PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.

Is this really true about surveyors?

Options
Mortgage_Moog
Mortgage_Moog Posts: 178 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
When I was looking at buying I heard that sometimes surveyors have been known to deliberately put buyers off a property by writing a bad report pointing out plenty of faults. The reason they do this is so they can advise their friends in the trade (builders/estate agents) about such a bargain, they snap up the property and split some of the sale as commission with the surveyor.

Do such things really happen?

Comments

  • ReadingTim
    ReadingTim Posts: 3,970 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    Mortgage_Moog wrote: »
    When I was looking at buying I heard that sometimes surveyors have been known to deliberately put buyers off a property by writing a bad report pointing out plenty of faults. The reason they do this is so they can advise their friends in the trade (builders/estate agents) about such a bargain, they snap up the property and split some of the sale as commission with the surveyor.

    Do such things really happen?

    Yes - it's common behaviour following alien abduction. This also really happens.
  • breaking_free
    breaking_free Posts: 762 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Photogenic
    Options
    Mortgage_Moog wrote: »
    When I was looking at buying I heard that sometimes surveyors have been known to deliberately put buyers off a property by writing a bad report pointing out plenty of faults.

    Where did you hear this?
    "The problem with Internet quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy" - Abraham Lincoln, 1864
  • Surrey_EA
    Surrey_EA Posts: 2,042 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    breaking_free wrote: »
    Where did you hear this?

    During a recent alien abduction.
  • SuzieSue
    SuzieSue Posts: 4,096 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    edited 18 October 2016 at 1:53PM
    Options
    Yes, it could happen if you were unlucky enough to pick a rogue surveyor but it is highly unlikely so it is something to be aware of but you should not worry about it unnecessarily.

    It is just like an estate agent deliberately putting off buyers so that his friend can buy the property at a reduced price. Yes, it could happen and you need to be aware of it especially if you don't get many viewings, but it is unlikely,
  • dinkylink
    dinkylink Posts: 228 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Options
    If they're RICs and were found out they'd be struck off.
  • Mobeer
    Mobeer Posts: 1,851 Forumite
    Academoney Grad First Anniversary Photogenic First Post
    Options
    It's probably happened on a vary rare occasion, been reported once, then been re-reported and exaggerated a few thousand times.
  • Mortgage_Moog
    Mortgage_Moog Posts: 178 Forumite
    Options
    I heard it from an estate agent. I never knew if he was serious or not and I thought it sounded unlikely but I bet it's happened at some point in some way.
  • eddddy
    eddddy Posts: 16,440 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    edited 18 October 2016 at 7:22PM
    Options
    Mortgage_Moog wrote: »
    I heard it from an estate agent. I never knew if he was serious or not and I thought it sounded unlikely but I bet it's happened at some point in some way.

    Hmmm... that sounds like an EA's very creative attempt to...

    - dissuade you from getting a survey.
    - make you sceptical of any problems the surveyor finds
    - make you sceptical of the surveyor's valuation of the property if it's low


    Perhaps the EA has a follow-up anecdote - about how buyers that reduce their offers after a survey anger the aliens, resulting in more abductions.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 247.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards