Nearly new build - which survey?

[Ruralbliss]

I've always been told by my dad that home buyers surveys are a waste of cash as £500 spent on someone telling you about a chipped tile of leaky tap but no access to actual interesting structural stuff.

I've had an offer accepted in a house built a couple of years ago by the family who are living in it and now selling it. To me it looks high spec with glossy internal features.

Which if any of the RICS Level 1-3 surveys would you carry out? Im tempted to go Level 3 for peace of mind but with no idea of costs. Have just been told by a surveyor that their L1 survey costs £500 and they wouldn't recommend anything more than this as it's a new build and has the NHBC cert (or at least I'm told it has I've not seen a copy yet).

She helpfully pointed out that it's reasonable to request sight of the planning permission for the house rather than just assume it was granted.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

A structural surveyor can see no more of your house than someone doing a homebuyers. And I think, having just had two structural and one homebuyers, that there is not much between them. Some surveyors are more thorough than others. Of course you don’t need someone to tell you a tile is chipped, but any surveyor will tell you if there is a suspicious crack or what have you.
I’d go for the homebuyers.

Similar situation here. We've decided against getting any done. We've checked for obvious cracks (none) and its a more reputable builder. Its got a few years on the guarantee which we have checked and essentially we've decided its probably fine...

Fully appreciate it may not be fine, but its a risk we're willing to take!

Thanks @Hungry675tf I'm sort of erring that way myself but seems like a risky option for someone usually quite risk adverse. I guess I'd like to see the paperwork first before I decide as this is new territory.

I asked the Estate Agent for details of the planning permission, warranty & NBHC cert but the annoying response was that they are all with their solicitors so I'll have to pay a steep hourly rate to get sight of some docs I'd have liked to have seen myself ahead of the conveyancers clock starting to tick.

We have raised it as a query with our solicitor, so am expecting it to come under the general conveyancing fees.

We don't have the spare cash right now, and I don't think its worth it. Our warranty has a few more years on it so I'm thinking of getting one done prior to it running out and then claiming on the warranty if any work needs doing.

I've bought, renovated and sold a lot of houses.
It's been about 20 years since a survey noted anything of significance that I hadn't already clocked myself.
I nearly didn't bother this time.

But couldn't quite overrule the habits of half a lifetime.

The survey found two things I simply wasn't qualified to see: a problem with the subfloor, and a drainage issue.

I went back to the sellers, and pointed out that was another 15K of works needed. They reduced price by 14K, after of course, requiring to see the survey.
£300 to save 14K.
I'm semi-professional , and I have re-learned that I can't afford not to have a survey.

Hi @Evidencebased that's a good moral based story.

What Level of survey revealed this drainage and sub floor issues & if you don't mind me asking what kind of age of property is it?

@Ruralbliss sorry for slow reply.

Homebuyers survey on 1930s rural cottage. So quite old, but of relatively modern construction- cavity walls, concrete subfloor.

Part of the point of getting a survey is that sellers always ask to see it if you ask for a reduction because works are needed: I may be perfectly able to see for myself that this chimney is not adequately supported (in another house I bought for renovation), but the sellers are not going to take my word for it, they can only be persuaded by a surveyor.

The other part is finding something you just have no experience of, and just haven't noticed.

With a recent build, some feel a survey isn't so important. I lived recently in a small town, with two newish estates. One had subsidence, one didn't. Not all newish estates are built to the same standard.

And also, it's like insurance. At one point in my life, I picked up 3 small DC, and left a dysfunctional marriage in search of a better life for us. ( Do it!).
I was so skint for a while. I paid insurance for a washing machine: cause I couldn't live live a week without one, and couldn't afford to replace it. I don't think that insurance is cost effective, so now that i can afford to swiftly replace a dead washing machine, |I don't bother with it.

Similarly , if you can afford to reroof your house, or re-do the drains, you maybe can afford to save the costs of a survey. If that would be a disaster for you, don't skimp on a survey.

My DF thought he knew as much as most surveyors, but failed to spot a failing bay window lintel on a Georgian house: complete 2 storey back wall demolished, while house supported on accros, and rebuilt.

Not directly related to surveys but you mention steep hourly rate for solicitor - you can get no sale no fee / fixed fee conveyancing so getting sight of these documents doesn’t have to add any cost to the overall transaction fee.

Thanks @WhatAWasteOfOranges yes I know but I'm using the same trusted conveyancer I've used before

Here's an update for anyone in similar position and using this thread for information.

I discussed my conundrum with my buyers surveyor when he called to make arrangements to survey the house I'm selling & of course being a surveyor he recommended getting a survey but gave two good examples for a house that has been lived in for a couple of years since sign off with NHBC.
Tree roots may have blocked the drains or the owners might have installed a new loft ladder & cut through a couple of roof trusses to do so.

I'll get one booked in & hope the survey he does for my buyers doesn't show anything untoward which makes them want to offer less or pull out.

Having bought a new build in the past - GET A SURVEY!! Mine was from Westbury and riddled with errors, some of them serious.

I'd go for a top level survey, especially if the people who are selling it had it built as a one-off. Sorry, but I'd want to be very sure. NHBC certs are just so much waste paper if there are real problems.

@BlueMongoose yes this is what I'm thinking. Go top and have fewer regrets and higher piece of mind.

[quote Ruralbliss]@BlueMongoose yes this is what I'm thinking. Go top and have fewer regrets and higher piece of mind. [/quote]
Yep. You may find everything is fine, but at least you'll know. And you may have some comeback if the surveyor misses something they really ought to have noticed. A surveyor missed a single-skin wall on a friend's house- the surveyor (probably their insurer) had to pay for a new outside wall to be built and keyed in.

@Ruralbliss

Thanks *@WhatAWasteOfOranges* yes I know but I'm using the same trusted conveyancer I've used before

Here's an update for anyone in similar position and using this thread for information.

I discussed my conundrum with my buyers surveyor when he called to make arrangements to survey the house I'm selling & of course being a surveyor he recommended getting a survey but gave two good examples for a house that has been lived in for a couple of years since sign off with NHBC.
Tree roots may have blocked the drains or the owners might have installed a new loft ladder & cut through a couple of roof trusses to do so.

I'll get one booked in & hope the survey he does for my buyers doesn't show anything untoward which makes them want to offer less or pull out.

Someone had cut through roof trusses in a house a relative was buying. Their surveyor spotted it, and they were able to get remedial work costed before the purchase. Fixed it afterwards after they had bought it. But they knew what they were getting into (especially important as the building was listed and the way it was fixed had all to be agreed accordingly) and could offer accordingly.