Not sure whether to opt for surveys and searches when buying my first house

[Pinga]

So..……….. Im buying my first house and I really cant decide whether to opt for searches and a survey. Id welcome your thoughts if you know about this stuff.

House is currently owned by a very thoughtful, honest, fastidious man. He only bought it 3 years ago and in that time has installed new double glazing, new kitchen, decorated throughout (except carpets). Bathroom and garden were done about 5 years ago. All to a very high standard. Loft conversion to a bedroom (with new roof) was done about 15-20 years ago.

All local land is already built on/developed and all the nearby gardens are small so its tricky to see any obvious future planning permission issues that will come up??

The road is already one way and already has double yellows on my side (theres no off street parking but I don't drive so no biggie for me)
Water, drainage, coal, brine, chancel search - tricky to see how any of these are an issue for this particular house.

Only issue I have is environmental - concern about flooding as the brook at the end of the road regularly floods, but doesn't get within 50 metres of the house.

So should I opt for searches and a survey or go nuts and save my money (haven't got much to spare)
Thanks for reading if you've got this far.

Are you taking a mortgage?

If you are I'd be surprised if the lender didn't insist on at least the basic searches (local, drainage, environmental)

As for survey, many people look at it as peace of mind, given the sums of money usually involved in buying a house. But if you've got a good knowledge of buildings you may view it an an unnecessary expense.

I think most FTBs are likely to have at least a homebuyers survey if not a buildings survey.

Hmmm that's what my sensible brain is saying - I should do it shouldn't I. Its an extra £540 for survey and £224 for searches.

But then on the other hand...…. apart from the environment bit I cant imagine any issues cropping up at all.

Im a full price cash buyer fwiw. Ive got the money for the purchase but not much else to spare.

@Pinga it may be different where you are but I always understood that searches were compulsory and done by the solicitors?

The survey on the other hand is done by the mortgage lender - you usually have an option of a valuation survey or a more expensive homebuyers. If I was a cash buyer and was intending to buy a house which had any sort of conversion, I would go for a full homebuyers survey. The house I just offered on had an extension and a gap between skirting board and carpet - the HB survey revealed structural movement so mortgage lender wouldn't lend. The latest house I've just had an offer accepted on has no such work so I'm only having the basic survey.

The advice I was given is - if you suspect there may be a problem , do you have the financial capability to deal with the expense.

For the huge amount of money you are spending, less than £1000 for peace of mind seems cheap . But maybe thats just me and my old age talking

MIL in similar situation to you, cash purchase house approx 10 years old on an estate she knew well, didnt bother with surveys or searches...no issues so far!

If you don't have a mortgage then its all totally your choice but I'd say (this is my personal opinion):

1. Do have the survey. The downsides if you miss something are too great: for example a survey I had on a previous house which looked perfect to my reasonably experienced house buyer's eye revealed a huge problem with the chimney stack which would have cost a lot to fix and been very disruptive.

1. You can check the flooding position for yourself here

1. If the area around the house is fully built up you can take a view on the local authority search if you know the area well; up to you, but personally I'd have it in case someone is planning a big development.

1. Is it in a mining area or not - if so, have the search.

1. Chancel search - not needed if there is nothing on the title documents (ask your solicitor) and the house has changed hands since September 2013.

1. Water search - yes you need this. You do need to know where the sewers run and if they run over your property.

You would need to check that the loft conversion complies with regulations too. I've read a few stories about lovely loft bedrooms that don't actually conform to building regs.

You'd be mad not to.

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful advice.

Looking at Temple clouds points specifically
1 possible issues with some of the actual house I guess - its a victorian terrace with a loft conversion.
2 flooding, Ive already checked the flood map and its worryingly close to possible flooding but a slight slope on the road means hopefully Im far enough away.
3 the area is fully built up, no possible future issues
4 not in a mining area
5 chancel, no local church that could possibly need this
6 sewers - current owner would have mentioned any issues, He was very honest about whether any rodent issues (answer was no!)

Really helpful comments from you all have given me stuff to think about - the loft is a potential issue I hadn't thought of

You can only asse someone is being honest about rodents if they say yes!

And developed land can still be subject to planning. The end of a terrace I lived in was demolished to widen a road. Buildings become subject to change of use or a knocked down and replaced with student flats or apartments. Or Lidls. People sell off gardens and tiny houses get squeezed into the space.

I really would get the surveys and searches done, or do them yourself if possible.

We had an offer accepted on a beautiful loft conversion flat. Searches revealed there was no planning permission! It's a huge amount of money at risk if you don't do them.

Pink a chew - He was honestly honest. Hes not the sort of man to lie. Told us about an occasional mouse in the garden but was shocked when I said we weren't unused to mice, rats, squirrels, slugs etc.

A friend has suggested I ask the estate agent if the owner would mind passing on copies of his survey and search reports. They were only done 3 years ago. Will wait for a response.

Never assume someone is honest

If you don’t want to pay for local searches you can get the information yourself. I do understand if you don’t want to pay for a structural survey and want to judge those things yourself.

What is the £540 survey? Can the owner produce the papers to show the loft complies with regs?

@Blobby10
The survey on the other hand is done by the mortgage lender - you usually have an option of a valuation survey or a more expensive homebuyers

Sorry Blooby, hope this doesn't sound too pedantic, but if there were a mortgage involved (not in this instance as it goes) the mortgage lender will carry out a valuation, which is not a survey of the property as such, the only purpose is to assess whether the property represents suitable security for the money being secure against it.

Then there are really two types of survey, a homebuyers which is a relatively basic look at the whole property and a buildings survey which is a far more in depth assessment of the present condition.

Can the owner produce the papers to show the loft complies with regs?
The owner may be able to provide a document to confirm whether the loft conversion complied with regulations when the work was done 20 years ago, but it won't comply with current regs, that's almost certain.

A local authority search will tell you what alterations the council have been notified about that have taken place at the property.

For the sake of £750, get the searches done and get a survey carried out.

you sound gallopingly naive and trusting on what is presumably the most expensive purchase you've ever made. The seller is not your friend.
Get the flooding and water searches or live to regret it.
Not to survey a victorian building is bonkers. You can check that building regs were properly handled on the conversion in the conveyancing process but you'll have no idea about subsidence, heave, rot etc etc. Compliance will have been signed off and seller will be required to produce paperwork to prove it.
Did seller get a survey when he bought 3 yrs ago? will he show it to you?
Is this really the time to nickel & dime over £1k when you're spending six figures on the house?

3 year old searches won't be worthwhile (if a lender was involved, they'd insist on them being renewed after 30 days)

and the area being fully built up won't for example prevent a house two doors away being turned into a bail hostel, three houses on the next street being knocked down for a block of flats which will put pressure on parking and potntially affect light / view, someone building down and disrupting the water table etc etc

If it's Victorian which has had significant work done- get a full survey.

You need to check that it was done correctly- just because the work has a lovely finish does not mean that the stuff underneath was done properly.

seller will be required to produce paperwork to prove it

The longer ago the work was carried out the less relevant documentation becomes. If the roof was converted around 20 years ago it starts to become irrelevant as to what documentation may or may not be available.

Even more reason to have a survey really.

I assumed this must be a new build for you not to consider a survey.

A Victorian property I definitely would, there could be all manner of issues lurking there.

@Mildura not being pedantic at all!! I worded my post very clumsily.

I know the mortgage lender doesn't do the survey but they can (and do) appoint the surveyors (or have done on every property I have owned) to carry out the work. The one I just had done was arranged through the BS and I specified a Homebuyers survey (and paid for it) rather than the standard valuation one during my mortgage application. (Right decision for me as they confirmed that the structure had moved and wouldn't lend against it, thereby confirming your words exactly )

I don’t expect the loft to comply to current regs but I’d like to see the paperwork from the time it was done, ideally.

The loft complying to current regs is never going to happen unless work was recent?

I would never in a million years buy a house that old without a survey. We pulled out of our first choice house after the survey showed the immaculate and beautiful house was hiding all manner of problems.

And the owner wants a sale... don't be so naive to believe every word he says (or the agents for that matter).

I agree with PPs, you need a survey for a house that old. You don’t need full structural survey, home-buyers report is usually good and have enough details.
We’ve done survey once and it turned out that the house’s timber framed, it affected our decision considerably. Also you will get independent evaluation which might be helpful.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS do the full survey and searches! Skimping on them is the definition of a false economy if there are any significant issues, which turn up more often that you might think.