Vendor digging heels over Damp & timber survey

SG27

busbybuilders wrote: »

Nice to see everyone dishing out the correct advice, but it seems your shouting at the OP.
it's the house buying system that's at fault here and primarily with RICS and the good old Banks again. The time honoured "old boy network".
For those lucky enough to not need a mortgage then ignoring the survey is easy.You can do what you like.
If you need to borrow your almost screwed. The bank will insist on a waste of time RICS survey and they in turn will refer the non existent damp readings from their !!!!!! little damp meter to the useless Property Care Association (PCA).
Until RICS learn to survey properly without a bloody damp meter this scenario will never end.
Sadly Gordon Kent from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Building's still insists rising damp exists and perpetuates the ongoing saga. Shout at RICS, PCA, SPAB, and the Council of Mortgage Lenders, now UK Finance if you want it to change.

I had that exact discussion with my buyers' non RICS building surveyor... mortgage company's insisting on potentially damaging remedial work is insane!

TamsinC

Our mortgage people only wanted a valuation survey not a homebuyers. We then commissioned a heritage house survey as it was an older property; blooming expensive though. No damp course and no damp, and n need to show the results to the mortgage company.

I agree that the system is shot. I see it being akin to PPI - a scandal in the making. How many older buildings are put at risk through incorrect advice? Case in point my SIL has just sold an older house, now riddled with damp because they were advised when they bought it to put sandtex on the outside and a damp course in. The paint is flaking off the outside, the surface of the sandstone bricks is shot and crumbling and the house smells awful. A lot of remedial work is now needed by the new owners. It was a lovely house before the damp course and paint went on. At some point I hope this kind of advice comes back and bites the company's bottom with lawsuits.

societys_child

"Seller wants to help me . . . but I'm well beyond that!"


What a strange thread :cool:

Surrey_EA

TamsinC wrote: »

Our mortgage people only wanted a valuation survey not a homebuyers.

The mortgage provider is almost always only interested in a valuation, it is rare for them to request anything more detailed.

All the lender is interested in is whether they can recoup the balance of the loan, in the event the borrower stops making their repayments, and does the property represent suitable security for the loan.

AnotherJoe

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

Thanks. there was no smell or stains or sign of any damp when we viewed on 3 occasions plus a further viewing to measure for furniture/curtains. its a nicely kept lived-in house. So i don't see why they'd kick up a fuss

Because the con artist/cowboy/salesman you are using will almost certainly recommend expensive and unnecessary work because thats what they do and lead to you wanting to drop the price.


Surprised you cant understand this after it being explained to you in multiple previous posts all making the same point, you've asked a salesman to go roudn and see if theres something he can sell you.

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

OK I've dug out what they said in email to the EA.
"While we acknowledge the requirement for a damp & timber survey, and are happy to accommodate, we have concerns regarding the company that **** have employed to carry out the survey. Having spoken the firm in question, and taking the liberty of researching them on the internet, we think we have valid reason to object to their employment on this occasion. Our concerns stem from the fact that they are not independent surveyors, but a contractor (one that is poorly reviewed at that). We are concerned that we will receive a sales person prospecting for work and commission, rather than the advice of an independent surveyor, which will likely suggest unnecessary works and potentially hold us to ransom.
We therefore suggest that **** employ a PCA registered independent surveyor to carry out the survey. We understand that the costs of employing such a surveyor would be around £200, and as a gesture of goodwill, and to ensure a fair and accurate survey, we would be more than happy to cover this cost ourselves."

So its not just the fact that there might be damp. it the attitude and the patronising way they write. basically saying weve done something stupid and completely rejecting our choice of surveyor. naughty us.

Talk about sensitive. Poor you :rotfl:.
I dont see anything in that to get offended over indeed its bang on, measured and courteous.

OP, YOU are at fault. They are taking a careful and measure attitude and you are being a d**k.

If I was your seller I'd drop you like a hot potato who knows what other things you'll get offended over, or take completely the wrong end of the stick.

getmore4less

4 viewing and measured up for curtains, and now wanting surveys.

Vendor right to be steering these FTB in the right direction.

SG27

Surrey_EA wrote: »

The mortgage provider is almost always only interested in a valuation, it is rare for them to request anything more detailed.

All the lender is interested in is whether they can recoup the balance of the loan, in the event the borrower stops making their repayments, and does the property represent suitable security for the loan.

Unless thier valuation informs them that there could be damp, woodworm, decay etc. Then they want PCA accredited surveys done.

Surrey_EA

OP unlikely to return I feel!

Rare to have such unanimous opinions.

ReadingTim

Surrey_EA wrote: »

OP unlikely to return I feel!

Rare to have such unanimous opinions.

Let's hope if they do return, they'll have the good grace to admit they got the wrong end of the stick completely, and ran away with it.... (to mix metaphors).

Surrey_EA

SG27 wrote: »

Unless thier valuation informs them that there could be damp, woodworm, decay etc. Then they want PCA accredited surveys done.

Possibly, but still a rare occurrence imho. It would likely depend on the LTV of the loan concerned.

I cannot recall the last time a mortgage valuation report for a property I have dealt with contained an insistence that such surveys were carried out, it would be a few years ago.