Forum Topic

Local Surveyor and Solicitor

I’m buying a property in Chiswick and would prefer to use a local surveyor who is familiar with the area and Hounslow planning department. I will not be needing a mortgage but the property is very run down and whilst I have a rough figure of what costs will be involved I need an experienced surveyor who can do a full building survey. If would be great if they had some “vision” as to what might be possible with the property although I appreciate that is not necessarily an additional area of expertise.  Any recommendations for a local solicitor would also be welcome as ideally I would like them to be familiar with Chiswick and that they might be close by to “call in”. I realise that most of the transaction can be online but that back up is always useful in an emergency.Many thanks. And apologies for this question having been asked many times before but it’s always good to get recent recommendations.

Caroline Webb ● 1710d8 Comments

we have used sutton mattocks solicitor in chiswick to buy and sell.when we were thinking about a project we got building firms to quote which gave us a good idea of all the costs. i used a surveyor in Richmond who our estate agents in chiswick recommended who does a lot of chiswick properties- happy to give you the name if you want it.

Jenny Clark ● 1710d

Caroline I have sent you a PM

Janice White ● 1709d

I have read countless 'full' survey reports over the years and increasingly they seem more intent on protecting their indemnity policies than actual providing anything conclusive.All too often they will recommend a specialist to report on;The roof, the damp proof course, the electrics, the boiler, the structure, the windows, the floors etc etc and you are just left with many more questions than answers.I appreciate I am not being very helpful and hopefully you will find someone to provide a meaningful report but be prepared too be disappointed.

Adrian Irving ● 1709d

As a surveyor myself I would largely agree with Adrian. Most surveyors do not lift floor boards, get into the roof, etc. They also aren't qualified to comment on whether the boiler or electrics are ok. On a number of occasions I have read structural surveys where Joe Public would be horrified and never buy the property where in fact there isn't actually that much of consequence wrong with it.  Unfortunately though we live in a litigious society where a person buying a house having only paid for the most basic report then wants to sue for every defect that comes to light.I have been asked on many occasions by friends to 'just have a quick look' at a wreck they are buying and I decline. If someone is buying a wreck they should assume they are going to have to do everything. My advice to friends starts with 'you know you are going to have to do everything so all you really want to know is whether it is going to fall down, not whether the wallpaper is peeling in bedroom 4 or a window is rotten'. Once they've digested that for a few seconds they agree and I tell them to get a structural engineer to look at it. Structural engineers are comparatively cheap and practical as a profession. Even if you have a full structural survey done by a chartered surveyor, if there is cracking or movement the surveyor will almost certainly tell you that you need an engineers report anyway

david ward ● 1709d

There is often a lot of wall to wall carpeting and since they won't lift it I agree there is often a lot not inspected.

Philippa Bond ● 1709d

David thank you for your candid post every word of which I agree with.A wreck is a wreck but as you say what you need to know is the state of the basic structure and a structural engineer's detailed report will be a sound investment.With regards to choosing someone to carry out the conveyance I would strongly suggest you find someone that you can actually speak to on the phone and get to see in person to go through matters. I know this is sadly a rather outdated way of doing things but it will go a long way to keeping your stress levels from going through the roof.

Adrian Irving ● 1709d

Always ask for a sample/anonymised previous report before engaging a surveyor to judge the quality and depth. And never skip of skimp on getting a full survey done, it's saved our bacon several times. Let someone else be saddled with a lemon.

John Hall ● 1709d

My golden rule when looking at a property (and I have bought quite a few, it's what I do for a living) is to always view it at least twice. It frequently surprises me when I notice things (sometimes fairly obvious) on a 2nd viewing/inspection that I did not spot on the first one. Probably because i'm caught up with the idea of buying it and what I can do with it.Also, PLEASE dont believe the various property programs on TV where they say people have refurbished a 3 bedroom house for £10k. Refurbishing property to a good standard is expensive and time consuming. Even more so now because materials and labour costs have gone up a lot in the last year. That's if you can find builders at all.......

david ward ● 1708d