Importance of a survey

wksd

We are buying a house for £500k, it's a 3 bed semi
It seems like a late Victorian house, modern and done up well inside recently.
Partner doesn't want to pay for a survey, I want a full structural.

What is your advice?

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I would go for the full structural survey.

davidmcn

Get a survey of your half of the house?

Thrugelmir

Would you spend £500k on purchasing a classic car without a thorough inspection?

It's what you cannot see that really matters.

Smodlet

I would prefer to pay up to an equivalent amount for a reputable builder to look at the house with me; they tend to be less prissy about lifting drain covers and going into lofts. They also have far more realistic ideas of what potential works will cost than do surveyors.

Whatever you decide to do, I think you may regret it if you do neither of these.

Good luck with your move.

princeofpounds

Yeah it's generally pretty stupid to make the biggest investment in your life without any due diligence.


Some problems with buildings are easy for the layperson to spot. Others really aren't. For example, if you don't know what Japanese Knotweed looks like, how would you know the garden is free of it?


You could always opt for what they call a homebuyer's report. It's usually roughly half the price of a full survey. It's cheaper because the report is less detailed and therefore easier for the surveyor to carry out (less notes, less specific examinations). But it should give some peace of mind about the worst problems you can potentially face (Ok, they don't go under floorboards or examine utility services).


To be honest, I even have some sympathy with the idea of getting an experienced and skilled builder for an opinion. It's better than nothing. Obviously it doesn't guarantee a particular standard of inspection and isn't a survey, but the information is the most valuable thing.

wksd

I think I want the full structural because it's 1% of the cost of the house, which is nothing. It gives us negotiating room too.
As far as we are concerned there is nothing at all wrong with it, it's nicely done, we wouldn't change a thing. It's lovely. That's also reflected in the price. But I am scared there's some secret issue as they tried to sell immediately after doing up (investment not panned out, not sure).


Our first purchase was a new build flat that has japanese knotweed in the attached neighbour, we had no idea as it didn't need a T11 form as a new build. We didn't get a survey although this wouldn't have picked it up. But at least I know what I'm looking for now!

Mother in law thinks the builder idea is the best, I am not so sure as I'd much rather a written document to use in the negotiating process if there's an issue.

ReadingTim

wksd wrote: »

Partner doesn't want to pay for a survey, I want a full structural.

What is your advice?

Survey both property and relationship.

Bluntman_1983

wksd wrote: »

I think I want the full structural because it's 1% of the cost of the house

Who's charging you £5,000 for a survey??

We paid £700 inc VAT for full structural survey on the property we are in the process of buying (5 bed semi).

I would definitely have one done.

robatwork

wksd wrote: »

I think I want the full structural because it's 1% of the cost of the house, which is nothing.

It's less than nothing. You can get a full survey for £500 if you shop around which is 0.1%.

Smodlet

princeofpounds wrote: »

Yeah it's generally pretty stupid to make the biggest investment in your life without any due diligence.


Some problems with buildings are easy for the layperson to spot. Others really aren't. For example, if you don't know what Japanese Knotweed looks like, how would you know the garden is free of it?


You could always opt for what they call a homebuyer's report. It's usually roughly half the price of a full survey. It's cheaper because the report is less detailed and therefore easier for the surveyor to carry out (less notes, less specific examinations). But it should give some peace of mind about the worst problems you can potentially face (Ok, they don't go under floorboards or examine utility services).


To be honest, I even have some sympathy with the idea of getting an experienced and skilled builder for an opinion. It's better than nothing. Obviously it doesn't guarantee a particular standard of inspection and isn't a survey, but the information is the most valuable thing.

Absolutely true but, given the fact any RICS survey report contains more caveats than information, the chance of any financial compensation, should anything be missed, is worth about as much as the paper the builder's report is written on...

Good luck, OP and please benefit from our collective, previous mistakes rather than your own potential ones; that is what this forum is for, after all.

I still don't know what Japanese Knotweed looks like; OH reckons he does and is a keen gardener so I hope I have never seen it. As already pointed out, how would I know? Google pics don't look like real life plants to me!