Listed building - specialist surveyor or not?

[Lemond1fficult]

I've had an offer accepted on a 400 year old grade 2 listed cottage.

I'm going with the Halifax through a broker - do high street companies usually use a specialist surveyor? Should I insist on one? Or would I be better off with a more general surveyor?

I should say, I'm hell-bent on this house, so which of the two is more likely to recommend they lend?

I'd love the advice of anyone who's been through similar. Thanks!

We are buying a Victorian house. We have always bought old houses, it will be our fifth and the youngest yet.

I always just have a mortgage valuation from the bank and then my own full survey. RICS have a ‘find a surveyor’ tab on their webpage.

You really do need a detailed survey on an old property.

Our house is 350 years old, grade ii listed. We just used a normal surveyor I think! Had a full structural survey which used a traffic light system and was about 50% red but we bought it anyway and are working through the list slowly!

Thanks for replying, both! I have put aside a decent amount for surveys. I really want to look after this building, which obviously involves maintaining it properly, and being aware of its weaknesses. But what I don't want is for any further detailed survey to put off my lender. @TronaldDump did your red lights cause any problems?

So far no - we've been here 4 years and done a fair bit of work but nothing too serious. We still need to do some work on the chimneys and have the roof maintained at the same time. But we've done some work on the damp which has helped. I think you just have to look through and decide if it's a deal breaker or not. For us, aside from 'this house will collapse in the next 10 years' nothing else was too much of a concern!

That is why I never given lender the benefit of my full survey OP. They never get to see it.

I have done up four listed houses, most problems are caused by either lack of proper maintenance or the use of unsuitable materials. In all of them my heritage officer in the local planning dept has been lovely and vv helpful.

Ah that's it Barchester - I suppose I wanted to know if I have to share the info with my building society. I will keep it under my hat. God knows there's probably all sorts to deal with...

We have a c. 400 year old house, grade II listed in a conservation area. The mortgage provider did their own valuation survey and we got our own full structural survey from a specialist local surveyor. As well as a written report he walked us around the house showing us interesting things. It was fascinating as well as useful!

Listed building - specialist surveyor used to surveying listed buildings. Plus specialist insurance if you proceed to buy it.

10 years on, I'm still working through the list generated by my surveyor and it is still worth the money spent on it.

Most issues are inappropriate previous works or lack of maintenance. Cutbacks in the council have meant that conservation officer is no longer the helpful resource they used to be - will only speak to you if you actually have a planning application in - and you have to have a lot more up front knowledge and my survey is my bible.

That's a positive way to think about the extreeeemely expensive survey tronald

So @Hulder - has there been any intervention from the conservation officer in terms of correcting previous bad works? I've heard the horror stories about enforced corrections, when it was previous owners' work.

I mean groken!

No. Basically conservation officer never sets foot in the building, they don't have the time as council cuts have been so deep.

The only time conservation officer learns of your existence is if you put a Listed Building/Planning Application in. Rest of the time, you are on your own. I've only done this once and found them no bother.

As Groken says, the survey was also a way of learning lots of fascinating things about our house - at points the surveyor is just rambling about old building techniques he's found exciting in the loft

Finally I've found membership of the Listed Property Owners Assocation helpful as a source of advice.

Agree with hiring your own specialist surveyor. Go round with him you can, and you could pick up lots of extra that won't go into a standard report.

Ours basically said that nervous people should not buy old buildings and that since ours had stood for 250 years, it would probably stand for a while longer. He then pointed out the bowed walls etc, but said the only urgent thing was a problem with the electricity supply which was for the electricity company anyway. His report however made grim reading. Inevitable.