Buyers asking to see previous survey? Anyone done this?

[JackieBrambles]

Hi everyone

We are selling our flat (in London, its a victorian conversion) and our buyers have asked, and are adamant, that they want to see a copy of the full structural/building survey that we got done before we bought it.

We have told them no but they are still adamant! The EA has told them to go through their solicitors.

Has anyone else had this experience? They claim when they previously bought a place they were provided with the previous survey but I've never heard of such a thing!

Especially since its 8 years old.....

[JackieBrambles]

That's a pretty good theory actually dromedary! Didn't think of that.

That would explain their delay.

They are paying over 400k for this property, so I wouldn't have thought they were skint!

[Dromedary]

Surveys are expensive. I'd think that they just want to check from your survey that the property is viable, before paying out to have their own done.

[glammanana]

I was under the impression that surveys where only valid for the eyes of the person who commissioned it and no one else other than Building Society & Solicitor concerned, also are surveys not valid for a certain time as well as ? 8 yrs down the line & you could have plans for a motorway down the bottom of your garden or a new rail track ? Are you sure they are not playing you and coping the survey for their own needs somehow sounds very fishy to me.

[specialsubject]

get on to your agent on Monday - or tomorrow if they are open. They have a healthy financial interest in making the sale happen so issue your ultimatum to them.

worked for me - good luck!

[JackieBrambles]

They have booked the survey though, albeit ridiculously late in the process. Surveyor is coming Monday am so they will have paid for it.

Hmmm!

[RandomMess]

Yep I'd tell them to shove it and put it back on the market now!!!

[BabyMummy29]

I'd tell them that I no longer have it. I haven't kept a copy of the survey done on my house when I bought it.

[JackieBrambles]

I know Special, me too.

I was saying to DH this morning that we should give an ultimatum on Monday that we still want to exchange next week or it's going back on the market.

But that will break the chain. Although it's likely we'd get another buyer quickly due to the area. I have the fear of losing the house we want :(

The bastards, right at the start of this process I wasn't too in love with the house but months down the line I'm so much more invested in it.

[specialsubject]

the 'you are being pissed about' alarm is going off in my head.

issue an ultimatum saying what you want to happen when.

[JackieBrambles]

God, I really need to rant!

After our solicitors were worst than useless about this issue we decided to give our buyers a copy of our survey, noting the clause that says they can't rely on it etc. I even gave them an accompanying document detailIng all the work that has been done since the survey (as of course it picked up a number of things).

They've had it over a week and I found out this morning that they want a structural survey, a week before we are due to exchange!!

Wtaf is wrong with these people?? Why didn't they do this back in November??

:-(

[TSSDNCOP]

If they want a survey they should pay for their own. Who in the right minds relies on a survey undertaken 8 years ago by persons on whom they'd have no recourse if anything happened.

If they genuinely want accuracy they'll commission their own survey.

They're trying to scam you and they're beng cheap about it.

IME these are also people that will wait untl the last nano-second and try to negotiate again on price based on some spurious up there with unicorns in terms of credibility notion.

Remember your EA is earning a fat fee fr your sale. Time for them to remember that.

[JackieBrambles]

Breathes that is a worry.

But I think they do want the flat (gut feeling!), and it's in a very desirable area and prices are just rising and rising....

[JackieBrambles]

The whole process just breeds distrust.
I hate our buyers which is totally irrational and daft!

We have got our own survey on the place we are buying, it would never occur to me to ask our vendors for theirs.

We are so torn! Mainly I think we want to provide it but are worried where we would stand legally. Thinking we might call the surveyor to ask. Or is that stupid?

[breatheslowly]

I'd be concerned that they aren't willing to commit the money to have their own survey done, so they aren't entirely committed to buying from you.

[Blowninonabreeze]

If my seller showed me edited highlights of a survey but then refused to show me the whole document, my immediate suspicion would be that they had something to hide.
(But my default position is that the world is trying to pull a fast one!)

[nessus]

If I was to ask to see a survey it would not be because I wouldn't be getting my own done, it would be because I wanted to see how many of the noted issues prior to the last exchange had been rectified by the current seller whilst in ownership.

I would be quite happy to offer up a copy of my survey as it would actually justify the price I would be asking to reflect all the work I have done on the house since purchase, and not forgetting it would give my buyers confidence that if I saw to the big things, I most definitely did not let any small thing slip by my attention.

I see no problem with the request imho

[JackieBrambles]

Yeah we don't want them to think we are hiding something at all, but having read the confidentiality and third party liability stuff at the start of our survey I'm now worried about putting ourselves in a legally dodgy situation!

Am going to say the same to our solicitor and see what they suggest.

[mysteryfairy]

Of course they can't claim against the surveyor who they have no contract with and who owes them no duty of care.

It's really common to share surveys. I've both provided and received other people's surveys before.

If someone who had shared part of a survey then refused to share the rest my conclusion would definitely be that they had something pretty bad news to hide.

If you don't want to be negotiated down just refuse any lower offer!

[specialsubject]

my first reaction is that surveys are confidential to the person who commissions them. You can tell people what you say but you can't pass them on.

so you have already done more than you should.

tell them to pay for their own survey like the grown-ups do.

[YoucancallmeQueenBee]

The more I think about it, the more I'd be worried about handing over your survey.

Where does the liability then lie? Could they claim against your surveyor if anything he failed to declare subsequently went wrong with the property. Could your surveyor then claim against you, for the onward sharing of the survey.

Get advice from your solicitor & stick to it. There is a shortage of properties on the market at the moment, so don't be bullied by these buyers.

[lalalonglegs]

Emotionally I'd be the same as àll those saying don't let tbem have it but I think Easter has the right idea when she points out that if they commission their own survey it's bound to be a sight worse... if they're stupid enough to rely on a years old report, let them. Scan it over with the disclaimer picked out in highlighter pen.

[Kewcumber]

Ha! I am very wavery and scared! How can you tell?!

Becasue I moved last year - scared and wavery is the default position but I tell ya the buggers can smell fear so bluff it out.

[MrsOakenshield]

yes, you should have (and still should do) point them in the direction of the surveyor who can supply them a copy - for a fee, of course, which is what this is really about.

Tell them (or tell your solicitor to tell them) that having seen this line you realise that you can't supply anything more but here are the surveyors details if they want them. Their solicitor will probably tell them this too.

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

I've been offered the previous survey by vendors trying to be helpful and probably trying to demonstrate that they have nothing to hide, but I've never heard of anyone asking for it.

[JackieBrambles]

Absolutely QueenBee, I've just found a sentence to that effect in our survey!