What does a house surveyer do and is it worth having a detailed one done?
Question:Not sure what a surveyer checks and what different types of surveys are done. DO they check roofs, guttering, drains, electrics etc. What about plumbing, windows, flooring, boilers, etc.
Answers:
in my experirence no
the additional survey doesn't give you that much more qualitative and quantitiative information than a standard survey
no surveyor is going to pull back the carpets or make a real effort to investigate any faults or possible faults. they care going to covert he backside by saying things like "believed to be working", or "beleived to be in good order".
A basic mortgage survey should identify any significant or worrying faults (eg structural problems, cracking, etc..) but aside from that they are nothing more than a bit of face saving and job employment for surveyors.
if you have any doubts see if you know a mate who has been /is invovled in building, or someone who you trust who has bought a huse (or 2..3), it may be you need to bung him a few quid, but get them to looks around the property with you.
most stuff like blocked or poor drains are easily diagnosed, as is overflowing gutters, (look for damp on the bricks, signes of moss or other plant growth on walls in gutters).
if you want a report on the boiler then you probably have to get a plumber to do that. you shoudl eb able to get the equivalent of a landlord certificate inspection which should check the gas safety, they may be able to do some other checks. but if you have doubts go do it yourself.. get the vendor to turn on the boiler, check the rads are working. ask when the boiler was last services and ask to see th bill.. so you have proof.
windows.. again check'em yourself.. have a good look at both tht inside & outsise.. look for blemishes int he wooden fram (if if the wood isnt smooth & flat then there is an indication there's a problem, if it looks iffy press it gently with your fingers or thumb, or better yet say a key and see if the wood gives.. a sure sign of a problem.
flooring
does it creak or give when you move.. some flooring is supposed to move., check for discontinuities (changes in levels or angles.. a floor should be flat and horizontal.. older properties may not be but again it doesn't mater that much if it isn't too significant, or has happened a while ago
one thing to be wary of is if there a re a lot of minor problems (eg some cracking in the plasterwork, creaking floors, doors interior doors that don't fit properly (either too easy/to hard to close).. those can be signs that the house has been on the move.. and still may be.
Surveyor checks at various levels. Basic survey doesnt go into structure much, just satisfies the lender about security of mortgage against property. Full structural survey is wortyh getting done unless the property is new or still under a builders warranty (usually max 10 yrs). On top of standard "full" survey a good surveyor will check out anything you specifically ask about. Definitely a good investment.
no, they havea quick look round then produce an expensive report saying what looks a bit dodgy then suggest you get a professional in to have a proper look at it!
either go for the full one or the basic, waste of money going for hte middle option.
They don't check electrics.
Usually they look at the fuseboard/Consumer unit take a guess at how old it is and suggest an electrician comes around.
A surveyer establishes the border of your property for deeds (buying/selling), land disputes, or to verify where you can build- fences, addition, garage, etc. (property lines, right of ways, set back codes).
A home inspection would check the structure and mechanics of the home. I only know of this being done by a potential buyer, actually the lender to protect their investment for the buyer.
I suppose you could have this done if you just want to make sure your home is in good working order, but its not cheap.
If you have specific concerns, call several contractors to get opinions on the situation and estimates on the repairs for free.
They check very little but if you are having a mortgage then you will need a survey. Remember the customer is the bank. All they care about is "if we re-posess, will we get our money back"..what use is that to you ? None.
Personally you would be better paying for a builder to walk around with you.
i haven't bothered with a survey for years, not worth the paper they are written on, i 'd rather just move in and get on with it. If there is a problem they say " we recommend you have a thorough electrical study" or "the roof has a limited lifespan" or something equally non-commital.
Some of it is down to your type of attitude. I just get stuck in and fix/rebuild and beleive what i buy is my problem and don't rely on someone else.
The last house i sold ended up with the lady having 7 specialist surveys. There was nothing wrong with the house, i met her 2 weeks ago, she is really happy with it and needed nothing doing since the 3 years she bought it from us. She spend about £2.5K on surveyors based on thier wonderful recommendations, none of which were needed.
You need to think of human nature, some are lazy, some are negligent, somewhere there is one who believes in value for money.
Most do a very superficial inspection followed by a report that says, the electrics, plumbing, roof, floor and walls etc; may have problems and they advise employing a specialist in each field to check things.
They will not commit themselves on anything that will later lay them open to a claim of negligence - they protect their insurance liability/cost first and foremost.
As others have already said, they do not lift carpets or floorboards, they do not climb on roofs and inspect tiles or flashing, or dig up sewage pipes - they walk about spotting the obvious and then write in the most ambiguous terms.
Do it yourself!
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