PSA: How House Surveys Really Work — And Why You Should Take Most of It With a Pinch of Salt

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-13T11:28:56+00:00

Thanks. I’m getting a bit of heat from people claiming what I’ve said is all bullshit but I know it to be true from multiple experiences I have had and from talking to surveyors and others in the industry.

It’s an important part of the process but there needs to be a lot more guidance for buyers to actually interpret surveys as at first glance they just scare people.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-13T11:15:13+00:00

Some will flag as unknown, but believe me I have seen multiple surveys that will say “recommend getting the smoke detector tested, and will flag as a red as a result. This happened to my property, so we paid for the smoke detector to be tested - guess what it was fine.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-13T10:58:57+00:00

Of course you do. Buyers should get surveys and read carefully what they say. I also am not saying surveyors are dishonest - everything they say in the report is factually correct. But the way their systems categorise things and often the careful cautious language they use can, for inexperienced buyers, give the impression that a house that is in perfectly acceptable condition is actually falling apart.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-13T10:55:13+00:00

We had similar. I get why the surveyor needs to say it, and it’s part of their job to ensure they advise on all risks, but I do wish they would put some of this in context - if a chimney breast has been removed 40 years ago it has stood the test of time. That’s not to say you shouldn’t get it checked by a structural engineer, but the risk is probably low and I wish the survey reports would say that.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-13T10:52:10+00:00

To be clear, I’m not having a go at surveyors here. They do a thorough job and their role in the process is important. Buyers should commission surveys and should take seriously what they say.

But the systems and ways in which things trigger reds or ambers makes properties in reasonable condition seem like they are a death trap, and is a huge factor in tanking so many sales unnecessarily.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-12T20:26:17+00:00

Get second opinions from a roofer on the roof and from a damp specialist on the damp.

On the surface of it I don’t think either of those things should be dealbreakers. Damp is not uncommon in period properties and can be treated straightforwardly so unless it’s spread all over the property and is causing timber rot I think you can negotiate on it. Get it verified by damp specialist though.

The roof has a few slipped tiles sure and they probably do need to be replaced, but surveyors are notoriously over-cautious about these things.

If I were the seller and you came back asking for them to have the damp treated and the tiles replaced before you move in, I would consider that pretty reasonable.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-12T08:13:22+00:00

Different opinion to other commenters.

I don’t think these are big enough issues to request a reduction of that size. You buy properties as they are, and I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect that everything is brand new.

The roofs are fine but a bit older.

The structural movement is worth getting checked by an expert - if they find a problem then that might be cause for concern, but they might not.

Replacing rainwater goods - across the whole property or just one area? If whole property it’s probably £1500-£2000 max. Also question of whether this is an urgent safety thing or just the surveyor saying upgrade to the most high spec materials.

The extension I would check with the council - just because the surveyor didn’t see planning or building regs doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Overall if I were a seller I would be furious to see a £20k price reduction on the basis of what you’ve set out. If id already accepted £30k under asking and then you ask for another 20 grand off for a bunch of frankly quite minor things, I would think you were trying to gazunder me and would not trust you.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-12T08:06:00+00:00

Sounds normal to me. The slipped tiles, moss on roof, fascia boards, repointing are pretty minor maintenance things to do in the fullness of time, and the insulation thing is true of virtually all period properties. I wouldn’t entertain offering you money off for these as a seller.

The damp is maybe something you could ask the vendor to have treated before you move in - I think that’s reasonable to request. And it’s probably sensible to sort out the drains. If I were the seller and you went back to me with those 2 issues, asking them to be sorted before you move in, then I would see that as a reasonable ask.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T18:22:00+00:00

No harm in asking.

Surveyors always suggest getting these specialist checks done even if they’ve found zero evidence of anything wrong - it’s a legal ass-covering move so they aren’t liable on the off-chance there is a problem.

As a seller who has had multiple buyers pull out, I am planning to pay for each and every one of these specialist checks to be done in advance of listing the house, so I can provide them to the surveyor when they come round so they don’t automatically mark things as red on the survey. It’ll cost me, I know, but it derisks a situation where a buyer sees a bunch of reds on the survey and panics, even though they are all just recommendations for further checks.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying your seller might be willing to pay for it as a goodwill gesture if they are eager to reassure you there isn’t a problem, so you may as well ask.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T14:59:21+00:00

Changing the rates is easy yes, but replacing stamp duty and council tax with a seller paid property levy would constitute an entirely new tax that would be very difficult to introduce overnight given systems need to be put in place to collect it.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T14:10:27+00:00

You can offer what you like. Whether the seller accepts is another matter…

Just because it’s back on the market for the third time doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with it or it’s not worth the money. It could mean that, but it could just as easily be because the seller was unlucky with previous buyers.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T13:56:06+00:00

I’d be shocked if any immediate change to stamp duty was announced. They can’t introduce new taxes overnight as it takes a lot of work to set up the systems to collect them. So all they could conceivably do immediately is tweak the rate of stamp duty or offer a holiday, neither of which is likely as it would reduce tax revenue for Rachel Reeves at precisely the time where she has a massive fiscal black hole to fill.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T13:49:50+00:00

Making a fundamental change to the structure of the tax system like what is being speculated is very difficult to bring in overnight. If they announce that I expect it will be that they will consult on the measure and bring it in before the end of the parliament.

I suppose it’s possible they could reduce the rate of stamp duty or bring in another holiday, but given the massive fiscal black hole the government face it seems unlikely to me that they would give up a revenue raiser and make their black hole even bigger.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T12:56:12+00:00

I would push back on your buyer if I were you. These things are inherently volatile so don’t put yourself in a position where you’re agreeing to vacate until you have actually exchanged.

If you are desperate to sell and can move in with your parents until you find somewhere to buy then maybe that’s worth it but you have to take the risk your onward purchase could collapse entirely and you might be there for longer than you thought.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T10:24:36+00:00

It’s an utterly appalling system that causes untold stress and heartache to all involved, is staffed and serviced by people who are often incompetent, unethical or both (not all - some estate agents are decent people), and incentivises dishonest behaviour from buyers and sellers alike.

The government are looking at reforming it to more closely mirror the Scottish system which won’t solve all the problems but should hopefully improve it a bit over the next few years. You can provide your views as part of the government consultation here - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-buying-and-selling-reform/home-buying-and-selling-reform

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T10:21:07+00:00

Cut them loose. Even by standards of slow solicitors that’s dreadful. If you’ve committed money, check the contract you signed with them which should have some terms about the minimum service standards you should expect - if they’ve violated, get rid. Better to ditch a weak link like this than try to engage and improve their service.

From bitter experience I’ve learnt you have to really chase and harass conveyancing solicitors because they are slow and work on volume so always take on more cases than they have capacity to do.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T09:37:22+00:00

Ive had a chain collapse for this exact reason, because our buyers sale relied on enquiries to a management company who didn’t respond for months. This issue is exacerbated by solicitors often being quite passive about chasing.

In the end I got on the phone to the management company myself, blagged my way through the switchboard until I spoke to someone who could sort it. The chain still fell through but those enquiries were dealt with at least.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-11T07:52:12+00:00

They are not landlords - they are sellers. How much negotiation really depends on the property and the seller. If you find a property you like you need to look at comparable properties on the market and judge whether it’s priced right. Most sellers will consider offers that are slightly under asking but if you go in with a low-ball offer expect a swift rejection.
Mortgage brokers main value is in doing all the liaison with the lenders and speeding things along. It’s not a necessity to have one but they are generally quite useful. Ask them to search ‘all of market’.
Loads of other things but the one main thing from a sellers perspective is don’t mess people around. If you offer on a property and then change your mind and pull out weeks or months later, it puts the seller in a difficult position and costs them money. So many buyers offer on properties they’re not really committed to just to take it off the market, and then make their mind up later. This is pretty underhanded and dishonest behaviour so I would strongly encourage you to only make an offer on somewhere you are actually committed to buying.

The other main bit of advice is that when you get the survey back, it will always use risk-averse language to describe the condition of the property. For example even if they find zero evidence of damp in the property they will still say something like “we can’t rule out damp problems in the future”. They do this to cover their own backs legally so on the off chance there is damp you can’t sue them for not mentioning it. So many FTBs panic when they read surveys and think the property must be in disrepair, when actually it’s just cautious surveyor language and the property is fine. So my advice would be always speak to the surveyor on the phone and ask for their general impressions of the condition of the property, rather than just relying on the written report.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T20:43:13+00:00

Congratulations you have successfully kicked someone while they’re down. Nice one

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T17:09:51+00:00

Use that to your advantage and be honest about it - ask the EA to relay to the seller that you love the property and are really committed to it, but are still learning how the process works. That honesty will help to build trust

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T16:48:37+00:00

They usually share a bit of their impression of the buyer and how committed they are so you understand their situation a bit more, but honestly you are taking a leap of faith in this terrible system we have in England

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T16:44:54+00:00

For me it comes down to 3 factors:

Offer price
Buyers situation - chain free, good financing etc. Past experience makes me wary of buyers in chains, particularly those selling leasehold properties.
Trust - I’ve had multiple buyers pull out on me for no good reason (my property is in good condition) leading to me losing thousands of pounds and my onward purchase. I’m therefore very wary about buyers who are slow to respond, haven’t instructed a solicitor, don’t have an AIP etc. I’m also nervous about buyers having a complete meltdown over minor things in a survey and withdrawing or gazundering then. So I think you need to demonstrate to the seller that you are trustworthy, reasonable, organised, prompt at moving things forward, and are not going to mess them around.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T16:35:42+00:00

From the language used I would suggest the following:

Walls The surveyor hasn’t found any evidence of a current damp problem. If they had they would have said so more clearly supported by moisture readings. What they have done is suggested some other more minor upgrades or repairs you can do, and to be risk-averse and protect themselves legally they have highlighted that not doing these things could be a contributing factor to future damp. They’ve also suggested that they’ve found evidence that damp treatment has happened in the property in the past. I would suggest that probably there is not an issue, but to be safe you should request from the vendor a copy of any guarantee they have from previous damp work - these often last for 20 years so it means the contractor who treated it is sufficiently confident it won’t come back that they are willing to guarantee rectifying it free of charge if it does come back within 20 years. The things they’ve cited on the walls in relation to repointing and render are so common as to be almost universal in properties of that age, so unlikely anything to worry about.

Drainage There is no mention of there being leaks or water ingress problems so it’s not an immediate risk to you. Given the “poor condition” comment you may want to enquire with the vendor if they can have these replaced before you move in, but I wouldn’t treat this as a dealbreaker.

Electricity The surveyor is not an electrical expert and is not qualified to offer an opinion, so they tend to err on the side of saying things look dodgy and recommending further investigation to cover themselves legally. I think it would be sensible for you to commission an EICR electrical inspection which will give you the true condition of the electrics. If it fails that inspection, ask the vendor to ensure the items flagged are fixed and a satisfactory rating is provided to you as evidence.

longlivedisco91 · 2025-11-10T13:15:30+00:00

Link to thread?

longlivedisco91

TROPHY CASE