Estate Agent asking for Copy of Homebuyers Survey

foleyartist01

Hi There,

I have had a homebuyers survey carried out on a property I am purchasing. The survery has hilighted some works that need carrying out.

I have spoken to the estate agent to arrange a suitable time for contractors to visit the vendors to obtain quotes.

He is asking for a copy of the Homebuyers report that i have and is insisting that any contractors contact him directly to get a time for obtaining quotes.

Is this normal? when I asked for a copy of the properties HIP pack, i was told by the estate agent that I would have to pay for a hard copy.

Likewise, I have forked out £350 for my Homebuyers report. Why should I pass this on to the estate agent for free?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

country_sport

Short answer no. There is nothing stopping the agent or vendor copying it and using it to there own advantage. And yes, an agent can charge a fee for a copy of a HIPs pack

[Deleted User]

I second that. They work for the Vendor, not you. Actually, they work for themselves and would use your survey to their own advantage (not yours).

Rover

If you do not actually own the property I would imagine, in the absence of the actual owner, it is incumbant on the EA to control access to the property.
Re the report, provide a copy of the specific text pertaining to the faults with the contact details of the surveyor. If the EA wants access to the full report the EA can pay for one would be my stance.

jimc_2

foleyartist01 wrote: »

He is asking for a copy of the Homebuyers report that i have and is insisting that any contractors contact him directly to get a time for obtaining quotes.

Is this normal? when I asked for a copy of the properties HIP pack, i was told by the estate agent that I would have to pay for a hard copy.

Likewise, I have forked out £350 for my Homebuyers report. Why should I pass this on to the estate agent for free?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

To be fair to the Agent, they need to control access to the property in the owners absence and may just want to check what is being looked at to avoid unnecessary access. They don't actually need a copy of the Homebuyers report to do this though. Why not just photocopy relevant sections referring to the repairs required and blank out the rest?

Re the Vendor's HIP - I am confused. It is the vendors legal duty to supply a HIP to all interested parties with very few exceptions (Timewasters is one). The HIP Act specifically mentions an optional nominal or reasonable charge for a hard copy and this is normally taken as being photocopy costs only i.e. pennies. Most vendors just supply them for free. There's nothing copyright in there. I suppose this could be yet another unforseen HIP complication if the Estate Agent has commissioned the HIP on behalf of the seller and will get payment on sale.

What are they saying about who 'owns' the HIP?

How much is the Agent trying to charge you?

Richard_Webster

I understood that a reasonable charge could be made - some of the HIP would need to be produced in colour so there copying costs could be greater - so £10-£20 might not be unreasonable for a hard copy. A copy on a CD should be cheaper and normally the link to the a web address where the HIP is should be provided for nothing.

But hey, here we have a rare species.... - a buyer who wants to actually see the HIP!

OP was probably the first buyer the agents had had wanting a hard copy!

As far as the Homebuyer's Report is concerned when you come to the point of trying to negotiate the price THEN you might need to provide extracts from the report, but not before.

jimc_2

Richard - Isn't the only colour part of a HIP the Energy Performance Certificate? This shows equally well in black and white and in any case it is only constructed from the four relevant numbers. The 'fridge magnet' display is only a gimmick and not even mathematically correct (skewed axes).

selectcase

The purchaser of my house had a full survey done - got it photocopied and popped round with it one evening so we could discuss a discount for some minor work that needed doing along with a cup of coffee - I got the quotes and gave some xtra off for goodwill. Sorted - no aggro with charging and photocopying certain sections etc - thats bound to start a feeling of distrust from the outset and not help a smooth process

Jorgan_2

Van1971 wrote: »

I second that. They work for the Vendor, not you. Actually, they work for themselves and would use your survey to their own advantage (not yours).

Can you shed some more light on how the agent would use the survey to their own advantage? I'm intrigued.

It is quite normal for an EA to want to see a copy of a survey if it throws up any issues on a property. If a purchaser is trying to re-negotiate the purchase price, the EA will want to know why. They will them be able to advice their client accordingly.

How many of you, as sellers, would re-negotiate the sale price on a property because the buyer says the survey has suggested it? I'm guessing none of you. If you have evidence that there is an issue with your property, a survey for instance, you will be more inclined to re-negotiate.

jimc_2

selectcase wrote: »

Sorted - no aggro with charging and photocopying certain sections etc - thats bound to start a feeling of distrust from the outset and not help a smooth process

That's because you were talking directly with the buyer with no Agents involved. In the case of the OP it is the AGENT asking for the report for no apparent reason.

princessflea

Can you shed some more light on how the agent would use the survey to their own advantage? I'm intrigued.

It is quite normal for an EA to want to see a copy of a survey if it throws up any issues on a property. If a purchaser is trying to re-negotiate the purchase price, the EA will want to know why. They will them be able to advice their client accordingly.

How many of you, as sellers, would re-negotiate the sale price on a property because the buyer says the survey has suggested it? I'm guessing none of you. If you have evidence that there is an issue with your property, a survey for instance, you will be more inclined to re-negotiate.

I agree. At the moment the estate agent just has your word that there is work to be done. I am sure that they just want to see the written evidence and that a copy of the necessary extract of the survey would do them.
With regard to access for contractors, it is easier for the EA and contractors to agree a date and time between themselves rather than using you as a go between.
All sounds like standard practice to me and nothing to worry about.