What do surveyors disclose to homeowners?

[SpidersAreShitheads]

Hi all,

Our property (the one we’re selling) is being surveyed today. We know it’s a bit of a fixer-upper and has been marketed/priced as such. Obviously though we’re a bit nervous about hidden faults that we might not be aware of and whether the surveyor is going to be damning!!

My DM sold her property last year and the surveyor was willing to disclose what he found. However the surveyor at our house has said he’s not allowed to tell us anything because of “data protection”.

I wasn’t sure if this was standard practice or whether it’s an indication that our property is a wreck and doesn’t want to say!!! He did refuse a drink saying that he wasn’t allowed to accept so that might be an indication that he’s a stickler for the rules!

It’s a level 2 survey if that makes a difference. Also it’s a nationwide firm of surveyors that have mixed reviews on TrustPilot - although that might just be disappointed home owners 😂😂😂 The surveying firm were pretty pushy on the phone with me though so I’m inclined to think there’s at least some truth in the criticisms….

What did the surveyors say when you were selling your home? Were they tight-lipped?

The surveyor is correct. The buyer is their client and is commissioning and paying for the survey and so the contents of the survey are their property. They can choose to share it with you, or ask the surveyor to discuss the impact with you (which would be recommended if they’re intending to use findings of work required to the property to negotiate money off) but surveyors shouldn’t be sharing reports without the permission of their clients.

In practice, most buyers wouldn’t mind a surveyor being candid with a vendor because it usually works in their favour for the vendor to hear from the horse’s mouth that their roof needs major repairs. It isn’t terribly professional behaviour, though. Surveyors have always been pretty tight lipped when I’ve had my properties surveyed.

The buyer is the client, so your surveyor is right. Your mum was lucky that hers was willing to say anything.

Ours was willing to chat to us a bit and give us an idea of what he was going to say - I think he said we had no reason to be concerned and he only had one thing to flag but it was unlikely to make a difference - and then his report valued the flat as higher than we'd sold it for, but flagged that the electrics were old and it needed a new fuse box.

It's not a reflection on what the report will say that yours hasn't said anything, though. Fingers crossed you hear from them soon.

Aaah thank you all. I’m probably reading a bit too much into it then 😂😂

I think I’d be less worried if the house was ship-shape but we know that it’s a bit of a fixer-upper and I’m just worried in case there’s anything lurking that we don’t know about….

It’s a big nationwide chain and some of their reviews suggest that their surveyors are a bit OTT - but it’s hard to know whether those reviews are just from homeowners who had a sale scuppered!!

Anyway, he’s finished now so me/DC can go back home. Just a waiting game now…..fingers crossed the buyers don’t pull out…..!!

Surveyors ought not to share anything with you, they aren't working for you.
We did have one working for us who told me afterwards he had disclosed something to the owner to get them off his back (scuttling to the phone for advice) so he could look at something the owner clearly didn't want him to see!

The disclosure was no big deal, but sounded like it was, so ideal for the purpose.😉

@SpidersAreShitheads I would be happy to share my homebuyers report that we received last year if you wanted to DM me your email address. The house we bought is also a fixer upper, although the survey flagged a few issues we were unaware of at viewing.

I'm a surveyor and I wouldnt say anything. If asked I would say that a report would be forwarded to my Client and they would be in touch if they needed to.

Hi, just wanted to ask. Do you normally call your client to discuss the report because I’m sure they may have questions about some of it? Just wondering if that’s standard practice?

Our buyers' surveyor wouldn't discuss his findings at all. When we read large swathes of his report later, courtesy of the buyer, it transpired to be so wildly inaccurate it nearly tanked the whole transaction and enabled them to get their money back, so tbh it might have been better if he had and then he wouldn't have made such a complete prat of himself.

@whyisitallsohard no, not as a matter of course. But my details are on the report so if they wanted to contact me to discuss that wouldn't be a problem.

why don't you just survey your own house. you haven't paid for this so why ask. you look silly tbh.

thanks for responding, appreciated.