Mortgage company requesting reports

Daniellewilson1987

My mortgage company has requested a damp and timber report, I have been asked to contact the estate agent and request it, how likely are the sellers to accept and provide the report? Is this a normal thing to happen or should I assume they will refuse and I won't get this house?

dimbo61

I think you may need to get this report done yourself and not the vendor.
Did you see the Survey done by the lender ?
Was it just a Valuation survey ?

Daniellewilson1987

Would that not mean paying out for something that's not even mine yet?
I didn't see the survey done by the lender, they contacted my mortgage broker with the request.
I believe it was just a valuation survey

AdrianC

Daniellewilson1987 said:

Would that not mean paying out for something that's not even mine yet?

Yes.

As a rule of thumb, you want the report, you pay for it. And, yes, your lender asking for it means you want it.

B'sides, it means you get to pick who does the report... you know it's not the vendor's mate.

BUT... with damp, be VERY careful not to get a snake-oil salesman giving you not-very-free upselling quote.

canaldumidi

You need to arrange, and pay for, the report yourself. Just like you need to pay for anything else you or your lender want/need before agreeing to buy. Legal searches? You pay because you want them - the seller does not! Electrical  inspection? Building survey? Valuation? Drainage survey? Planning searches?

These are all things you need to find out about before you decide if this is the right purchase to make.

And likewise, if your mortgage lender wants a report before deciding whether to risk lending you lots of money, well, you'll need to arrange that too.

Don't ask the estate agent to do it. Just tell the EA which company needs access so they can arrange acess with the property owners.

FreeBear

AdrianC said: BUT... with damp, be VERY careful not to get a snake-oil salesman giving you not-very-free upselling quote.

That will rule out any "free" surveys - They are (nearly) always a sales pitch for non-existent problems. Find yourself a surveyor experienced in older properties, without any ties to a damp "treatment" company or any affiliation to the PCA.

bazzyb

Agree with the comments about avoiding the ‘free’ surveys. A free survey will tell you that the damp proof course needs replacing when it doesn’t, and/or will tell you that you have rising damp when you don’t. 

Daniellewilson1987

Seller has agreed to get the report as apparently knows a few people, not sure of that's good or bad news. My partner knows a fair bit about properties and works for various landlords doing maintenance, when he viewed the property he didn't see any issues with damp other then the usual things on a property that's been empty for a few years so I'm hopeful.

lookstraightahead

Remember the report will belong to the vendor not you, if they have it done.

We live in a very old house and damp is a huge research project to be undertaken  so that you don't get ripped off. 

If the property falls through the vendor can use the report going forward, and also they will be aware of the problems, savvy vendors. 

canaldumidi

You may find your mortgage lender will not accept a report that's in the name of the vendor. And since it is the lender insisting on the report, best to make sure they will be satisfied.....

Daniellewilson1987

My mortgage advisor advised me to contact the estate agent and ask for a report from the seller, if its PCA registered then I believe they will accept it, there's nothing in the lenders email that says who needs to do it