Houses should have MOT type certificates to sell

[SnackAckerTack]

Wouldn't it make it much simpler if a house was being put on the market if the seller did the survey and not the buyer. I know people have mentioned it before.

House could have a mid level survey, and maybe if (like cars) they have x months to fix and follow up survey should they want it.

A home report? This is standard in Scotland - paid for by seller

it lists all the structural / interior and exterior damage etc

I was going to say the home report as well. Is that just a Scottish thing?

If you want more detail you get a full survey at your own expense. Or you can buy it from a surveyor if another client has had it done (not sure how mainstream that is actually, it's been a long time since I bought a house).

I misread your title and thought it said horses! 😂

I am also in Scotland and this is standard here.

It was tried in England and the pilot was a huge failure because - surprise, surprise - buyers didn’t trust sellers’ surveys.

I seem to remember some sort of English Home Report during the Cameron years, don't know what became of that?

Or you just get a survey and choose whether you’d like to buy the house or not.

Not everyone wants a survey.

Some people want a more complex survey than others.

Surveys are currently done by buyers in the interest of the buyer.

Surveys done by sellers in the interest of the buyer don't make much sense, as the buyers and sellers interests are not aligned. In fact this was cited as a reason why HIPs was withdrawn, because buyers did not trust information provided by sellers.

Currently there is nothing to stop a seller getting a survey and issuing it to the market in order to help sell the house (you would probably have to stipulate that purpose to the surveyor though as for buyers reports are often compiled for one party only), but it is not mandatory.

Everything that is imposed on the process of selling houses (there is little to no imposition at the moment) constitutes a cost, either to the buyer or the seller. So in imposing this it will be to the benefit of one party and the detriment of the other.

Well buyers in Scotland are always advised to carry out their own survey as well because the home report isn't all that detailed. But it is good to have major issues flagged before you decide to pay for a more in depth survey.

I remember this. Crazy isn’t it. I think they should have pushed on with it really. It’s up to buyers if they want to spend extra.

Couldn’t be impossible to have some sign of impartial report.

Can buyers sue surveyors for blatant untruths?

yes, if it’s their own survey.

I totally agree! A friend recently paid hundreds on a survey for a house she wanted to buy, only to discover it had serious issues. She had to pull out and therefore was left out of pocket with nothing to show for it. She said she would have felt a bit better if the survey could have then been used by someone else, but each prospective buyer has to get their own.

I think it's wrong - like you I think the basic survey should be part of the seller's package, and if a buyer wants something more comprehensive they can pay the extra for it if they choose.

Yes, I've always thought the whole scottish system with home reports and much faster transactions is far superior, we need the same in England.

The buyers don’t HAVE to get one. It’s optional. At the end of the day, it’s about protecting the buyer. Why should the seller pay for that?

I can write you the cheap survey results

Get an expert in (gas/water/electric/structure/drainage/asbestos/etc) to look at things.

I think a seller's report is a bad idea for two reasons:
a) if I am buying I want to appoint my own surveyor who is acting on my instruction, not the seller's. I want the survey biased in my favour, not the seller's.
b) it is not unknown for houses to take a while to sell. What use is a survey issued a year ago?

If it is signed off by an independent a trusted third party, then yes absolutely. I'd be happy to pay for my house to have that certificate if it meant I'd have less trouble selling it for instance, because it was acknowledged that it was in good nick. Same way I'm happy to show a car's full service history when I'm selling it. Nothing to hide.

This is a good point.

Unscrupulous sellers often drag out the sales process if they know that there is something wrong with the house to try to trap buyers into accepting the problem, because the buyer is so far along the process of selling their own house it is logistically very difficult for them to back out.

If you have a report in advance at least it gives you an idea that the place is in a relatively decent state rather than having to wait many weeks before getting that knowledge.

As far as I can remember the trial of the seller having a prepared report was that mortgage lenders would not rely on them so buyers ended up getting a survey done anyway, and also it was so basic that if you were buying an older house or had concerns about any work done over the years then you had to get your own survey done, so it was pointless. We have the energy efficiency certificate and that’s what we were left with after the trial. It’s not a “consumer transaction” like buying something from a retailer, the principle of buyer beware (caveat emptor) applies which is why the purchaser has to satisfy themselves that they are content with the property and the state it’s in, not the vendor verifying that it’s up to scratch.

Where does it end though? If the seller gets a survey, do they also need a drain survey, EICR, gas safety certificate?

Don't you need those things to sell anyway? Perhaps not the drain survey; but we definitely had to have an EICR and gas safety certificate to sell our flat in '21.

I did too, and thought it was quite a niche thread 🤣

The problem is that old cars which can't pass their mot tend to get scrapped. We don't do that with houses and for some of our older housing stock getting it to minimum standards might not be attainable....am thinking old cob cottages, thatched roofs, victorian terraces etc. Its not a one size fits all.

The Scottish Home Report includes a question about when a last gas safety check was done.

They are done by an accredited surveyor. They're a bit superficial but the valuation is accepted by mortgage providers. The Home Report is made available to all prospective buyers, a more detailed survey can be paid for by buyer if they want. They are valid for 6 months.

Surely, sellers could fudge the MOT.
I know quite a few mechanics used to pass an MOT for a few extra quid.
I would rather choose my own surveyer and a good lawyer than rely on a survey done by someone I have no idea who they are.

In Scotland the home report is not written by the seller themselves, it's done by a chartered surveyor! You then request it from the seller's solicitor, they send it over, and you decide whether or not you want a more in-depth survey done.