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Original poster

Should a full structural survey include a valuation?

18 replies

FirstHome · 29/01/2023 14:39

My DS has had a full structural survey completed but this has not included a valuation. I had the same survey done (over 10 years ago though) and a valuation section was part of the survey.

DS has spoken to the surveyor who says that they don't do this. Is this normal practice?

He's not going to be getting a mortgage so there won't be a mortgage valuation unfortunately.

OP posts:
onemouseplace · 29/01/2023 14:45

We had a full structural recently and I was surprised there was neither a valuation or a rebuild value given - we got both when we had a homebuyers done 15 years ago on a different property!

Orangu · 29/01/2023 15:04

Level 3 doesn’t include a valuation but a level 2 does, strangely.

Orangu · 29/01/2023 15:04

Level 2 = Homebuyer’s

mynameiscalypso · 29/01/2023 21:31

Our Level 2 explicitly stated that it didn't include a valuation and you had to pay extra for one. I wasn't that bothered as knew the mortgage company did one which was fine plus we knew what the house was worth to us.

Original poster
FirstHome · 30/01/2023 02:00

Thanks all. How weird that they don't include one at level 3 any more. He wasn't given the option to include a valuation.

How essential is it do you think? Should he try and get one now given that he isn't getting a mortgage valuation? Presumably the surveyor could add this on for an extra fee without having to resurvey the property?

OP posts:
RubyPip · 30/01/2023 06:57

My structural survey included a rebuild cost but not a valuation.

newnamenewmane · 30/01/2023 07:00

Is he is purchasing a property with a mortgage?

newnamenewmane · 30/01/2023 07:00

Apologies just read your post properly!

Peekingovertheparapet · 30/01/2023 07:02

My full survey (2019) included a sentence along the lines of ‘agreed purchase price is fair for the condition of the property’ - so not a valuation per se but a comment on value.

PinkPlantCase · 30/01/2023 07:03

Some of it comes down to the expertise of the surveyor, I wouldn’t necessarily expect a surveyor who was great with structures to also be an expert on pricing.

So no I wouldn’t expect a structural survey to include a valuation.

If I wanted the house, the survey didn’t come up with any huge red flags and I was happy that compared to sold house prices in the area I wasn’t paying silly money then I would proceed without the valuations. A property is worth want someone is willing to pay and your son is obviously willing to pay what’s been agreed

CatOnTheChair · 30/01/2023 07:14

We had to pay extra to get a valuation in similar circumstances.

Pogpog21 · 30/01/2023 15:28

We had a level 3 last year and it included a valuation

OneForTheRoadThen · 30/01/2023 15:31

I had one last week and it didn't include a valuation.

Krakenes · 30/01/2023 15:35

Whoever is loaning him the money will want to do their own valuation.

noseyparker12 · 29/12/2023 19:33

If done by a structural engineer (which it should) they will only comment on the structural integrity and won't comment on the valuation - this is for the surveyor to do.

BlueMongoose · 30/12/2023 20:25

You can ask for a valuation as an extra, we had the equivalent of a L3 and IIRC we did ask for one- I am pretty sure we discussed it at least. I agree with @Orangu that it's odd the L3 one doesn't when the L2 does, I seem to remember thinking so at the time.

CasperGutman · 31/12/2023 06:56

noseyparker12 · 29/12/2023 19:33

If done by a structural engineer (which it should) they will only comment on the structural integrity and won't comment on the valuation - this is for the surveyor to do.

I've never heard of a pre-purchase survey on domestic property being done by a structural engineer. They're done by chartered surveyors in my experience.

Sure, you might choose to get a structural engineer in as well, but this would usually be to report on a specific apparent structural defect or to assess the viability of a proposed modification rather than for general comments in the condition of the building. Wouldn't it?

CasperGutman · 31/12/2023 07:20

I don't think it's that valuations aren't included "any more". It's that they never were a standard part of the survey. Some people got them and some didn't, just the same as now. It depends on the contract with the surveyor. Some might include them in a standard package and some might not.

RICS defines different types of survey. At level 2, the HomeBuyers Report, there are options with or without a valuation. At level 3, there is only one version, without a valuation, which states "Any extra
service will require separate terms of engagement to be entered into with the
surveyor. Examples of extra services include:
... market valuation and reinstatement cost".

See https://www.rics.org/profession-standards/rics-standards-and-guidance/sector-standards/building-surveying-standards/home-surveys

Unless someone has an earlier version of a similar standard document which did include a valuation, I'm going to assume this is the way it's always been. A survey and a valuation are different things, and you need to clear on what you're paying for.

https://www.rics.org/profession-standards/rics-standards-and-guidance/sector-standards/building-surveying-standards/home-surveys

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