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1399steve

After having two purchases fall apart due to big problems on the survey, I have seen another house that I am thinking of offering on. But having already wasted almost £1,500 on surveys and legal fees on the previous two failed purchases I want to find out everything I can about this place prior to shelling out for another survey.

The place I have seen has recently had a sale fall through as the buyers split up during the purchase. Apparently these buyers had a structural survey and nothing was raised according to both the EA and the vendor. However, I have subsequently found out from the EA that there is approx £750 of damp proof and wall ties work that needs doing - presumably this was raised on the 'clean' survey so this has made me wonder if there are any other issues that they have conveniently forgotten to mention!

Is there any legislation that forces EAs to be upfront about any issues they know that a property has?

Or do you have any other advice as to how I can find out exactly what problems are associated with this house before I commit another wedge of money on a survey?

Doozergirl

What type of survey are you commissioning?

You could always tryand view the other buyer's survey but even if you get hold of it, that surveyor will not be held answerable to you.

The more comprehensive the survey, the more frightening it reads. Lord knows the number of people that have been spooked out by not being able to truly comprehend a surveyor's report and have turned down a perfectly good house.

Doozergirl

If you still have copies of a previous survey, why not make a list with headings along the same lines as your surveyor and take a look at the same things. Look at the roof, check the walls for alignment and cracking etc, etc.

It's obviously nothing like a proper survey, but it help you to focus on looking at the important areas and not the vendor's taste in curtains when you are viewing

1399steve

Thanks for the advice so far!

Will be a homebuyers report that I get done. I'll have a go at replicating the previous surveys but to be honest I don't really have a clue about building/DIY etc and wouldn't really know what to look for!

Key issues for me from the viewing were that one corner of the cellar seemed a bit damp and there had been a leak in one of the bedrooms that had damaged the ceiling and wall but the vendor claimed to have had it repaired.

Have asked about seeing the previous buyers survey but the EA said they do not have a copy as no problems came up on it - there was no need for them to see a copy.

Doozergirl

Cellars are damp! They're in the ground! What needs to be in place is a damp proof course just above ground level to stop that damp spreading upwards. All houses sit in damp earth - just you see the evidence in cellars. You can tank a cellar, but it isn't important to the structural integrity of a house. Cellars and lofts are superb ways to view how a house is built and you can view floorboards, joist etc down there that you'd never normally see

Ask what the leak upstairs was exactly. And how they fixed it.