House survey while purchasing

markpb

I bought a 22 year old house a few weeks ago and had a routine survey done prior to purchase. The survey didn't point out any problems of note. Yesterday we opened the second left of a ground floor patio door for the first time and a few minutes later, the door broke apart and fell on the ground because the wood was completely rotten.

I'm kicking myself that we didn't try to open the door earlier but surely this is something the survey should have covered? Is it possible that I have some comeback there or should I just suck it up and try to claim on the house insurance?

Sleepy

Unless the patio door is explicitly stated as being in good or better condition in the survey, you've nothing to come back to them on.

Can't see house insurance covering rotten patio doors either tbh so I think it's just a "suck it up" situation.

FortySeven

Similar happened to me but cost me everything. They missed bats in the attic, wet rot and dry rot. Surveys are not worth the paper they are written on and no comeback.

riclad

Regardless of a survey ,is it not wise to open the doors in a house when you view it ,unless the door is locked .
i got a full survey,it pointed out all the issues in the house,
did not miss anything.

Sleeper12

I'll be slated for saying this but a surveyor really isn't good enough to Inspect a property before buying. Don't forget every property in priory Hall was inspected by surveyors on behalf of the banks lending for the purchase. In most cases the people buying engaged surveyors too.
Personally I'd have a building engineer's report any day rather than a surveyor. This aside they all have a get out of jail free state somewhere in the report.
The guy only opened one of the double doors & missed the rot. Not the end of the world. My sister bought a house & her surveyor couldn't find any sign of damp in the house. I pointed out to him a water mark on every downstairs wall about 10 inches about the floor. He said it was a bad paint job. Sale went through & it turns out that the house had been flooded twice. She managed to reverse the sale because her solicitor asked seller solicitors in writing before sale went through if house had been flooded. The seller lied. The revenue wouldn't refund a penny of the stamp duty she paid. She thanks God or whoever every time she passes the house during the winter when she sees sand bags around the front door.
OP it's a little glitch on the grand scale of things. Put it behind you and enjoy your new home.

Claw Hammer

Was the "survey" simply a bank valuation. If you commissioned your own survey and got a report you could certainly sue the surveyor for negligence.

Sleepy

I'd say it's unlikely that you could tbh Claw Hammer. Did you read the first 2/3 pages of your survey when you got one done? They're pretty much always a massive disclaimer and I can't see any surveyor lasting long in the business if they didn't know how to write the report in very couched terms.

SarahMollie

Claw Hammer wrote: »

Was the "survey" simply a bank valuation. If you commissioned your own survey and got a report you could certainly sue the surveyor for negligence.

This isnt true, a survey is a "visual inspection only" and there are tonnes of clauses to absolve them of responsibility.

On another point, a previous poster said all appartments in Priory Hall would have been surveyed - also not true. Banks typically only require it for older properties (BOI for example if its over 40 years), and we've no way of knowing how many buyers did one off their own bat.

Hazydays123

Since somebody mentioned pyrite here it's been on my mind. Can the average survey tell you whether pyrite is present or not in the building?
If not, then how do you get a property tested for it and what would make you suspicious enough to go down that route?

Sleeper12

Hazydays123 wrote:

Since somebody mentioned pyrite here it's been on my mind. Can the average survey tell you whether pyrite is present or not in the building? If not, then how do you get a property tested for it and what would make you suspicious enough to go down that route?

Average surveys will not pick it up unless it's so bad it looks like the crooked house in a funfair. If a survivor sees cracks they'll be mentioned on the report. The report would say crack noted above front door (for example). Report then says these cracks should be monitored to see if there is still movement

RORY O CONNOR

Any competent surveyor/engineer should be well aware of issues concerning Pyrite and should have a pretty good knowledge of which estates are affected. It would be normal practice to look for visual evidence of Pyrite in homes constructed since 1998 in certain parts of the east coast of the country.

Older houses may have had an extension added which possibly might be affected by tPyrite.

Gumbo

SarahMollie wrote: »

This isnt true, a survey is a "visual inspection only" and there are tonnes of clauses to absolve them of responsibility.

On another point, a previous poster said all appartments in Priory Hall would have been surveyed - also not true. Banks typically only require it for older properties (BOI for example if its over 40 years), and we've no way of knowing how many buyers did one off their own bat.

That's the current rules. Back in 2006 and surrounding years it was nearly mandatory. I bought 3 times during the term and every time we had to engage a surveyor. All new builds too.

The only time we were not forced to engage one was last year buying a property that was built in 1996.

Gumbo

Hazydays123 wrote: »

Since somebody mentioned pyrite here it's been on my mind. Can the average survey tell you whether pyrite is present or not in the building?
If not, then how do you get a property tested for it and what would make you suspicious enough to go down that route?

No not a chance. The visual give always including particular cracking and architraves sticking against doors etc could be noted on the report but a pyrite inspection is an invasive inspection and can only be carried out by the home owner as it involves coring into the ground floor slab and sub floor material.