FTB needing advice regarding structural survey

FreeBear

sacvwgolf said: It's a single skin external wall

Do you mean a solid brick wall that is some 9" (230mm) thick or one that is only 4" (100mm) ?

sacvwgolf

Marshaltown said:

It is probably highly unlikely that a "Structural Survey" (now known as a Building Survey) is required of the entire property. Is it not more of a case that a "Structural Report" has been asked into a specific defect i.e. structural movement etc? Some mortgage lenders require that a property is not given a valuation until any further investigations are completed.

Our MB has asked the lender exactly what's required for them but I think you're right...don't suppose that we make a building survey cheaper if we specify one key area that needs surveying? 

sacvwgolf

Not helpful but just an FYI, we have decided to retract our offer and walk away...it was too much of a gamble to add more costs to then still have to walk away. With the lender having a retention on the mortage amount and not releasing until the work needed had been done we didn't really have much choice. When we told the EA she did offer to see if the vendor would pay for the building survey which I thought was kind and fair but we'd already made up our minds by then. Lesson learnt... ignore what the EA says and if you feel the house requires it, get a building survey done from the very start.

pbhb

You were right to walk away. Any parent wanting to move would prefer choose a school for their children rather than move without knowing anything about the schools. That combined with the fact they tried to steer you away from a structural survey suggests the sale fell through for reasons other than the school.
I have recently been through the same thing and my surveyor told me to not pay for a structural survey, she told me it should be the vendors that should do this as anyone wanting a mortgage on the property would face the same issues and the vendors need to sell the house in a sellable condition, not one that is impossible to get a mortgage on

sacvwgolf

pbhb said:

You were right to walk away. Any parent wanting to move would prefer choose a school for their children rather than move without knowing anything about the schools. That combined with the fact they tried to steer you away from a structural survey suggests the sale fell through for reasons other than the school.
I have recently been through the same thing and my surveyor told me to not pay for a structural survey, she told me it should be the vendors that should do this as anyone wanting a mortgage on the property would face the same issues and the vendors need to sell the house in a sellable condition, not one that is impossible to get a mortgage on

Thanks... the fact that we feel relieved and not disappointed in the slightest probably means it was the right thing to do. Sounds excatly the same as us.