How long is too long for buyers to instruct Full Structural Survey?!

[Deleted User]

Hi hoof_Hearted, thanks for your reply.  We've learned a lot through the selling process (which lasted a year, we came off the market last month).  We're by no means stupid or unreasonable people but as I mentioned, when you haven't been through a process before you trust that everyone knows what they're doing and we didn't know any warning signs to watch out for, hence my original post.  We thought our buyers were serious too as they (finally) had Survey done but they pulled out (three days later when they received the report) over something that could have easily been rectified/smoothed out between us (they pulled out due to gaps between 1980s lounge stairs; my husband even offered to take the cost of a replacement staircase off the asking price but they still pulled out.  We now wish they'd had a second viewing and this issue could have been pointed out and raised sooner; they obviously missed that at their first and only viewing - all other reasons why we were cross at the delay of Survey appointment...but I digress!).  When the time comes we will definitely keep our house on the market until a good proof of commitment is shown, as you say.  Thank you. 

[Deleted User]

Hi again brett19852010; I'm sorry to hear of your frustrations.  It's an all-round fraught process for buyer and seller, isn't it?  No wonder I drink!!!  .  And of course, all the delays due to coronavirus won't be helping matters.  It sounds as though you're doing everything you can despite all the delays; that will go a long way to showing your seller that you're committed.   I'm frankly relieved that we're off the market now...but then we have to go through it all over again in eighteen months/two years' time.  Oh, that and in the meantime, going through the upheaval of moving the downstairs bathroom upstairs, then converting loft into bedroom so we don't lose a bedroom in the process before we go back on the market; where's that gin?!......  We have learned a great deal from our 'selling' experience and hopefully we'll wiser when we come to sell again.  Thank you for your replies and I wish you every luck in your new home. 

wazza07

We're finding the whole process painstakingly slow (obviously appreciate why) as buyers. It has taken us approximately 3 weeks from our offer being accepted to getting our mortgage approval (subject to valuation) as Santander have been so busy. The valuation is taking another 2 weeks as there was a !!!!!!-up with L&G communicating with our agents. So that's 5 weeks in total. We've booked our building survey today and that's gonna take 2-3 weeks to take place as they're crazy busy as well. It's been difficult as don't want to necessarily pay for a full survey before getting the valuation back. The way we've timed it, there should only be a 1 week gap now (hopefully). But all in all from offer acceptance to building survey it's going to be roughly 7-8 weeks. We're worried our vendors are getting frustrated but there's literally nothing we can do to really speed things up - we've tried to go as quickly as possible. 

[Deleted User]

Hi wazza07; thanks for your reply.  I'm sure your Vendors fully understand that you're doing everything as quickly as possible, especially given coronavirus AND the Stamp Duty 'holiday' frenzy that's seemingly abound at the moment.  I suppose all you can do is liaise with your EA to stress to vendors' EA that *you* really are doing all that you can and that matters out of your hands are taking time; I'm sure it's the same in some matters for your vendors too.  Plus a week feels like a year when you want to buy something so badly but you have to wait for it!  When our buyers took so long this was in January, so it was well before coronavirus truly reared its ugly head.  There were simply no explanations from anyone and as I say, we were inexperienced and didn't know that they were taking too long in getting a survey on our house done, given that there were seemingly no issues on their part at that point.  Lessons have been learned on our part for the future, that's for sure.  I hope the rest of your buying process goes smoothly; I'm sure it will, even if it is slightly delayed with the country being how it is at the moment!  Very best wishes for your new home. 

Slinky

Good lord, you're moving the bathroom upstairs and converting the loft to satisfy a buyer who isn't even buying?

Why not just fix the stairs, since this is something that may come up under another survey, and sell it as it is? Plenty of properties have downstairs bathrooms and people buy them. You did!

As regards how long to wait for a survey to be done, our buyers bought our 50 year old house without a survey. We thought it odd, but they were obviously happy with what they could see and they raised a mortgage on their previous property they were keeping to rent out.

[Deleted User]

Hi Slinky; thank you for your comment.  We're not moving the bathroom upstairs etc just for the buyer who isn't buying; we had negative feedback throughout our stay on the market regarding the downstairs bathroom.  They're not common where we live at all.  We were on the market for around a year (had a rubbish EA first initially, long story short, then we went with another EA).  People around here are hugely put off by a downstairs bathroom and one couple who, if they had bought it, were going to move the bathroom upstairs wanted *so* much off the asking price because of this it was insulting.  We'd been in this situation for a year (came off the market last month) and trust me, it's putting people off!  We have a very good friend who is a builder who will do this work for a reasonable rate and then there can be no argument from anyone moaning about a downstairs bathroom, or anyone asking for £30,000+ off the asking price (when it actually won't cost anywhere near that amount to move it at all).   We seem to be living in times where if something isn't to a buyer's liking (and I certainly don't mean ALL buyers but seemingly the ones who were interested in *our* house!) then the seller is expected to pay through the nose - and more - for it.  Some people don't seem to want to do much work anymore and they certainly don't want the work of moving a bathroom upstairs.  Good to hear your buyers weren't interested in a survey; they were obviously very happy with your house, as you say.  Thank you for your reply.  

[Deleted User]

Slinky - apologies, I didn't fully respond to your comment!  My husband bought the property 15 years ago (way before we met); apparently it had been on the market for a long time even back then and I believe the downstairs bathroom had been an issue for the previous owners when it came to them selling.  My husband is rather stubborn and proud and bought it pretty much because it's in a really nice area of our town.  He doesn't have the foresight I do and I always knew a downstairs bathroom would be an issue when we came to the market last year; he simply thought that because it's in the area it is, that it 'would sell straightaway'.  I knew differently...and I was correct, sadly.   We will sort the stairs too; I personally think we should leave them but my husband is adamant they'll be changed and therefore up to modern standards.  Could really do with winning the lottery right now!    Thanks again for your reply.