Full buildings survey on Grade 2 Listed property. It isn't going to go well, is it?

[Movinghouseatlast]

I am ( a bit reluctantly) selling my cottage, built in 1750.

The buyers are having a full buildings survey, and from my experience of reading these when selling other properties I think it's unlikely to be a positive outcome.

I can't afford to reduce the price- it just won't make it worth my while selling.

Since I bought it I have spent about £40k on it, including rewiring, rebuilding the chimney, a new boiler and radiators and new bathroom.

I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty as they are wasting their money if they ask for a discount.

We had a full building survey done on an 1890s Victorian property, and we treated it more as a “to do” list rather than an attempt to knock money off. We knew there was work to be done, we could see it, and unless it had come back with a structural or roof issue we weren’t going to haggle.

Buyers of period properties should know what they are taking on, hopefully yours will be the same. Fingers crossed for you.

Try not to worry, our last but one house was built around 1420! Was grade 2 listed. Our buyers didn’t have a survey at all, they just bought along a builder friend! When we bought it we had a full survey that obviously raised issues but did not put us off. Have faith, it may be no problem at all.

You'll just have to tell them you cannot afford to knock money off if they ask, & they will have to decide what to do

However, anyone who buys a 1750s cottage and doesn't expect something to turn up in the survey is a bit foolish, likewise if they don't expect it to cost them a bit to maintain. Sounds like you have done your bit on renovations/maintenance over your time there

Don't feel guilty at all: I'm guessing properties like yours are rarely available, and they would be making a conscious decision to live in it vs a standard modern/victorian property

I've decided not to offer on a 1850s place (due to location) but would not expect any survey not to have loads on: and like PP its more of a guide to what you might need to do over time

I agree with pp. I would expect a full survey in an older property. So I know what I'm getting into.

Older houses always need work, but wise to be eyes open.

However, they may use the survey to justify a drop in their offer. Doesn't mean you have to accept it or that they will see as a deal breaker.

I've never bought a house that didn't have the survey show up stuff. I'm selling a house that's 150 years old - I've done everything I can, but it's an old house, and does require more maintenance than a new build.
Your buyers cannot expect a clean bill of health - hopefully the surveyor will say things along the lines of 'consistent with age'.

We bought our current house, built in 1760, after a full building survey. As others have said, it was a to do list and give full disclosure on what needed doing. We were very realistic that it would be a long list.

I think anyone buying a listed II with the forthcoming recession will have the funds to renovate/maintain, and as others have said will just want to know what might need to be done urgently. The 'red' traffic lights - I had 17 out of 23, according to the 'chipping' developer that bought mine. My house was 264 sq m and the surveyor took six and a half hours to do the full structural, I had to leave him alone in the house whllst I walked my dog. Good luck!