To survey or not

silvercar

I’d get a full survey. You are doing a Reno, if there are any issues with the builder it would be good to have a baseline where you can point out that any problem was caused by the builder or was pre- existing.

RelievedSheff

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108749#Comment_82108749

Doesn't really make any difference if a problem is caused by a builder or was pre existing though.

If it's a problem it needs sorting out either way.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108718#Comment_82108718

I would be more tempted to pay a builder you know to spend an hour going round the property with you and asking his advice and getting ballpark
values for works you want doing.

This can be useful, but it should always be remembered that most builders aren't experts and their advice is very unlikely to be covered by any professional indemnity.

Also, that a lot of the problems surveyors/new owners find are a consequence of people trusting a builder to know what they were doing, or to do the right thing.

Very few builders have detailed knowledge of plumbing/electrics/heating. So like the average surveyor, they should really tell you to ask a professional in each field.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108768#Comment_82108768

I think silvercar means have a survey so if your own builder mucks things up during the renovation you've got proof that it wasn't like that before they started.

TBH this is something people can (and should) do before getting any work done - just take photos of everything, then store them somewhere safe.

Tabieth

I’d always get a survey. Buying a property is the biggest purchase the vast majority of us will ever make. Spending a few hundred pounds on a survey is to me a no-brainer.

zoemk12

Thanks all for your thoughts and opinions. I’ve booked a survey, in the grand scheme of things it’s a drop in the ocean, but could save us a lot down the line. To be honest, unless the surveyor says the house is falling down we will buy it as it’s got the potential to be everything we want and the location is just wonderful- think countryside, near the river etc.

Re heat pump, I believe the assessment is carried out for free by the company we select, eg EON. However, I’m interested in reading more about air to air, especially after the last few months 🥵! So I’ll look in to this over the coming weeks.

poseidon1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82109167#Comment_82109167

Sounds wise, as you say the fee is a drop in the ocean. Interesting to note eon as the heat pump provider will provide that assessment for free.

Also note the river location, so no doubt you will be checking environmental flood maps for past and potential future flooding risks.

I have been caught out with a property previously in a low risk flood area, that was redesignated high risk when maps redrawn and reassessed, and as a result lost flood damage cover on the buildings insurance which we had for 7 years previously.

zoemk12

@poseidon1 yes we did look into this. It’s walking distance the river, rather than on the river so I think we will be ok. It’s not flooded before, but who knows with the weather we’re having. We will cross that bridge if it comes!

sherlock228

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108924#Comment_82108924

whilst I used to think that that I no longer do as I have enough knowledge of buildings to be able to produce a typical surveyors report myself.

Also, with vendor's copoeration, I have been able to get to places surveyors never do (up close to the chimney stack on a roof in one case).
You are still left with the same outcome re caveat wordings… get electrican report, get structural engineer report, get plumber report
But, as I say, I have a lot of knowledge of housing and when buying a second hand car I do still pay for an inspection of it as I don't know cars!

stuart45

A friend of my wife moves house on average about every 2 years, and always gets a survey. She said it's always more than paid for itself with a price reduction, even if the price drop is only a grand. Vendors seem to take more notice of a professional survey report, more than a builder walking around giving his opinion. When I looked at my eldest daughter's house the vendors asked to see the surveyors report when I pointed out a few issues. When I did my youngest daughter's I set a report out on an email which seemed to work better as she got a couple of grand off the price.