Would you expect a survey (a notch up from the basic mortgage one) to point out that there are no front lintels to the windows? (according to a couple of DG folk and a builder)

The home buyer survey? Only if it was totally obvious – its just a non intrusive look round by a bloke with a tick list in my experience

No, unless there were structural issues already appearing or possibly if the windows were in poor condition. Many older houses (including mine) don’t have lintels, the window frame supports the brickwork above.

Cheers, and yes, lovely window frames are supporting.

On a couple of windows, the soldiers are clearly sagging. Whilst I now realise that the homebuyer survey is just a pile of crap, I wondered whether I had any recourse to kick off that even a visual check wouldn’t have identified this?

I’m not going to get all watchdog about it, and yes, I could have spotted it myself, but I’m a first time home buyer, and now experiencing a huge crash course in various element of houses, but is it too much to expect even a visual survey to have picked up that sagging brick may have meant there was no lintels involved.

(and yes, ultimately reclaiming my £500 fee will help towards the work involved!) 😉

When we brought our first home (1900 semi) the survey missed lots of obvious stuff. (we also found some hidden horrors whilst doing the place up)

Next house purchase we still had a home buyers survey, but we had spotted all of the stuff that was highlighted anyway – we just had a bit more experience and spent less time falling in love with the property and more time checking every area of the house

Just had one done (£700 full building survey) & the guy found lots wrong – went in the loft to check all that & prodded everything in sight plus lifted carpets. He found enough genuinely wrong with it (rather than just ‘may need attention’, that we’re walking away from the purchase.

This is 1920’s – lots of horrors being continually discovered, which is fair enough as I got a bargain and can forgive for lots of hidden issues.

It’s just whilst googling the lintel issue over last few days, I repeatedly come across statement that “survey will pick up”, and as a result, feeling a bit miffed that something that is obvious (not to me as a giddy first time buyer, but hopefully to someone you pay £500 to as a ‘pro’, even just a visual check) isn’t noticed.

He never even thought to mention that this was a bit ropey (even I spotted that on viewing!)

I know how you feel.

Just add the guy that took your money for the ‘report’ to the list of scrotes lining their pockets from this transaction.

Lintel problem you have found is not unusual in a property like this. Good window firm/installer *may* have some options for you.

I do personally feel he should at least have covered it in remarks or suggestions for further investigation.

But as you now know – the report (they happily charged you for) is just extra money for a guy — who is almost certainly doing the mortgage valuation anyway.

Sadly I also found a ‘report’ completely and utterly worthless to the punter. At least they can’t fool you twice!

Our homebuyers survey stated they could inspect the quality of the floors due to the carpet. We have no carpet. Stone floors downstairs, wooden floors upstairs. Next time it will be the cheapest survey possible and then pay a couple of tradesman to give it the once over.

Unlikely to get far, I’m surprised that it wasn’t picked up mind, I’d expect the statement even if lintels were present!

Didn’t bother with a survey for the house we ended up buying, we got one for a sale that fell through and it was a waste of time, picking up squeaky floorboards as a structural issue. I had to clarify what structural issues this would indicate, I did mention to the chap that I am a chartered structural engineer before he answered 🙂
He missed fire damage in the loft, even though he claimed to have been up there.

I will always do my own from now on and drag round a building services engineer with me.

Treat it as a lesson learned, depressing but probably not worth expending energy on it, save it for the refurb 😉

There are no doubt some excellent surveyors out there but I think that there are more than a few that have “done a course” and are out there working. When my friend sold his listed cottage the surveyor who came round didn’t have a clue; much less about old properties. He even took a picture of his Henry vacuum because he thought it looked cute!

Unless you know of a good surveyor I think the services of a good builder who has experience and an eye for detail is a better investment (and probably cheaper).

Rich.

Bear I think you payed for the survey where the guy slows down a bit as he drives past the house. However as a customer I would have reasonably expected this to be raised in a survey even if there was no immediately issue as it could impact on decisions that were in the buyers plans such as new windows. I think you have nothing to lose in working out what it has cost you and pressing for compensation to that value from his professional indemnity insurers always having the option to settle for less. Look clearly at the terms of engagement and fit your claim to that. Missing lintels would if defective bricks present be both a structural issue and impact on valuation.