Building Surveyor

[slick132]

I'd expect a survey to disclose serious issues such as wall cracks, bowing walls, damp problems, old style consumer panel with wired fuses, etc.

 

Beyond that, a lot of surveys will refer to items saying they look ok but need to be checked by a Competent Person. Eg, the survey will refer to the electrical system saying :-

 

The electrical system appears to be working and has a consumer panel possibly replaced 10 years ago. For a detailed report as to the the safety of the system, and compliance with existing NICEIC Regulations, a full electrical report should be obtained from a qualified electrician.

 

The same would be said about the central heating system, the hot and cold water systems, the roof, the floors and the rainwater goods (guttering). The surveyor is NOT a qualified electrician, gas engineer, plumber, etc.

 

He's certainly not required to flush water down every gutter to see if the gutters are clean and free of leaks.. But I'd expect a general description about how the gutters look, if they're old cast iron or modern plastic, if there are any obvious problems such as missing gutter brackets causing a "drop" in a run, or gaps in downpipe runs, etc.

 

If you want detailed reports on gutters, central heating, electrics, etc, you can pay for separate reports from qualified or competent persons.

 

Otherwise, you'd normally buy a property and deal with problems as and when you see them.

 

A good idea is to go round the property before you buy with a competent general builder who can tell you about the general look of electrics, central heating, roof, gutters, walls, etc.

 

If you don't pay for the survey you've ordered, you'll probably be taken to court. You'll always find cheaper offers online but I'd rather go to a local surveyor who's likely to know issues that are more common in a particular area. Best option is to use someone you know or is recommend by someone you know personally.

[slick132]

So can a builder give a better report than a Building surveyor.

 

That's not what I said. In addition to the survey you select, you can get a good idea about various aspects of the property by going round with a builder. He can point out areas of concern and give a rough idea of likely costs to remedy problems.

 

 

If the building survey does not bring out all the details, then which other kind of report will.

 

I answered this clearly above. If you feel the need or desire, get a competent person to report on their particular speciality, be it an electrician, central heating engineer damp specialist, etc.

 

The surveyors , just like landlords, always are among the cunning lot..

 

 

And I am not keen on him pouring water using a bucket, but it is for him to determine if the gutter is good enough. Saying the weather is not there to help him when he was out there to survey is a funny ( actually cunning ) excuse. If it was raining , he might have said that as it was raining, he did not want to get his trousers muddy and so did not step out in garden to check. Or he would say that as it was hot wind blowing, he would have got sunburns while doing the inspecting roof.

 

I won't dignify the rest of your post with a reply, in case I also get branded as part of "the cunning lot".