How much did the survey cost you?
The nervous wait to exchange....
- Thread starter noj
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How much did the survey cost you?
Associate
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- 30 Nov 2024
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- Kettering
£550 for level 3
I've asked the guy if we get a discount as next one will be 3rd survey using him
I've asked the guy if we get a discount as next one will be 3rd survey using him
Don't listen to surveyors, they will spell out every single worst case scenario to cover their backsides.
Sure, a lot of them are silly, like “interior door has none safety glass panels top to bottom, danger to children”, half the house “could be” asbestos, roof beans cracked, new roof suggested etc etc. second opinion from a builder helps a lot if you’re really set on a place. Almost always fine and if it’s a repair it’s not even close to what the surveyor qu
Mine literally marked as a red alert the electricity for the house i'm buying because "the electric box was behind a large cat tower" fortunately I had checked when I viewed.
£550 for level 3
I've asked the guy if we get a discount as next one will be 3rd survey using him
So not mates rates then. Are they small properties or is it perhaps a location factor? Seems to be hundreds less than I am getting quoted for a level 3 by looking online.
I'm just stabbing in the dark but it most likely depends on the area, and the size/complexity of the house.
My L3 cost £399 on a very standard early 1900's 2 bed.
I found my surveyor here: https://www.reallymoving.com/quote-forms/surveyors
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That is madness, our system in Scotland is so much better, the seller does a home report that lasts for 6 months and has to be made available for anyone interested..£550 for level 3
I've asked the guy if we get a discount as next one will be 3rd survey using him
Kind of.
It's not in the interest of the house seller to commission a report that highlights problems with the very thing they are trying to sell. The surveyors know this. Even with the process in Scotland being better I still wouldn't trust a seller supplied survey and would commission my own deeper survey. Many don't due to the cost and other reasons, including myself.
The most recent house that I bought (that I'm currently in) had so many issues that weren't picked up by the seller's cursory surveyors. There were attempts at covering up some of the problems that would have been a beacon to a higher qualified, more thorough surveyor that's not in the pocket of the seller. I could see some of them myself but I was so desperate at the time to buy a house (and it was great house all things considered) that I didn't get a deeper survey performed. I'm still paying for that mistake a few years on.
well, the gift that keeps giving continues.
Recap:
- Initially went on the market in June 2023. Loads of interest. Several offers within the first 3 weeks, only for my mortgage advisor (first one...) to then say 'oh actually you can't get a mortgage.
- We come off the market.
- After clarifying the situation with first mortgage advisor, back on the market in June 2024. Loads of interest, several offers, sold to a cash buyer with no chain in just over 1 month.
- Offered on a house. Had a survey, told 'I can not recommend you buy this property.' It was a grade 2 listed barn conversion and had not been converted in line with planning. Estimate of over £100k if the conservation officer decided to enforce all the issues being rectified.
- Offered on another house. All great.
- Mortgage offer was taking ages. Spoke to a friends advisor who was totally confused at what the issue was. He took one look, sighed, we instructed him, and he sorted it all within a week.
- On exchange day our buyer pulled out, citing a TPO on a tree not on our property as the reason. Wild.
- We go back on the market, expecting a fast sale (Nov 2024). Our onward purchase was panicking and also went back on the market.
- She had been on the market for 4 months with no offers when we had agreed to buy it in July 2024....
- She sold in under a week of going back on the market to the first viewer (facepalm).
- It then took us over 40 viewings and over 10 offers to get sold again (May 2025).
- We offered on another property in May 2025... some complexities but nothing major...
- All progressing well... exchange was expected on Friday last week.
- Until... Tuesday came, and our buyers solicitor got closed down with immediate effect by the Solictiors Regulation Authority.
- They now have a new solicitor who has accepted the report the previous solicitors did (thank god) and we are hopefully going to now exchange on Tuesday.
I think we've seen everything that this market can offer now. We've spent a small fortune to get this far.
Recap:
- Initially went on the market in June 2023. Loads of interest. Several offers within the first 3 weeks, only for my mortgage advisor (first one...) to then say 'oh actually you can't get a mortgage.
- We come off the market.
- After clarifying the situation with first mortgage advisor, back on the market in June 2024. Loads of interest, several offers, sold to a cash buyer with no chain in just over 1 month.
- Offered on a house. Had a survey, told 'I can not recommend you buy this property.' It was a grade 2 listed barn conversion and had not been converted in line with planning. Estimate of over £100k if the conservation officer decided to enforce all the issues being rectified.
- Offered on another house. All great.
- Mortgage offer was taking ages. Spoke to a friends advisor who was totally confused at what the issue was. He took one look, sighed, we instructed him, and he sorted it all within a week.
- On exchange day our buyer pulled out, citing a TPO on a tree not on our property as the reason. Wild.
- We go back on the market, expecting a fast sale (Nov 2024). Our onward purchase was panicking and also went back on the market.
- She had been on the market for 4 months with no offers when we had agreed to buy it in July 2024....
- She sold in under a week of going back on the market to the first viewer (facepalm).
- It then took us over 40 viewings and over 10 offers to get sold again (May 2025).
- We offered on another property in May 2025... some complexities but nothing major...
- All progressing well... exchange was expected on Friday last week.
- Until... Tuesday came, and our buyers solicitor got closed down with immediate effect by the Solictiors Regulation Authority.
- They now have a new solicitor who has accepted the report the previous solicitors did (thank god) and we are hopefully going to now exchange on Tuesday.
I think we've seen everything that this market can offer now. We've spent a small fortune to get this far.
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Blimey.
ChrisD. said:
Don't listen to surveyors, they will spell out every single worst case scenario to cover their backsides.
If you think that why bother having a survey.
Don't listen to surveyors, they will spell out every single worst case scenario to cover their backsides.
If you think that why bother having a survey.
A survey gives you pointers to further investigate. Our survey which we deemed to be good and gave good value did include some errors which we are able to bottom out to our satisfaction. Only employ good surveyors is my solution.
Associate
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- Kettering
Well me and the Mrs looked at a lovely thatched cottage overlooking a church at the weekend. Put in an offer only to be told there was another bidder. Turns out the other people bid more than us so we lost out but we'd set out limit and stuck to it.
Looked at another house, needs £20k of work we think, put in an offer and accepted. The surveyor (we're now on 1st name terms!) is looking at it Friday.
Looked at another house, needs £20k of work we think, put in an offer and accepted. The surveyor (we're now on 1st name terms!) is looking at it Friday.