Bank's valuation found 'structural movement'. Worth proceeding?

ktwllmskw

We're first time buyers and wondered if anyone had any experience or wisdom on this issue?
We had an offer accepted on a house, sellers have found their property and it's the end of the chain. Searches done, mortgage application going through. All was smooth. Now our lender (HSBC) has said their valuation found 'structural movement' and they won't proceed with the application unless we do a full structural report.  We'd planned to do this anyway, once we had the mortgage offer, just to be safe. So we're not against doing it. However, of course, if HSBC don't like what they read in the report, they won't offer us a mortgage and we'll have wasted the money on the full structural. If one set of surveyors have found an issue, what are the chances that a more thorough set will find out it's all fine?
As an aside, we've already paid for a full structural report on another place we were trying to buy that fell through at the last minute. We don't want to pay for TWO surveys on properties which we can't buy! 
We've been to view this new place twice and it looks incredibly well looked after to non-expert eyes. Is it acceptable to ask the sellers (who are v keen for sale to go through quickly) to pay for the survey? 

Thanks in advance for any advice. 

Windofchange

I think the full structural report on our place was something in the region of 2 grand, and there is no way that I would be willing to pay that on the off chance all is ok. We went for the level 2 in the end as no point in having the full structural for our place, but if you are looking at anything like that then I would be walking away personally unless the property was really really special. One can only assume that if things were that bad that they showed up on a quick look around or search, a more detailed report is only going to find the same? How old is the property? What sort of structural things showed up do you know from the bank's report? 

weeg

What you want is a structural engineer's report - should cost less than £400. And there is a decent chance that it will come good. When I was selling my Mum's house there was cracking mentioned in the survey. But I was explain to explain the most likely cause, and that it wasn't a sign of a bigger problem. Didn't get in the way of 4 offers.

Structural movement is only an issue if it is either severe or ongoing.

theoretica

Perhaps talk to the sellers about whatever the surveyor saw - maybe they know about it from when they bought the property or maintaining it and can give an idea of what a more detailed survey will show. 

brasso

I’d talk to HSBC and explain your predicament as you’ve outlined here i.e. that you’re happy to have a structural survey but that you’re anxious about wasting money, so could you first get a better idea of what the valuer found please. We can be certain that the valuer didn’t simply say ‘evidence of movement' and left it at that, without a full description and perhaps even photos. Depending on how serious they made it sound, you’ll have a better idea of how to proceed.

ktwllmskw

Thanks for the advice. We’ll ask HSBC for the report they currently have and speak to the sellers.