Home Buyers Survey or Full Structural

[nordberg73]

COPIED FROM PROJECTS FORUM

Hello,

We've had an offer accepted on a house that needs complete modernisation. We are cash buyers so we're organizing our own survey. Ordinarily, I'd go for the standard homebuyers survey but there's a couple of things that worry me about the property and I'm unsure how to proceed.

On the upstairs landing, there's a crack that starts half way of the wall and goes across the ceiling to the other wall. Also, there appears to be a damp problem in the corner of the living room. My question is, is it wise to pay approx twice as much for a full structural survey or will a homebuyers survey flag up and give me more details on these issues? I've made contact with a couple of local surveyors and conveyed my concerns, one of them says a homebuyers is ample whereas the other advises me to get the full structural.... Any advice?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Does the crack appear on the external walls outside, any photos you can post?

 

[nordberg73]

Does the crack appear on the external walls outside, any photos you can post?

Hi,

No photos just yet as I haven't got the keys.... There's no sign of it on the outside and it doesn't look particularly deep. Just worrying as it spans 3 surfaces....

 

[Static]

How wide is the crack?

Sounds like quite a serious one.. so go structural survey

 

[nordberg73]

How wide is the crack?

Sounds like quite a serious one.. so go structural survey

Probably 2-3mm at its widest....

 

[Static]

Well not that bad.. still for piece of mind get a structural survey

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I must agree, if it's worrying you, I would to go with a structural survey.
A little more money but peace of mind.

 

[mnb]

if you are a cash buyer then don't go throwing money away on Surveyors reports - for all the utilities eg. gas, water, elec, drains, heating, plumbing and roofing, damp & timber, they will call for further specialist reports if they have any doubts. Any structural defects such as your ceiling crack, they will call for a structural engineer's report.

Knock down the asking price ref. the obvious defects, and go ahead and purchase the house. You seem to have some knowledge of what's what, and when the plaster is stripped away all will be revealed. Typically, it's a matter for a brickie to rebuild a panel of brickwork and insert some steel, perhaps lintels or reinforcement.

With respect to other posters, Surveyors reports do not give peace of mind; they, along with all the other rip-off artists who hover around house sales will only relieve your wallet. Trust tradespeople who make good everyday - pay for work not reports.

 

[Ossy]

So mnb, how much should they knock down the asking price by? What happens when they knock £5000 off and then get a tradesperson in who says they think an SE should look at it which leads to a recommendation to underpin the whole house? Chalk it down to experience?

I've seen far too many occurrences where people call in an engineer so late in the game that it leads to un-necessary expense and stress. Is £500 spent on a structural inspection such a big deal when you're spending £150k + of your hard earned cash? Of course, you could just ask your builder/brickie/plumber to sort it out, and he'll quite happily take your cash, but what happens 2 years down the line when the crack comes back and your buyer needs a mortgage followed by a surveyor's report followed by a structural engineer's inspection? Let's take it further - why bother with a brickie, anyone can build a wall - why go to the expense of finding someone who knows what they're talking about/doing when Bob next door can rebuild the wall for you in return for a few beers?

 

[jono_h]

A structural survey would be great, as long as they are going to inspect the underlying structure to assess the issues, and give committed opinions.

All to often you get "there is evidence of movement and it is recommended that further investigations are made, as the terms of this survey didn't include lifting floorboards or inspecting the loft" and that's pointless and a waste of money.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

To the OP, in an attempt to avoid unnecessary confusion please ignore the last three posts.