Right to buy maisonette-home survey

babybear1989

Hi I’m in the process of buying my council home through right to buy. We live in a 1 bedroom maisonette. We have just been given the purchase price of the property and we’re figuring out our next steps. 

We understand that a basic survey has been carried out by the council on the maisonette but we wanted to know if we should carry out our own house survey. We looked it up and contacted a company that carried out level 2 and 3 house surveys and they called and advised that they get many requests for right to buy customers and they believe that a house survey is not what I need as I already reside in the property. 

Can anyone advise if they have been in the situation before and if when buying their council home through rtb they got a separate house survey? 

itsthelittlethings

I wouldn’t worry too much, council housing is built pretty well and the council will still look after you as long as you have the funds to do your own maintenance. You’re in a good position, lucky to get a council property when you did.

user1977

What do you think a surveyor might discover that you don't already know from x years of living in the property?

itsthelittlethings

Sorry - don’t listen to me. I haven’t been in your position so am not able to give useful advice.

itsthelittlethings

Surveys only cost about £4-500 so might be worth it for peace of mind. There was a horror story on here about someone who bought their flat and did a loft conversion without realising the council owned the roof. Not sure if a surveyor would have picked that up though.

Nnenne1

No need for survey, if there was a problem, surely, you would’ve discovered it. 

Council also won’t provide any property details, they’ll just say in the form, tenant residing… etc, for questions about damp, state of house in seller’s questionnaire. 

eddddy

babybear1989 said:

Can anyone advise if they have been in the situation before and if when buying their council home through rtb they got a separate house survey? 

I'm guessing that you have a one bedroom maisonette in a building with at least 1 other maisonette - and your maisonette will be leasehold.

As you probably realise, when you buy the maisonette, you will have a liability for maintenance and repair costs for the building.

For example, if the roof needs repairs (or replacing), you'll probably have to pay part (or maybe even all) of the cost.

So maybe you want to consider getting a report on the condition of the building (or look carefully at the building yourself), to decide if there might be some large bills in the years ahead.


As part of the conveyancing process, the council will also be asked if they foresee any major repairs - but they might not have inspected the building recently, so they might not be fully aware of its condition.

babybear1989

I’m not really sure what I’m expecting them to find any potential problems with the structure of the maisonette maybe. I’m very new to having to consider anything like this and just worried incase we’re surprised by any problems in the future that would require us to pay out a lot 

We are a 1 bedroom ground floor maisonette and we are 1 in a block of 4. We also have our own garden but access it from the side path. The maisonette next to us extended onto the back to create another room. So we’re hoping to knock through our back wall of the back room and create an extension which would become the kitchen with a back door then the kitchen ( in the back would become a bedroom). I just didn’t want to come across any problems with the maisonette trying to do this also too. 

I’ve read through the paperwork and it details what we own and the freeholder (the council own) they own the guttering the walkways the roof and the lofts, we don’t have access to a loft though being the ground floor. 

We had major works completed over 3 years on all of the maisonettes which concluded in 2024, they changed the chimneys the roofs, the gates ,laid new tarmac on the paths and made repairs and rebuilt I guess the external stairway and out houses, they also installed double glazing and new front doors. I don’t think there will be major works again any time soon because of this but I’m aware that I’ll have to contribute towards it if there was much the same as my neighbours that own thier maisonettes have told me they had to pay out a large some last year towards all of the major works carried out. 

In the paperwork they sent us they said the only work to be carried out in the next 5 years is a water tank and told us the costs but when I’ve looked it up the survey they carry out is basic so I don’t know what this entails. 

They haven’t included any details about if their survey identified or didn’t identify potential problems even though there was recent major works carried out. 

I’m still so unsure even with the recent major works carried out if I should get survey why would the company I contacted state for rtb as you reside there a level 2 or 3 survey is not what you need its usually only for people that don’t reside there 

RogerPensionGuy

Another point of view. 

How much is the market value of the property?

How much are you paying for it? 

If its a fair big % difference then maybe little reason for another survey unless it reduces buying price I'm thinking. 

babybear1989

I did think that too
The market value is 280500 and with the rtb discount we will be paying 144100

RogerPensionGuy

babybear1989 said:

I did think that too
The market value is 280500 and with the rtb discount we will be paying 144100

It looks like price to value is good, sounds like property has been well maintained, but if you feel another survey is what you want for peice of mind, just get another survey.