Purchasing a property - sharing building survey report / findings

KeiraKoala

Hi. I'm a FTB, had an offer accepted and I've just got the report back from the level 3 building survey. The property is a 100+ year old maisonette, and the survey report identified several elements classed as "in need of urgent attention". Some were already on my radar and I'd factored in the costs to address after purchasing, some I'd like the sellers to sort ahead of exchange, and others need further investigation. Is it conventional to share the survey report with the sellers, and is there any downside to doing this? For example, where the report includes details and photographs showing the specific location of work required, sharing it would help avoid confusion. Thanks in advance!

user1977

I wouldn't say it was normal for a seller to fix things prior to exchange (unless they are genuinely urgent, like something leaking). You'd probably be better to agree a suitable adjustment to the price if any of it justifies it, and then you at least have control over the quality of the works. No particular harm in sharing the details from the survey (you might not want to share a valuation if you had one included). 

propertyrental

If you want the seller to do anythng as a result eg undertake work or reduce the price, you're going to have to share the report, or at least relevant parts.

Getting the seller to undertake work is generaly advised against - his motivation will be to do it as cheaply as possible with no concern for quality, plus you'll have no warranty as you'll not be the contractor's customer.

perhaps list here the items of concern and people can advise.

TBagpuss

Its quite common to share the relevant sections of the report , but not necessarily the whole thing. It's more usual to use it to negotiate a reduction in price rather than to get the sellers todo the work, and of course for the purpose of negotiation, the real relevance is the value the surveyor puts n the property and how it compares to the price agreed 

KeiraKoala

Thanks for the responses. The two areas where I was thinking of asking the seller to action things were:
1) The fuse board was due for inspection in 2022 and is now overdue. I was thinking of asking for the inspection to be carried out and the certificate provided, so that I know about any serious problems and can negotiate a reduction in price if needed.
2) The gutters and gullies are blocked and dirty and need cleaning out. The maintenance of the roof is shared responsibility with the upstairs flat. The seller has said that the owners have always been cooperative regarding maintenance, and I was thinking that by asking for this to be done I might get an idea of whether this is the case.

The areas where I was going to get quotes and to negotiate on price were:
1) Get a damp specialist to carry out an assessment as per the recommendation in the report
2) Get a quote for repairing the damaged brickwork and damaged rainwater pipes

propertyrental

You're joking yes?
1) fuse boxes/consumer units are rarely inspected (outside tenancies). You want the electrics inspected, you pay an electrician to inspect, just like you paid a surveyor to inspect.
2) gutter clearing is a minor routine maintenance issue. Deal with it when you move in

1) what damp? Where? Caused by...? Do not get a free damp survey sales report by a dampproof company who will inevitably identify damp with a dodgy meter and then quote you (surprise!) for remedial work they can provide
2) This is the only potential area worth looking at. What exactly does the survey say? How extensive is the damaged brickwork? How wide a area? How much damage? Chances are it just needs a bit of re-pointing, probably not urgently, but I can't see the report!

KeiraKoala

Thanks for your input.
1) The damp readings were taken on the rear wall of the property, inside and outside. No indication on the survey report of what is causing it.
2) From the report: "The external walls of the property were worn and had visible cracks at the time of inspection. The brickwork of the external walls appeared to be worn and in need of maintenance." Got some more photos from the surveyor and it's a couple of specific areas that need re-pointing.

propertyrental

Sounds pretty insignificant to me. If I was your seller and you showed me that report, and askedme toeither reduce the price or undertake works, I'd instruct my estate agent to re-market and find a more realistic buyer.

ashleyj722

We had a buyer pull out based on a survey and they wanted to knock off £50000.  They refused to share the survey findings and as a result, there was no chance of price negotiation. 

FreeBear

propertyrental said: 2) This is the only potential area worth looking at. What exactly does the survey say? How extensive is the damaged brickwork? How wide a area? How much damage? Chances are it just needs a bit of re-pointing, probably not urgently, but I can't see the report!

100+ year old property - Probably solid brick walls. Find someone that works with lime mortar to do the repointing and refuse to accept cement. A lime mortar is more forgiving and in keeping with the materials originally used for the construction. And if they suggest using an angle grinder to rake out the joints, give them a swift kick up the backside. Take a look at this thread to see what sort of damage that can happen -> https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/threads/lime-pointing.17884/