Survey or not to survey?

turnergirl14

Buying a house that is 3 years old, would you bother with a survey? And your reasons why please

(I already know its safer to and blah blah, just thinking of the money and time saved with it only being 3 years old and still under NHBC warranty).

JuzaMum

Is there a mortgage? If not it's up to you if you want to take the risk. I bought a flat last year without searches or survey but was confident as I know the area ( not built on landfill etc). There is no cladding and so far I have no regrets. If I'd been buying a house and/or didn't know the areas history I think I would have the survey. 

turnergirl14

JuzaMum said:

Is there a mortgage? If not it's up to you if you want to take the risk. I bought a flat last year without searches or survey but was confident as I know the area ( not built on landfill etc). There is no cladding and so far I have no regrets. If I'd been buying a house and/or didn't know the areas history I think I would have the survey. 

Thank you, I will be taking out a mortgage yes. I have a few reasons for my gut telling me not to get a survey, the main one being the house is 3 years old. We had a survey on our last property, a full structural and we felt like half of it they were saying just to cover their backs, we paid £450 which at this point we could do without shedding out. 

Alter_ego

Having watched a few surveyors when we sold, I'm confident I could check any house to my own satisfaction.

propertyhunter

I know what you mean, but just because it's 3 years old doesn't mean it won't have its own fair share of problems. Sometimes builders do a bit of a bodge job like in my new build flat. The toilet leaked from day 1. Have there been any claims made to the NHBC in the first three years? Have the previous owners needed to claim on buildings insurance/contents insurance? 

I'm a cautious person and so would always get one - mainly for peace of mind. But that's just me. 

turnergirl14

propertyhunter said:

I know what you mean, but just because it's 3 years old doesn't mean it won't have its own fair share of problems. Sometimes builders do a bit of a bodge job like in my new build flat. The toilet leaked from day 1. Have there been any claims made to the NHBC in the first three years? Have the previous owners needed to claim on buildings insurance/contents insurance? 

I'm a cautious person and so would always get one - mainly for peace of mind. But that's just me. 

Thank you. I will raise this with my solicitor i.e the NHBC claims. Our vendor has recently had a baby so I don't feel like they would live their with major issues and I know the snag list has to be done in the first 2 years so I'd hope anything like a leaky toilet would've been raised to the builders but I will definitely pass these to my solicitor.

turnergirl14

Alter_ego said:

Having watched a few surveyors when we sold, I'm confident I could do better.

Exactly my thoughts 

MEM62

turnergirl14 said:

Buying a house that is 3 years old, would you bother with a survey? And your reasons why please

(I already know its safer to and blah blah, just thinking of the money and time saved with it only being 3 years old and still under NHBC warranty).

Depends on what level of risk you want to take.  As for the NHBC warranty, according to my OH (who is a surveyor) they are not worth the paper they are written on.  

sammyjammy

MEM62 said:

turnergirl14 said:

Buying a house that is 3 years old, would you bother with a survey? And your reasons why please

(I already know its safer to and blah blah, just thinking of the money and time saved with it only being 3 years old and still under NHBC warranty).

Depends on what level of risk you want to take.  As for the NHBC warranty, according to my OH (who is a surveyor) they are not worth the paper they are written on.  

You beat me too it, an NHBC warranty would not reassure me of anything

JuzaMum

This reminds me of a new development of 'luxury' flats locally. One poor lady had the sewage system back up in her bathroom 🤮.