Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Home buying survey - is this normal?

10 replies

discodancingsurveyor · 21/03/2024 20:11

Selling parental home which is empty. Offer accepted and progressing.
Estate agent has a set of keys to allow easy access but we have asked to be informed if anyone is due to visit.
Arrived at house today and porch and front door were ajar - thought there had been a break in so went into house and shouted to ask if anyone was there.
Set of ladders in hall and could hear a radio in living room. Went in and parents radio was blasting out music. Drawers to free standing sideboard were all ajar.
Went into kitchen still shouting 'is anyone there?'. Back door locked but a man was stood in the detached garage.
I opened the back door and asked what on earth was going on.
He said he was a homebuyer surveyor and said I had frightened him (!).
I challenged him and asked why I hadn't been informed of his visit, asked why he had opened sideboard drawers and why the radio was on?
He mumbled something about checking the radio signal and for damp.
I could understand if it was a fitted cupboard but it clearly isn't and is not flush to the wall.
Very unhappy with estate agent and also very dubious about what he was doing. I was so worked up, I just walked out but wanted to check if this is normal practice?

OP posts:
Namechange1345677 · 21/03/2024 20:13

Not normal! I'd be very angry!

Kikibee · 21/03/2024 20:14

I’d be on the phone to the estate agent pdq asking them wtf is going on. Definitely not acceptable

Twiglets1 · 21/03/2024 20:31

If you are the person who is dealing with the EA then they 100% should have informed you of the date and time that the survey was taking place. Your permission should have been asked for the survey to take place on that date.

discodancingsurveyor · 21/03/2024 20:31

Thanks both for the replies . My gut was that it was 'off' but I haven't bought or sold in a long time! Conversation with estate agent will take place tomorrow!

OP posts:
BlueMongoose · 22/03/2024 19:12

The EA ought not to have left anyone in the house unsupervised, they could have done anything, taken anything, damaged anything, or even just forgotten to lock up. Can you imagine what your insurers would say if anything was damaged or stolen?

fluffycloudalert · 22/03/2024 19:16

I'd be quite cross with the estate agent about that one. Checking the radio signal? What nonsense.

Nw22 · 22/03/2024 19:20

Having let a surveyor come to our house alone whilst we were away I would tell anyone not to do this. We returned to find he had left one back door unlocked and the electricity turned off so the boiler and fridge were off the whole time.

Celticnewyear · 22/03/2024 19:25

No this is 100% not ok OP! I would be furious with the estate agent. He could have been anyone doing anything. They need to inform and get your permission before anyone goes into the property especially unattended. Did he have ID on him? Have sold a few properties where the ‘surveyor’ was clearly a friend/family member of the buyer just checking things out.

discodancingsurveyor · 22/03/2024 22:48

I sent a message to the EA stating that I was not happy about a) not being to,d about visit and b) the fact that he had clearly been rummaging and using personal equipment.
Got a bit of a garbled reply so have now asked for name and firm that surveyor represents. Still waiting.....

OP posts:
discodancingsurveyor · 22/03/2024 22:50

Also, a huge thanks for all your replies. Replaying it after the event, I questioned whether I was overreacting so cannot tell you how much your replies ( and validation) have helped x

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page