Homebuyers report - a lot of 3’s / reds

[HotChocolate16]

Hi all!

We had our level 2 homebuyers report back to do. There’s quite a lot of reds (3’s) on there (damp, electrics, etc) which we did kind of thing. We are basically going to have to replaster the walls and ceilings, new kitchen, new bathroom, update the electrics, move the boiler, and a few odd other things.

Would this kind of stuff make you pull out? Do houses ever really have zero red flags?

I think surveys always have 3s for electrics and gas as surveyor isn't qualified to look at either of those.

What @Thecatisboss says all day long. I've seen a growing trend of surveyors covering their arses by flagging something as an issue simply because they're not qualified to comment. We had one day our boiler needed to be condemned because with the age of the property it was bound to be too old etc. They also noted they hadn't actually seen it. You couldn't make it up! Said boiler was actually really newly installed and never gave us a single issue the whole time we lived there. The same survey also gave us 23 pages full of red flags - it was a 200 year old character cottage, simply because most of it wasn't up to current standards, which it never would be!

Also, surveys always, always find some damp. It's just one of those things. The chances are you won't have to do as much as you think.

Interestingly when we sold it, one less qualified surveyor flagged the boundary wall as a possible issue requiring 14k of work. A second more qualified surveyor confirmed the wall was completely stable and required nothing.

Arse covering I would say, as the bank is their client not you. If you can stump up for an independent, more qualified surveyor, you'd find a very different story

Every homebuyers report ever done has a red 3 rating for electrics.
Get a second opinion on the damp - it could be nothing, it could be serious.

Thanks all for the comments

They did say something about their being damp in the floor boards which may suggest rotten floorboards, ventilation hasn’t been good in the house causing condensation and mould on ceilings etc, damp walls and ceilings, drainage outside

Some orange flags were woodwork (skirting boards and doorframes), window seals with gaps.

It also mentions that they can’t rule out asbestos in the loft due to it being being in 1925 and they can’t get into the loft.

All together 11 red flags and 11 orange flags!

It’s the first time I’ve ever had one of these reports done so it panicked me.

The survey we got on our current house included a warning the lack of garage might make it less saleable - given the chap would have had to park next to a huge double garage to come into the house I did wonder how qualified he really was

@Treacletoots

What *@Thecatisboss* says all day long. I've seen a growing trend of surveyors covering their arses by flagging something as an issue simply because they're not qualified to comment. We had one day our boiler needed to be condemned because with the age of the property it was bound to be too old etc. They also noted they hadn't actually seen it. You couldn't make it up! Said boiler was actually really newly installed and never gave us a single issue the whole time we lived there. The same survey also gave us 23 pages full of red flags - it was a 200 year old character cottage, simply because most of it wasn't up to current standards, which it never would be!

Also, surveys always, always find some damp. It's just one of those things. The chances are you won't have to do as much as you think.

Interestingly when we sold it, one less qualified surveyor flagged the boundary wall as a possible issue requiring 14k of work. A second more qualified surveyor confirmed the wall was completely stable and required nothing.

Arse covering I would say, as the bank is their client not you. If you can stump up for an independent, more qualified surveyor, you'd find a very different story

Not sure it's necessarily due to the bank - my mortgage survey was just a drive by to check the house existed. I commissioned my own homebuyers survey and I wish I hadn't bothered as wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

Lots of reds and "could", "possibly" and "potentially"' Many "due to the age of the house". Honestly it was a total waste of money. I'm just glad I done my homework after as a first time buyer would have run a mile.

11 red flags is nothing but a lot of arse covering. Cover the colour up and just read the comments, then see how it makes you feel. As others have said, gas and electric are always red simply because the surveyor isn't qualified to comment.

All survey reports make it sound like the house is ready to fall down.