First time buyer in need or surveyor advice...

[Stuno1]

Hey folks, I am looking to buy our first home this year in around June time. Our mortgage advisor has advised the lender is undertaking a valuation only survey as you would expect.

My question is, what level of survey do I need and how much am I looking at? The home we have an offer accepted on is only 10 years old so not sure a full structural survey is needed but know nothing about this at all!

Any advice would be greatly received.

Stu

[dandanthewatchman]

lender's valuation is useless to you - it is limited to looking at very basic things and is not addressed to you in terms of reliance

10 year old houses will be just out of the pretty worthless NHBC or similar 10 year guarantee. they are also very likely to have been built "to a price" so look for failing double glazing, poor ventilation etc.

You could go for a Homebuyer's survey but they are always full of caveats ie we didn't go on the roof / get an electrician in etc etc but might spot any obvious problems.

if you have a trusted builder I'd ask him to give it the once over

[Gerald Genta]

I just went with the various surveys my solicitor recommended as I deemed them to be in a better position to advise on this than me. Once you've instructed a solicitor I would simply ask them what they recommend.

[Stuno1]

lender's valuation is useless to you - it is limited to looking at very basic things and is not addressed to you in terms of reliance

10 year old houses will be just out of the pretty worthless NHBC or similar 10 year guarantee. they are also very likely to have been built "to a price" so look for failing double glazing, poor ventilation etc.

You could go for a Homebuyer's survey but they are always full of caveats ie we didn't go on the roof / get an electrician in etc etc but might spot any obvious problems.

if you have a trusted builder I'd ask him to give it the once over

Cheers, I do know a builder who would help and I suspect on 10 year old property there should not be any major issues. I was just wondering if the surveys pick up issues building, windows, electrical, roof etc and as such they are liable if they miss something for X years. If they start to state caveats it makes it redundant!

[mart broad]

Having done this a time or twoi would recommend a homebuyers as a minimum no matter if the house is only ten years old you are making a huge purchase and for a few hundred quid you will sleep a little easier, trust me.

[sevvy]

Same advice as Mart, get a homebuyers survey. The lender is only interested in the value of the property.
Your conveyancer is only responsible for the legals so if there’s something wrong with the property you’d have little or no comeback.

[Stuno1]

Cheers all I’ll look into a homebuyers survey.

Stu

[Bristolian]

Cheers all I’ll look into a homebuyers survey.

Stu

Building surveyors tend to practise either as part of v large outfits (pile high / sell cheap) or small, even 1-man-band outfits.

I'd tend towards the latter if possible. They'll be much more responsive to your needs.

[Stuno1]

Building surveyors tend to practise either as part of v large outfits (pile high / sell cheap) or small, even 1-man-band outfits.

I'd tend towards the latter if possible. They'll be much more responsive to your needs.

Cheers, will keep that in mind.

Stu

[hughtrimble]

See if you can be there with the surveyor, if anything to make sure they actually do go in! I had a homebuyer's survey done, and the findings appeared to be a copy and paste from another property... talking about Windows in need of replacing with ruined seals and hardware (they were replaced the year before, Velux), said the wood flooring in all rooms needed replacing (majority carpeted, the wood in fine condition), and also messed up the various service charges etc. despite having been provided with them, and assumed they were far lower than they actually were meaning he estimated the value should be impacted to reflect this as he figured they'd have to increase.

A joke. I was informed I'd need to pay for another survey to have the value amended with the 'new evidence' (which he'd been provided with in the first place).

[Mr Pointy]

Cheers, I do know a builder who would help and I suspect on 10 year old property there should not be any major issues. I was just wondering if the surveys pick up issues building, windows, electrical, roof etc and as such they are liable if they miss something for X years. If they start to state caveats it makes it redundant!

Don't commision a survey thinking the surveyor is liable for any omissions - there will be an enormous number of caveats in the report (couldn't lift the carpets, couldn't access the loft etc etc). By all means get a Homebuyers but if you can go round with a builder then you've got much more chance of him picking up on any issues. Take a pair of binoculars (to inspect the roof) & some steps so you can inspect the loft. Test every tap & toilet & check the heating works, especially if it's the original boiler.

[Stuno1]

Don't commision a survey thinking the surveyor is liable for any omissions - there will be an enormous number of caveats in the report (couldn't lift the carpets, couldn't access the loft etc etc). By all means get a Homebuyers but if you can go round with a builder then you've got much more chance of him picking up on any issues. Take a pair of binoculars (to inspect the roof) & some steps so you can inspect the loft. Test every tap & toilet & check the heating works, especially if it's the original boiler.

This makes sense. I’ll try and do this if I can. Why is nothing as advertised! I pay you to check my house, you check my house and if you get it wrong I come back to you.

[catch21]

Choose a surveyor with the same surname as you, if you can.

[David_D]

The whole valuation business is a bit of a scam in 'value for money' terms. As noted by others, you pay a wad and then receive a report so caveated as to be of limited value.

The joke used to be that the basic survey was one where they changed down to second as they drove past the house.

I instructed a (highly qualified) structural surveyor to look at something for me recently and he was absolutely c**p. Refused to give an opinion, as you would expect a professional to do. Just described the issue (which you could see) but declined to say anything vaguely useful.

[awright101]

I work for a mortgage lender and see valuations on a daily basis and if I was buying again would just go for lenders valuation.

[catch21]

How about this for an idea. Arm yourself with a checklist and go and take a darn good look yourself? You can get most things on the net so a property surveying checklist should be there, else it should be fairly straightforward to knock one up.

Go take a look, if you see anything that doesn't look right, photograph it and take it home and investigate. There's lots of experience on here.

If you'd like help getting started with a checklist then give me a pm.

[eagletower]

I work for a mortgage lender and see valuations on a daily basis and if I was buying again would just go for lenders valuation.

This is what I do, any other suvery I have seen isn't worth the paper its written on. on a 10 year old property I personally wouldn't be worried at all.

[Stuno1]

How about this for an idea. Arm yourself with a checklist and go and take a darn good look yourself? You can get most things on the net so a property surveying checklist should be there, else it should be fairly straightforward to knock one up.

Go take a look, if you see anything that doesn't look right, photograph it and take it home and investigate. There's lots of experience on here.

If you'd like help getting started with a checklist then give me a pm.

This is what we are doing at the weekend.

From speaking with my dad (who has bought property recently) a builder I know and other people as well as on here I won’t be getting a home buyers survey and will request a copy of the valuation survey I am paying via my mortgage provider.

Really appreciate all the responses. Thank you everyone.

[Robsmck]

As a previous poster has said, just have a good look round yourself. Take stepladders and a good torch, check every light and socket work, check all taps, that all doors actually latch shut etc, inspect the roofspace, lift the carpets. It really is common sense.
Most surveys are full of disclaimers, e.g. "the purchaser should have an electrician/plumber/ structural engineer or such check x y and z". Waste of money.
The last 3 houses I bought I checked myself, no survey at all, it isn't rocket science.

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[Grandiloquence]

Just been through this, got a homebuyer's survey. As soon as I saw "rising damp" mentioned in the report I figured I had pretty much wasted my money.

[MarkJS]

Don't commision a survey thinking the surveyor is liable for any omissions - there will be an enormous number of caveats in the report (couldn't lift the carpets, couldn't access the loft etc etc). By all means get a Homebuyers but if you can go round with a builder then you've got much more chance of him picking up on any issues. Take a pair of binoculars (to inspect the roof) & some steps so you can inspect the loft. Test every tap & toilet & check the heating works, especially if it's the original boiler.

This. Every surveyor I've ever come into contact with is pretty satisfied if there is a roof, 4 walls & a door and they are liable for pretty much nothing.

[Yeti]

Every property I’ve bought over the last five years I have had a structural survey carried out as I generally buy run down places to add value. Surprise surprise they all say the same. Some evidence of wood boring insects, some damp etc etc. Seems to me they say this to cover there backs. A good builder may be all you need who can give you an informal but educated opinion.

[KavKav]

The whole valuation business is a bit of a scam in 'value for money' terms. As noted by others, you pay a wad and then receive a report so caveated as to be of limited value.

The joke used to be that the basic survey was one where they changed down to second as they drove past the house.

I instructed a (highly qualified) structural surveyor to look at something for me recently and he was absolutely c**p. Refused to give an opinion, as you would expect a professional to do. Just described the issue (which you could see) but declined to say anything vaguely useful.

Absolutely crack on summary here, when I bought our current house about 5 years ago, I got my trusted builder(who has previously done me a brilliant job on a large extension on a previous house) to run his eye over the prospective purchase and say yea or nay, It took him a few hours and he just nodded his head and that was good enough for me and shovelling a couple of hundred in his direction was a good deal for both of us imo!

[Ironmonk3y]

I have used a homebuyers report to do post offer negotiations. So it may be worth it if you're a first time buyer and don't know what to look for.

[Robsmck]

I have used a homebuyers report to do post offer negotiations. So it may be worth it if you're a first time buyer and don't know what to look for.

Despite my previous post I agree with you in that if you don't know what to look for get advice, but better from an experienced and trustworthy builder.
You have pretty much no comeback with a survey anyway.

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[Mr Pointy]

I have used a homebuyers report to do post offer negotiations. So it may be worth it if you're a first time buyer and don't know what to look for.

This is trus, & one thing a survey may be useful for. In any negotiations a seller is more likley to be persuaded by a report saying work needs to be done than you just claiming 'my builder says it needs a new roof so I want £20k off the price'.