Would these have been discovered with a survey?

lucypilates

So I’ve already bought this house and during the conveyancing period, I arranged for a survey to be done - not a full structural survey but the one below - with an independent surveyor who seemed to have a lot of experience and who was now semi retired but still doing a few surveys.

 He was not good on admin at all, sent me through the wrong report, missed out areas I’d specifically asked him to check out, and incorrectly identifying it as writing a conservation area. After asking him to return to look again at the bits I’d requested, he didn’t even give me the information I asked for, missing my point and so ultimately, I complained and he didn’t charge me.

 By then, too much time had passed, he hasn’t actually found or reported anything adverse, so I decided not to get another surveyor in as e we were aiming for stamp duty deadline at the time.

 Now I own the property and am discovering so many issues but I’m wondering if they would’ve even been picked up?

e.g: a leaking velux in the loft - only apparent when it actually rains

 a staircase that squeaks and not I’ve pulled the carpet up, it’s obvious that the treads are coming apart

 a corner of the lounge, has a rotten wall plate and joists which had carpet over

a hole in the floorboards, patched with a metal plate and covered with carpet

 would any of these have been picked up if I’d had a second surveyor in for the same standard of survey?

 Thanks - am scared to look any further in case of what I find 😳

MovingForwards

Window not unless it was raining on the day he visited.
Staircase, didn't you notice it squeak when walking up it when viewing the property? 
Lounge and hole no, as you say it had carpet on. Surveyors don't lift / move things.
You should have had him go back and do the report properly, but didn't due to wanting to rush the purchase through.

Sounds like an old property and you will find things.

AdrianC

lucypilates said:

 Now I own the property and am discovering so many issues but I’m wondering if they would’ve even been picked up?

e.g: a leaking velux in the loft - only apparent when it actually rains

Yes, most rainwater leaks only happen when it's raining.

Was it raining when he did the survey?
Was there any staining that would have been visible even when it wasn't raining?

a staircase that squeaks and not I’ve pulled the carpet up, it’s obvious that the treads are coming apart

 a corner of the lounge, has a rotten wall plate and joists which had carpet over

a hole in the floorboards, patched with a metal plate and covered with carpet

So none of those were apparent until you lifted the carpet? Apart, obvs, from the squeek that you would have noticed when you viewed.

The surveyor can't, doesn't, lift carpets.

lucypilates

Yeah I’m struggling to see what benefit a survey is at the moment ...

 yes I realised staircase squeaked but then so does the floor in most of the rooms ... just didn’t know about the treads coming apart until carpet lifted .. 

The surveyor went twice already and still didn’t answer the specific points a requested (kept forgetting!!) and I didn’t think a third visit would’ve been any different ... eg I asked him to check out the chimney/fireplace because I saw a damp circle on the exterior of it (even had a photo) .. he commented on it having dark mortar in that area  on the first visit then on second visit, reported that it had a rather attractive feature gas fire in it!! That was it ... I could work all that out for myself!!

You can see why I didn’t ask him to go a third time ...

csgohan4

part of owning a house I'm afraid, If I could go back I would check everything more clearly, including the visible pipes, we had a leak into the kitchen the day after completion.