Homebuyers survey missed faulty windows...

N20Y1D

We recently moved and have discovered that several windows in the house are broken..

one doesnt lock and cannot be fully closed
one has dropped on the hinges so although it shuts the top still doesnt close properly
and then there is another which cannot be opened at all as the lock is broken.

Now can anyone tell me if the the homebuyers survey should have picked up on this as it mentions that one of the windows needed replacing due to the seal having gone causing internal condensation.

PasturesNew

In my limited experience of watching a homebuyer's survey under way (one) they don't open the windows at all.

You would have thought they would ... as it's one of the easiest things they could do. But they don't.

As for the seal, you can see this just looking at the glass, because it is misted up.

PasturesNew

a] one doesn't lock - you can buy replacement locks
b] dropped on the hinges - might just need rehanging, possibly one new hinge
c] can't be opened - can be drilled out and new lock fitted maybe
d] seal - just needs one pane of glass replacing

I'd get onto some local glazing companies and get them out to quote for this. It might be just half a day's work for one man plus parts. So under £200 inc VAT (completely guessing)

olibrofiz

Nope, don't think they check things like that. My surveyor couldn't find the water stop tap - it was in the (empty) cupboard under the sink!!! He missed loads of stuff, and made a few things up too, I guess to cover their backs.

[Deleted User]

My Homebuyers survey did pick up on two faulty windows (they didn't shut properly and the handle was hanging loose).

elmer

The surveyor of our last house we sold, put on his report that the windows were all single glazed, when in fact they were all double glazed.
We had a difficult job persuading the buyer that we were right and her surveyor was wrong, as she didnt live nearby and wanted a price reduction. So if the surveyors even look at the windows, I would be surprised.

Elmer

subjecttocontract

Write to the firm who did the survey & request a refund. Make sure you put a timeframe on when you should receive it .....say 7-14 days from receipt of your letter.

If they don't pay you have the options of
* Small Claims Court.
* Report them to their trade body.
* Report them to your mortgage company.

I'd probably do all 3.

vivatifosi

I am going through a very lengthy small claims battle at the moment with my surveyors after missing a LOT of faults on a survey.

Although you do have recourse to small claims, the get out of jail free card for surveyors is that they can only be sued for the difference in price between the house, and the house as it would have been valued had the faults been known about (aka diminution of value). If the cost to repair is only a few hundred quid anyway, it is unlikely to make a difference to the value. Mine is in the thousands, and I'll probably get back between 30-50% of the difference. Their trade body will tell you the same thing.

I also tried to contact my mortgage provider, who was totally disinterested.

If you chuck a lot of grief the surveyors way, you may find that they are willing to make a small payment as a goodwill gesture.

Porky996T

Unfortunately what we have is that many surveyors who undertake Homebuyers or valuation surveys on residential property are what are know as General Practicioners and whilst they understand valuations etc they do not, as a general rule, have the hands on experience and detailed knowledge of a Building Surveyor. The two are different beasts and do different jobs, although both should be members of the same governing body (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors). Rather than try to get results from the courts, it would be more cost effective by writing to the RICS if the firm you are dealing with is not giving satisfactory results - they take this sort of thing seriously and could lead to striking off.

As an aside I have had many discussions with people in social situations who have commented as in the above posts, and all without exception would not shell out the extra couple of hundred quid for a full Building Survey Report that would pick up pretty much every major cost item and defect (within reason - difficult to see cracked brickwork behind concrete render!!)

If you read the caveats on the Homebuyers survey it should highlight the limitations of the report.