To survey... or not?

[Rollmops]

In the process of buying a listed building, 600 years old, rectory in more recent times.
In seemingly good condition, however, how does one know what horrors might lurk underneath.
Have had chats with a few Chartered Surveyors, specialising in listed buildings, but been left feeling decidedly unimpressed.
Have the 'scope of work' if you will, proposed by a well known Chartered Surveyor, in front of me and all I see is - visual inspection of walls, ceilings etc; asking the owners, if present (whatever they want to ask them?) yet can't guarantee their answers; visual inspection of roofs, chimneys, etc - from the ground etc. etc, ad nauseam.
Will the survey be worth the paper it's written on?

Thank you in advance

Grumpy In SE

That sounds like the basic survey to me.
I didn't get any survey done on my house and I've paid/am paying for it. If you can afford to (and you really can't afford not to afford to) then get a full structural survey done. I'd never not get one again.

Thank you Solo. What would full structural survey involve (daft question, given) if the building in question is Grade2 listed. Not sure one could go poking around too deeply as that might 'destroy the fabric of the very building, which would land one in great amount of unpleasantness.[grumpy]

It sounds like you have just had a valuation survey. Soslo is right, do get a full structural survey. You can't afford not to.

I don't remember what they actually do as it's almost 3 decades since I did have one done. I don't think you need to worry about what they will poke around at, but you will certainly know if there is a likelyhood of your potential property falling down, damp, rising damp, rot, woodworm, whether they are going to build a motorway outside your gate etc...but please don't quote me on that lot!

For a 600 year old listed building you simply must get a full building survey preferably by a historic buildings specialist. And do make sure they are a true historic buildings specialist. Otherwise you will end up with a survey that tells you there's damp and evidence of woodworm - no sh*t sherlock!

I swear that the surveyors we've used have written their report before visiting the property on the basis that it's "old".

Rollmops - I would actually suggest you speak to your local council's conservation officer about this. They won't be able to recommend anyone as such but they may be able to point you to some surveyors. They can also advise on what can and cannot be done without needing listed building consent.

Ooh, definitely get a full structural survey (now called a 'building survey', it's more detailed than a 'homebuyers' which is more detailed than a mortgage valuation survey).

You can't afford not to with a house that age and, it is worth the surveyor's reputation and insurance, so potentially a lot, if something that turns out to be costly and should reasonably have been seen is missed.

We had two done last year, one showed up lots of problems with a house we then didn't buy, the second failed to spot some important things about the one we did - with resultant urgent work costing some thousands - and we're currently taking legal action against that surveyor to recover those costs.

In the process of dealing with this I've spoken to a lot of surveyors and we were unlucky with ours, most are very good, look at buildings in a different way from us, so spot oddities and potential problems and work to common standards set out by RICS and all are insured, so there is direct accountability with the means to pay for mistakes.

You need specialist survey for a building like that. Anything by the bog standard surveyor will be deliberately vague and arse covering ESP if they are out of their depth which they could be with such a structure.

Thank you, all!

The surveyors I'm talking to are specialist historic listed buildings chartered surveyors! Yet the scope of work they propose seems so superficial, IYKWIM.
Will speak to conservation officer tomorrow, she seems like a good egg from previous conversations.
I suppose I expected more from specialist surveyors as in the depth of the survey.

Yep, there are standard chartered surveyors, then 'building surveyors' (additional qualification, more interested in how structures are put together) though a CS can do a 'building survey'. I don't know about the historic aspect, as we were only looking at Victorian houses but agree it will be specialist and worthwhile getting right.