Buying a house - First time buyer

I'd copy that to your surveyor and ask him if he has any idea what he's talking about?

I dealt with a "Surveyor" on a Cob house in Wiltshire, he had no idea about cob buildings at all. Had told the couple that it was a dream cottage and all they needed to do was get the chimney re pointed, when in fact it was on the verge of total collapse.

Forgive me if I don't trust "surveyors"

 

We're getting closer now I guess. Once we have the electrical certificates that will be good, my mother who works at an Estate Agents is also getting her boss who is a chartered surveyor to check over the valuation. My old man is going to ring the surveyor and get some more information as he knows a lot more than I do. My mother also may be able to get a damp check through her work done for free, sound guy apparantly.

Just need to know we can get a mortgage now...forgot that bit.

Zigs, I know. Doesn't quite add up?

 

Surveyors !
Selling MIL house, surveyor stated Rhones (gutters) needed replaced as they were old cast iron
These were fitted eight months previous to the surveyor visit, and had to be specially ordered to comply with listed buildings (no plastic allowed)
Several other huge things like windows and door, (all brand new) but special order as listed building
They just posted out a new survey with all the defects removed :-)

Also the log burner, fixtures and fittings have to be left as is

Watch the electrical certificate, as the way their letter reads, is this is just for the bathroom Not the house
Why did they fit an additional air brick under the porch ? if there was nothing wrong in the first place ?

Take care, and good luck, hope you get the results you wish

Jack McH

 

That reminds me - keep the log burner. Replace it if it goes as part of the deal. My siblings and I were bought up with open fires, one of those back boiler type burners and a kitchen range and none of us were hurt by them. Kids soon appreciate the risks. More to the point, you'll appreciate the heat and once you've cooked a leg of pork or a casserole on the top of it you'll be converted.

 

They don't seem to have much in common with bread, kisses or knickers, do they?

 

You've got to keep the log burner @nFrost ....i can get plenty of wood for you...you just need a fire guard untill little Frost is of an age...would you like a picture of me to shuv on your mantle piece to be on the safe side

 

Agree with this. Particularly if you are going to be in the property for "a while". The cost of an unexpected renovation is painful, for sure, but over the course of 10 years, with increase in property prices during that time, it is negligible at the end.

Every property survey I have ever had has been written by someone with one eye on any claims against their insurance so covering their front, back AND both sides!

We have damp here, it was not a problem when we moved in, but has become a problem because we have increased the insulation. Checking with a damp meter we have damp everywhere below windowsills, but it is only "visible" in rooms unused during winter. Turning the heating up would probably fix it ...

We are putting a French drain around the outside of the house (patio paving probably fitted too high, and right against the walls, may be causing the problem, so creating a break between paving and house walls with the new drain).

So the damp on Surveyor's meter may just be that - recently fitted insulation / double glazing/whatever has changed the way the building behaves. Perhaps no signs of mould / rot etc. (assuming the Vendor didn't clean it off the day before you viewed it!!!) means that it is only detectably by a meter, and thus its probably not something to worry about, but worth mitigating when you have the chance - when you are decorating a room, or redoing the terrace paving / etc. build in whatever is necessary to prevent / mitigate it.

If you are worried about the electric get an electrical survey. The building surveyor won't know squat about electrics in my experience. Several people (including electrical contractors) told us we needed to rewire the house .... actually it turns out that it is wired using industrial "Mineral" wiring, and if the place burnt to the ground the wiring would still be there - the domestic fitters had probably never come across it and just choose to believe the meter they plugged in

You need to get your skates on on that one. It can take quite a long time for a mortgage company to get from the point of you saying you want one, to being in a position to lend you the money. Once they have decided that then deciding to lend for a specific property is a different issue, and usually solved quite quickly (they instruct a surveyor on their list [it will be a miracle if that is compatible with the one who did your structural survey - so you will incur the price twice :(] to provide a valuation. Often they will just drive by, or guess based on the postcode or somesuch ... and then, having previously done all their machinations as to your suitability as a borrower, will then agree the mortgage.

Seller will be asked to fill in a form (they may already have done so) or what things they are removing / leaving. If there is anything you want (like the log burner, or a particular light fitting) make sure it is itemised as being left.

Last property I sold the buyer insisted on a [considerable!] sum of £X being for fixtures and fittings. There weren't any ... but he obviously thought he could get away with "reducing" the price by that amount, to thereby reduce the stamp duty etc. You might do the same?? (I have no idea at what price stamp duty starts to be payable though ...)

We had one like this:

it actually attaches to the wall (with clips) so that it cannot be dislodged. Its to stop a person getting to the fire, rather than a spark coming out of the fire igniting something (too wide a mesh for that)

 

P.S. Argos link for the fireguard
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3769960.htm

 

Well we've given the bank the last bit of information they asked for, hopefully they will let us know before the 12th as that's when the rules change - they start getting a lot more nosey.

Unfortunately we don't get to keep the log burner as they are taking it with them :( Need something to put in it's place...

Could I say we'll give £200 to leave the log burner or something? How does it work?

@Lolimac , now that's a plan!

 

You could ask, but there's usually a box on the form where they'd put a price in for something thats not included with the property, like fuel and so on.

 

Sure, make them an offer. If your offer is generous enough it will be easier for them to buy a new one in their new property. Lots of hassle involved in removing and re-installing a log burner ... and they weight a TON!

If you say £200 and they, for example, so "No, but we'd take £300" then you can think about it, eh?

 

Well we've got a mortgage now, now on to buying the house. Solicitors first!