30k loss on the selling price in the process, despite house prices in the area going up by over 15% over the same period.

Either way it is a gamble. You pick how much you're prepared to lose if you end up on the wrong side of the bet. People are much more inclined to tell you how much money they have saved not having a survey done, than how much money they've lost by not having a survey done and that imbalance needs to be taken into consideration when assessing the anecdotes posted on these fora.


SP

sheepy21

I think it depends on the individual situation, we've decided not to get a survey on the house we're buying because it's a 70's build, maintained by American military so everything has been kept up to scratch and it's about to be fully refurbished. So for us we felt it would be money down the drain. If you feel that everything is in good nick with no obvious worries, then you might be best saving your money :beer:

TamsinC

Well after having a hard think I decided to have a survey after all - but NOT a RICS one. I will hopefully, assuming they can fit me in, be getting a specialist historic building one, sounds very much they know what they are talking about and they will date and explain the building history for us etc - which sounds exciting and nice.