Invoice for survey no survey received

[Pemba]

We are buying somewhere for us, mortgage free. Hopefully it's our final home.

I commissioned a local surveyor who had done a survey for a family member a couple of years ago, he'd done a good job. He told me he'd be doing it this week, and I've now received the invoice - but no survey report attached! This is not what happened before - that time my relative received the survey and the invoice both attached to an email. It was paid right away. (I was doing the admin on behalf of elderly relative).

He didn't say anything about paying upfront when I hired him this time. Hmm should I feel insulted or is it an oversight by him? Perhaps he's been stung by people getting surveys and not paying recently? I find it odd though and don't feel comfortable about paying without seeing the report.

How to handle this?

Ring and ask where the survey is?

I would email him and ask. Has he booked a time to come and do it. You could always pay him cash on the day or half on the day and then the remainder when you receive the survey.

None of that makes sense.

Surveys are paid up front, no one is going to the property and doing all the work without payment, they then take days to write up after inspection. Your payment is for his time not based on if you 'like' the report, zero reason not to pay.

When is the survey actually booked in for? you need a date with the seller pre-arranged, you can't just rock up to someones house randomly.

I assume it's been done, he did say it would be this week.

No, that's not what happened last time. Also Google tells me it is not usual to pay upfront.

Is this a RICS surveyor, because non of what your saying makes sense.

A specific date and time has to be booked there no 'this week' and you obviously can't get the report BEFORE paying for the job.

Of course I wouldn't dream of not paying!
A little bit concerned though as I've not actually spoken to him it was all done by email.

very first result on google

https://www.localbuildingsurveyor.co.uk/why-get-a-rics-survey/what-should-you-expect-from-your-surveyor

'Different surveyors will have different policies relating to when you should pay - all will require payment before the report is released to you, and some will request payment with the booking, before undertaking the survey. It is a standard practice in the industry that survey reports are not released to you until paid for.'

I don't have a lot of experience in this but I thought it was like hiring a builder say you don't pay until the job is completed. Just because that's what happened before and Google tells me it's not normal to pay upfront.

In the past when we were getting a mortgage we would have arranged it through the lender and then, yes probably we paid in advance. Hard to remember now it was many years ago.

Our surveyor will do the inspection but won’t release a report until paid.

My daughter had a survey done earlier this year. They wouldn’t release the report until it had been paid in full. I assume that’s standard practice.

I would expect them to want you to pay before sending the report. I think when we moved we paid before they even did the survey.

Vaguely similar thing but we recently had our house tested for asbestos in a few locations - we paid before they sent the results, which is what I’d expect for something like this.

I think what you need to do is contact the surveyor and get confirmation of WHEN its going to happening.

What usually happens in my experience is:

1. you contact surveyors with info about house (number of bedroom, type of house, area, maybe a link to the listing)
2. they give a quote price for the job
3. you accept the quote price of the one you want
4. they contact the sellers EA to book a date & time for access
5. they contact you with the agreed date and time
6. you pay
7. they phone you after the survey to give a brief talk over of any possible issues they have seen
8. 5-14 days later you receive your written up report.

Oh OK. Well it all depends what question you ask Google I suppose.

I was told 'it is unusual for the surveyor to ask for payment in advance and you should query this'. Hmm.

Seems like it is normal practice then, from the other link given on here. I do think he should have made it clear when I hired him though, especially as it's not what he did last time.

Yes he's professional, in the RICS etc. And previously he was recommended by the solicitor at the time. So I can probably go ahead and pay then.

@Pembanever use a mortgage surveyor to do a report for you - use your own if they ever arises again.
It’s normal to pay before it’s released. It’s also not uncommon to pay when you book it. It is also not unheard of to be invoiced after you have received the report. You got the invoice, if you want you can confirm the report has been done, and then pay. If he was trying to swindle you he isn’t going to get much further business as he’s a member of a professional body (the RICS, and if not don’t use them) that you can complain to.

I would contact him in case his email has been hacked and this is a scam!

Thanks, I feel reassured. I don't know why some posters were saying 'none of what you're saying makes sense' - I was just stating what happened. - I contacted him, he asked for information on the house and quoted a price, I agreed the fee, then he asked for contact details on the estate agent and presumably arranged it himself directly with them. I can't imagine he just 'rocked up'! He told me it would be sometime this week. I did think he might have told me the exact date when he'd arranged it, but that didn't happen.

I am satisfied now that it's normal to pay before the report comes. And like a pp said he's a member of a professional body, not likely to swindle us!

I didn't really think that, was just confused because it's not what happened with him last time.

Ohh! Didn't think of that. Perhaps it's a good idea to contact the estate agent to confirm it was done.

My DS paid the week before when invoiced.

Why the issue? He's booked to do it.

I doubt that’s necessary. I would call him though, which is always sensible if you’re paying something that’s been emailed. You should confirm the bank details are his.

Yeah, it's normal these days. I had a survey in 2022 and paid before they entered the premises, I'm having one next week and they want payment 24 hours in advance of the appointment.

As to the 'some time next week', they probably just haven't been able to confirm access arrangements yet. I wouldn't take it as anything nefarious, esp if the surveyor is a member of the RICS.

Phone him and ask.

It's all fine, I called him with the excuse I needed to check the reference -, definitely the same guy as before and the report is being typed up, so I've put the payment through. He told me the house is immaculate, which was nice 😊.

That’s not a given, I’ve just had a L3 survey done and didn’t pay until I had received the report.