Homebuyers report (survey): worth it?

Shankers

We're in the process of buying a house and the conveyancer is pushing a RICS homebuyers report. I'd like to hear whether or not it is worth it.

Context
* 8 year old house
* The house looked, and smelled (!), like new.
* End terrace town house.
* A couple have owned it. No children. Not been there a fair bit as working elsewhere.

The searches have come back saying 'moderate' risk of flooding (surface water). Owners have said in the 8 years they have been there it has not flooded.

I am looking to get a flood report for around £30.

From what I can see, the homebuyers report will be around £500.

My opinion currently is if we were buying a Victorian property or even a 50s semi, I'd get a homebuyers report. For a house which is so new and which looks like it is in good condition, I'm sceptical about the need for it, especially when the conveyancer has been giving us the hard sell, even providing personal anecdotes. 

What are your opinions?

fackers_2

No brainer if it's over 10 years old. Unless you're a structural surveyor, plumber, electrical engineer, or gas engineer then, yes.

£500 now or £5000 down the road with a problem? You can also use it towards a renegotiation if you feel it has enough faults. 

Shankers

fackers_2 said:

No brainer if it's over 10 years old. Unless you're a structural surveyor, plumber, electrical engineer, or gas engineer then, yes.

£500 now or £5000 down the road with a problem? You can also use it towards a renegotiation if you feel it has enough faults. 

Thanks, but if it is 8 years old? Worth it? The house was built in 2015.

user1977

Getting a desktop flooding report seems daft for a new-ish build - there'll be a much more detailed and useful flood risk report (and other informative things) among the planning papers on the council website.

CSI_Yorkshire

fackers_2 said:

Unless you're a structural surveyor, plumber, electrical engineer, or gas engineer then, yes.

But the person doing the Homebuyer isn't any of those things either.  You have read level 2 reports before?  All they say is "I'm not qualified to comment, if you want a better opinion call an expert".

Postik

I bought a 4 year old house and I got a RICS homebuyers report (was about £450 I think).  Coincidentally when I bought my first home, which was around 30 years old, I didn't bother.  In some respects I felt more confident in a house that was still standing after 30 years than I did a new house where they are notorious for being botched.

I didn't expect it to be that thorough but I just wanted to know there wasn't anything major, and obvious, that a clueless buyer such as myself would miss.

£450 on a close to half a million pound purchase gave me some peace of mind.  It flagged up a few minor issues but nothing serious, which is what I wanted to hear really.

FreeBear

Postik said: In some respects I felt more confident in a house that was still standing after 30 years than I did a new house where they are notorious for being botched.

With a Barratt or Wimpey (other major developers available) home, I would share your concerns. But if it is a small development by a local company, I'd be more confident about the quality of the build.

Shankers

FreeBear said:

Postik said: In some respects I felt more confident in a house that was still standing after 30 years than I did a new house where they are notorious for being botched.

With a Barratt or Wimpey (other major developers available) home, I would share your concerns. But if it is a small development by a local company, I'd be more confident about the quality of the build.

David Wilson homes? That's the developer for the property we're planning on buying. 

FreeBear

Shankers said:

FreeBear said:

Postik said: In some respects I felt more confident in a house that was still standing after 30 years than I did a new house where they are notorious for being botched.

With a Barratt or Wimpey (other major developers available) home, I would share your concerns. But if it is a small development by a local company, I'd be more confident about the quality of the build.

David Wilson homes? That's the developer for the property we're planning on buying. 

DWH is owned by Barratt Developments PLC, so factor that in to any decision you make.

MultiFuelBurner

National housebuilders imo build average to poor houses. Just scraping by every regulation and in most cases below the level.

NameUnavailable

I bought a purpose built flat, 60's/70's built. There were no obvious issues apart from a bit of updating to the decor so I went ahead without a survey.

Whilst I haven't had any big issues I did miss a few things I'm sure the surveyor would have picked up which although not deal breakers, might have encouraged me to try to negotiate on the price a little.

Whilst a newish home should be fine, you do hear about horror stories of shoddy workmanship and building errors.