Building Survey missed major issue

thesurveyor

Good evening all,

I have a question regarding a building survey carried out for a property I purchased.

I paid for a home buyers report before buying the property I currently live in. All came back with the usual small issues but nothing major.

However around 8 months later recently we have a damp issue on the gable end wall.

I got a builder to take a look and paid for a surveyor to take a look for a second opinion.

It turns out that the gable end wall has a bulge and wall tie issue.

The previous survey makes no mention of the issues found.

The surveyor who undertook the most recent survey has said that the previous surveyor should of picked up this issue as its not something that can happen overnight.

He also mentioned that I can pursue a claim with RICS against the original survey.

I have a number of quotes for the remedial works with the lowest coming in at £3500.

My question is has anybody had any experience with a poor building survey and what was the outcome.


Many many thanks in advance.

Smi1er

thesurveyor wrote: »

I paid for a home buyers report before buying the property I currently live in.

ok, not the best move as what you really wanted unless you know what you're looking at is a full structural building survey.

My question is has anybody had any experience with a poor building survey

Huh? Thought you said you had a homebuyers report not a building survey?

So did you have a home buyers report done (350?) or a full structural survey done (1K?) carried out?

Davesnave

According to RICS, the Home Buyer Report should highlight:

"issues that need to be investigated to prevent serious damage or dangerous conditions."


Failed wall ties resulting in visible bulging probably fall into this category. The severity of the bulging will be key here, as failed ties on their own wouldn't necessarily be visible.

If you have this second surveyor's report, contact the first surveyor's practice and ask for their comments on it. Thy may hold their hands up or they may contest. Follow their complaints procedure, as appropriate. It's worth pursuing and surveyors have insurance for when mistakes are made.


By the way, there's no such thing as a "full structural survey," but the RICS Building Survey is a higher level report than Home Buyer. Depending on the age and the overall condition of the property, one or the other may be more appropriate. Were you advised to have a HBS by the original surveyor?

sevenhills

thesurveyor wrote: »

I got a builder to take a look and paid for a surveyor to take a look for a second opinion.

It turns out that the gable end wall has a bulge and wall tie issue.

My brother bought a house over 15 years ago and wall ties were said to be needed; to this day he never did anything about it. A builder said it would be ok, and not an issue.
If you have damp, I assume they are saying it needs repointing. Is it an old house?

bris

Davesnave wrote: »

Failed wall ties resulting in visible bulging probably fall into this category. The severity of the bulging will be key here, as failed ties on their own wouldn't necessarily be visible.

?

No, a homebuyers report is about as basic as it get and is really nothing more than a valuation.


They don't investigate anything they only pick up on what's staring them in the face.


It took for the damp to be discovered 8 moths later for this to be properly investigated so nothing obvious here. It's the pitfalls of not getting a proper survey done and would be seen as such.

Davesnave

bris wrote: »

No, a homebuyers report is about as basic as it get and is really nothing more than a valuation.


They don't investigate anything they only pick up on what's staring them in the face.

As I said, the degree of bulging will be key. Neither you or I have seen it, but another surveyor has and they felt it was sufficiently noticeable.

For the benefit of others reading the thread, this is how RICS describe their surveys:

Survey level one: RICS Home Condition Report (HCR)

The RICS Condition Report describes the condition of the property, identifies any risks and potential legal issues and highlights any urgent defects. It uses simple ‘traffic light’ ratings to clearly identify the condition of the key elements of the property. Typically, the lowest priced of the surveys, it is aimed at conventional properties and newer homes.
Survey level two: RICS HomeBuyer Report (HBR)

This is most suitable for conventional properties which are in reasonable condition. The report gives you more detailed information and provides the choice of either a survey or a survey & valuation.

1. HomeBuyer Report (survey)
   Includes all the features of the RICS Condition Report. It also includes advice on defects that may affect the property with repairs, and ongoing maintenance advice
2. HomeBuyer Report (survey & valuation)
   Includes all the features of the RICS Condition Report, plus a market valuation and insurance rebuild costs. It also includes advice on defects that may affect the value of the property with repairs, and ongoing maintenance advice

Survey level three: RICS Building Survey

Essential for larger or older properties, or if you’re planning major works. The most comprehensive report provides you with an in-depth analysis of the property's condition and includes advice on defects, repairs and maintenance options.