It turns out the extension on the house we are buying was built without planning permission, it was approved 1989 but then terminated by the building control office in 1992 as it hadn't started. There is also no evidence of building control.
We hadn't had a survey as yet as it does need a lot of work doing so didn't see the point, we were going to rewire and change the kitchens/bathrooms, boiler etc. And the last survey I had done didn't tell me anything structural, and missed a number of issues anyway.
The solicitor has advised a survey now to check the quality and structural integrity of the extension. I'm considering just going direct to a general structure inspection and report by a structural engineer rather than a building survey by a surveyor, I know there are Chartered Building Surveyors but you can't search for that speciality on the RICS site. I'm not sure how much they can actually check without intrusive checks.
What are people's thoughts?