How much did the survey cost you?
The nervous wait to exchange....
- Thread starter noj
- Start date
How much did the survey cost you?
Associate
- Joined
- 30 Nov 2024
- Posts
- 60
- Location
- 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
Last edited:
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.
Last edited:
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
- Joined
- 30 Nov 2024
- Posts
- 60
- Location
- 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.
As insurance in case there is something disastrously wrong that could make the property worthless, basically.
There was loads of stuff that came up in the survey on this house (1900-ish red brick terrace). Nearly six years later, yes the chimney needs doing at some point but it's not falling down. The windows are old but still keep rain out and let light in. The extension roof will probably need doing at some point but is still 100% watertight.
We have been looking at moving, not too far, just upgrading a bit as we have a fair bit of cash....but checking this thread has reminded me that I would rather stick needles in my eyes than go through the buying process in England again. Maybe we will get that extension instead
Solicitor tried to exchange Friday, vendors solicitor had left.
Tried again yesterday, vendors solicitor said they were waiting for confirmation of release of funds for their clients related purchase.
Tried again today, said they spoke to the vendors solicitor and they were waiting for the seller to provide their deposit on their related purchase.
Completion date is supposed to be Friday!
Tried again yesterday, vendors solicitor said they were waiting for confirmation of release of funds for their clients related purchase.
Tried again today, said they spoke to the vendors solicitor and they were waiting for the seller to provide their deposit on their related purchase.
Completion date is supposed to be Friday!
Not sure if a better thread for this... saw a house for sale near where I used to live years ago and wondered why it was so cheap...
www.rightmove.co.uk
Oh... that is grim.
Check out this 2 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom terraced house for sale in Camborne Grove, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 for £120,000. Marketed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Yeovil
www.rightmove.co.uk
Oh... that is grim.
Last edited:
You say that but from the puctures, the fundamentals look solid. No obvious cracks etc.
Spend 6-7k on some new UPVC double glazing, £5k on a kitchen, £2k on appliances, £5k on a bathroom, £2-3k on carpets and a full paint job and you'd have that place looking reasonsble in no time.
I'd budget £3-5k for an electrician depending on the condition.
The garden is nothing a brush cutter and 10L of week killer wouldnt sort out over a weekend.
I can't see any central heating so that may be another £10k to install (air to air hemp pump would be ideal retrofit, get the gas disconnected).
The insulation may need some work, you can sort the loft out for <£300, Assumign the floors are suspended, it should be fair simple to lift, insert PIR, tape and replace <£1k to DIY, its not a big house. If they are solid, I wouldnt bother.
Wall insulation will be more tricky and depends on how far you want to go with it and how much room space you are prepared to lose. You could knock all the plaster off and use insulated plasterboard, adding 10mm, 25mm, or 50mm of PIR. Definetly optional, thats a bigger job.
The garage wouldnt be a priority but you could easily tart it up with some cladding if the findamentals were fine.
I dont think I'd blink twice taking that on, doing it yourself, you could be all in for under £160-£165k I reckon and to a decent specification.
How much does a nice one cost, I am guessing more than that?
Spend 6-7k on some new UPVC double glazing, £5k on a kitchen, £2k on appliances, £5k on a bathroom, £2-3k on carpets and a full paint job and you'd have that place looking reasonsble in no time.
I'd budget £3-5k for an electrician depending on the condition.
The garden is nothing a brush cutter and 10L of week killer wouldnt sort out over a weekend.
I can't see any central heating so that may be another £10k to install (air to air hemp pump would be ideal retrofit, get the gas disconnected).
The insulation may need some work, you can sort the loft out for <£300, Assumign the floors are suspended, it should be fair simple to lift, insert PIR, tape and replace <£1k to DIY, its not a big house. If they are solid, I wouldnt bother.
Wall insulation will be more tricky and depends on how far you want to go with it and how much room space you are prepared to lose. You could knock all the plaster off and use insulated plasterboard, adding 10mm, 25mm, or 50mm of PIR. Definetly optional, thats a bigger job.
The garage wouldnt be a priority but you could easily tart it up with some cladding if the findamentals were fine.
I dont think I'd blink twice taking that on, doing it yourself, you could be all in for under £160-£165k I reckon and to a decent specification.
How much does a nice one cost, I am guessing more than that?
Soldato
- Joined
- 28 Dec 2017
- Posts
- 9,799
- Location
- Beds
TBH it just looks dirty and needing a redecorate throughout?Not sure if a better thread for this... saw a house for sale near where I used to live years ago and wondered why it was so cheap...
Check out this 2 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom terraced house for sale in Camborne Grove, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 for £120,000. Marketed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Yeovil
Oh... that is grim.