Is full structural survey necessary?

kazzamunga

Just had an offer accepted on a Victorian terrace near Huddersfield which seems to be structurally fine but needs some decorating. We really like it, and made a good offer for it that we don't intend to come down on, but given the age of the property we want to get a full structural survey done so that we know what we're working with.

This is the second time we've done this for a house around here (the first one fell through), and both times we've had such a weird reaction from the estate agents...like 'you mean, a FULL BUILDING SURVEY??' I don't understand why? Is it overkill, should I just go for HomeBuyer's? I think I'd only want to go for that if I was getting a new house...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76989151.html

Thoughts?

AdrianC

Entirely your call. Don't let the EA put you off, if you think it worth having.

DoctorStrange

One thing to bear in mind is that a full survey isn't necessarily a full structural report.

I had one done a few years and was disappointed to see a recommendation that a structural engineer should be also be consulted...

Don't get me wrong is far more in-depth than your basic valuation, but it doesn't cover everything

FreeBear

You do what you think is best, not the estate agent.


First point of concern is the level of slabs out front. They appear to be much higher than they should, and isn't something the neighbouring property has - Could well cause damp issues in the front room & coal cellar. Might even be a spot of dry rot in there...

kazzamunga

Yeah - and the guy doing it isn't actually a qualified engineer, so of course if there were major issues you'd have to get a full structural inspection done anyway. I'm just wondering if a HomeBuyers would flag up the same stuff that would lead to a engineer's inspection, or not. And for the sake of a couple of hundred quid I'd rather just do a detailed survey.

I wonder if there is a feeling in the industry that if someone does that they are going to try to knock the price down? But we made a sincere asking price offer, and we did that knowing that we might need to do some remedial works to the roof and basement. We still think the house is worth it for what we could do with it. I just don't know why someone would buy an old house in an area exposed to the weather and not want to have some assurance that it's not going to disintegrate!

Skiddaw1

kazzamumga, I'd definitely go for a full structural survey if it were me. I love the house- it reminds me of our previous house- and we weren't a bit surprised when our buyers went for a full survey. It's worth it for the extra peace of mind in my book.

FreeBear

kazzamunga wrote: »

I'm just wondering if a HomeBuyers would flag up the same stuff that would lead to a engineer's inspection, or not.

You can often find samples of both types of reports online to compare the level of detail. Also worth asking the surveyor for a couple of sample reports so that you get an idea of the kind of detail he/she will go in to.

kazzamunga

FreeBear wrote: »

You do what you think is best, not the estate agent.


First point of concern is the level of slabs out front. They appear to be much higher than they should, and isn't something the neighbouring property has - Could well cause damp issues in the front room & coal cellar. Might even be a spot of dry rot in there...

Hmm, bit confused, thought the slabs were the same height as the ones to the right, which seems to just have a waterproof layer over its front yard. Do you mean the house to the left? The owner said they did put a waterproof course under the paving in the front yard, but some tanking was definitely on our list of things to do in the coal cellar, as it was damp. The cellar under the living room seemed more or less dry, want to insulate that.

thearchitect

DoctorStrange wrote: »

One thing to bear in mind is that a full survey isn't necessarily a full structural report.

I had one done a few years and was disappointed to see a recommendation that a structural engineer should be also be consulted...

This is correct. It is more accurately entitled a condition report or survey but for some reason many people (I'm looking at you, solicitors and estate agents) use "structure" in lieu of "envelope" or "fabric".


A structural report is more properly one which looks at the loadbearing elements of the fabric, and is taken by a qualified structural or civil engineer.

kazzamunga

Skiddaw1 wrote: »

kazzamumga, I'd definitely go for a full structural survey if it were me. I love the house- it reminds me of our previous house- and we weren't a bit surprised when our buyers went for a full survey. It's worth it for the extra peace of mind in my book.

We were so excited about it when we viewed! So much character!

thearchitect

kazzamunga wrote: »

. I just don't know why someone would buy an old house in an area exposed to the weather and not want to have some assurance that it's not going to disintegrate!

As I said in another thread, I'm qualified to do condition surveys but when I bought my Victorian house I had an RICS full survey done for peace of mind. It picked up some worm I'd missed but didn't catch some iffy stonework to the chimney.....