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Need advice please

I’ve just going through a divorce buying my first home alone, on a tight budget and I’m buying a town house. I wasn’t going to get surveys or searches but my solicitors is saying they are against that idea, am I being stupid?

Comments

  • TBG01
    TBG01 Posts: 512 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    If you move in and it turns out the property is falling apart or you discover it's built over a mine shaft that's about to collapse, who would you blame?

    If it's anyone but yourself, get a survey and searches.
  • youth_leader
    youth_leader Posts: 3,034 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    A friend was a cash buyer and didn't have a survey - about six months later she couldn't get in the front door.  Locksmith came and said it wasn't the lock, the door had dropped down - the house had major subsidence.  If you can scrape the money together for a survey it could avoid expensive repairs/renovation.
    £216 saved 24 October 2014
  • C_N_
    C_N_ Posts: 61 Forumite
    Second Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
    Are you buying with cash or a mortgage? If with a mortgage I believe searches with be a condition of the mortgage offer. 
  • I would definitely recommend a survey but do not despair if it comes back with a lot of advisories. They are naturally scary documents and surveyors will always err on the side of caution. In other words if there is the potential for an issue to be present then they will include it. When i sold my house we had some many reds (immediate action required) One was because my windows opened fully which is no longer regulation apparently. Make sure you arrange a call with surveyor after they have produced the report, they will explain in full detail what the report means.

    Also, don't worry if they recommend electrics and gas to be tested, they say this because they aren't qualified to deem them safe, so this will appear on all reports
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