Me with another nervous survey question!

[NorthernLurker]

Right - sorry to go on about this but it's an ever present worry atm! We are buying and selling. Our buyer does not need a bank survey as they have cash - he told our estate agent last week that they were considering what to do regarding a survey. We want to move asap and have today instructed our lender to get on with a survey of the property we are buying. We have a victorian house and although I don't know of any problems I suspect a survey could bring up issues - as they always seem to! Should I ring our estate agent (who already thinks I'm paranoid I think) and ask her to say to our buyer that as we have instructed a surveyor I would appreciate it if he did the same if he was intending to so we are all at the same stage. Or should I just leave it on the basis that mentioning it sounds suspicious???? Help please!

Surely if house is Victorian they will do a survey so I would tell estate agent to pass on your message. Nothing suspicious about it.

NL - I would telephone E/agent and in a 'just to keep you updated' manner say we have instructed our lender to do the survey any news on our buyers having a survey done?

Don't worry unduly about the survey - little bits will inevitably come up, most people take it on the chin unless the house is falling down. Negotiate them as and when....don't worry before you have to

smurfs - I think I've already blown not worrying before I have to Thanks for the views - I will ring them - the house is not going to fall down - it's mid terrace!

If they are cash buyers and don't need a morgage they do not need a survey.. they are prob just keeping their costs down!

They would be mad though to buy a house without doing a survey surely?

A lot of people do though especially if they don't need a morgage! the buyer of our old house a 300 year old cottage was happy getting out 5 year old survey from when we bought?

When I spoke to her last week my estate agent said lots of cash buyers don't get one. I just don't want them to change their mind late on and then have to wait for it and have a panic then.

We've just bought a property and not had a survey done,although if it had been an older property we would have had one done.However,we did have a timber and damp report done,which doesn't cost anything.

I would get the estate agent to nudge your buyer gently regarding a survey, something along the lines of: "My client is keen to get the sale moving and needs to know that you are fully committed to the sale before she goes ahead with her purchase. For example, have you instructed a surveyor?" That way he can either say "Yes" or "Not intending to" and the agony may be over.

I like your thinking there!

Ok -spoke to agent and she has spoken to buyer. He does want a survey and is getting on with finding a surveyor. I feel much better now this has moved on a bit - I'm rather worried about the survey but I guess once he's gone to the trouble of having it done he'll be much more committed to going through with the sale and negotiating the price as needed - right?

A surveyor always finds something but unless you know of anything significant, it probably won't be a huge negotiating tool so try to relax.

I don't know of anything huge but next door had a repair done to a crack in the party wall. Their insurer monitored it for a long time and found no movement so they had it repaired. Also - when we moved in the house had been empty for a long time and damp was raised as a possible issue. We had a damp survey type thing done a few years ago though and they felt it was condensation rather than damp as such so hopefully we can get past that.

Relax - I don't think I can achieve that state! Thanks anyway.