Good idea to have a survey on your own house before you sell?

lookstraightahead

canaldumidi said:

What would you do if the survey indicated subsidence as you fear?

You do realise you immediately have to inform your insurers.....?

This is a mad idea - buyers of 70 year old houses (should) know there will be creaks, maintenance issues, etc. Let them get a survey and then deal with whatever arises at that point, if anything.

Surveyers/Valuers give their best professional opinion on price. If that leads to a 'dance' (??) so be it, but again, deal with that if it arises.

As for the price you ask - sure, listen to 3 local EAs opinions, but bear in mind some EAs talk the price up to sellers to try to win their instruction, so do your own research too.Look at local recent 'sold' prices (not advertised prices).

If the house indicates subsidence it's better for the owner to find out surely, rather than it coming up anyway on a survey that the buyer will have anyway.

Once the owners knows, they know,

canaldumidi

lookstraightahead said:

canaldumidi said:

What would you do if the survey indicated subsidence as you fear?

You do realise you immediately have to inform your insurers.....?

This is a mad idea - buyers of 70 year old houses (should) know there will be creaks, maintenance issues, etc. Let them get a survey and then deal with whatever arises at that point, if anything.

Surveyers/Valuers give their best professional opinion on price. If that leads to a 'dance' (??) so be it, but again, deal with that if it arises.

As for the price you ask - sure, listen to 3 local EAs opinions, but bear in mind some EAs talk the price up to sellers to try to win their instruction, so do your own research too.Look at local recent 'sold' prices (not advertised prices).

If the house indicates subsidence it's better for the owner to find out surely, rather than it maybe  coming up anyway on a survey that the buyer will might or might not have anyway.

................................

youth_leader

I had a full structural L3 RCIS survey on my property, grade II listed, to see if I could afford the renovation and stay.  Came out at over £200K needing to be spent, so I sold. 

Having a survey didn't help me when I came to sell. I knew I didn't have live beetles, but the buyer's surveyor insisted I did  - and I was persuaded to finance the damp/timber report as a gesture of good will. . 

lookstraightahead

canaldumidi said:

lookstraightahead said:

canaldumidi said:

What would you do if the survey indicated subsidence as you fear?

You do realise you immediately have to inform your insurers.....?

This is a mad idea - buyers of 70 year old houses (should) know there will be creaks, maintenance issues, etc. Let them get a survey and then deal with whatever arises at that point, if anything.

Surveyers/Valuers give their best professional opinion on price. If that leads to a 'dance' (??) so be it, but again, deal with that if it arises.

As for the price you ask - sure, listen to 3 local EAs opinions, but bear in mind some EAs talk the price up to sellers to try to win their instruction, so do your own research too.Look at local recent 'sold' prices (not advertised prices).

If the house indicates subsidence it's better for the owner to find out surely, rather than it maybe  coming up anyway on a survey that the buyer will might or might not have anyway.

................................

Wouldn't you want to know if you had subsidence? 

Swipe

My cash buyer didn't have a survey done (which was a real surprise to me)

Snookie12cat

flashg67 said:

Your buyer might not even get a survey - my last buyer didn't, and the valuation for their mortgage was either  a' drive by' or desktop valuation as no-one came calling. We did the same on our last purchase - perhap unwisely, but it's a 200 yr old house and we assumed there would be issues and budgeted accordingly

I was going to say this. Apparently only 20% of buyers get surveys. I have never got one and the two houses I sold have never got them either. 
You run the risk of once you get one and know about the problems, having to disclose them which could then put people off.

I would save your money and just see how it pans out. If they get one and pull out offer to buy it off them at a reduced price 

jimbog

I would be suspicious of a seller carrying out a survey. It would tell me they were anxious about something 

youth_leader

My friend was a cash buyer and didn't have a survey.  She couldn't get into her bungalow one day and rang a locksmith - unfortunately it was because the door had dropped due to subsidence, not the lock.  Whole bungalow was sinking. 

lookstraightahead

Swipe said:

My cash buyer didn't have a survey done (which was a real surprise to me)

Yet that same person would never buy a car without knowing its roadworthy