Owning your own home

Any conveyancer then, I guess?

Survey for our house purchase has been done. Mostly fine, though it seems some safety certificates are absent and it's highlighted issues with the roof.

What's the consensus, would we be wise to reduce the offer or request some work is carried out?

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I had similar on my survey (probably worse than yours). Got quotes from 3 roofers based on survey. Reduced offer based on the quotes. If you ask the vendor to carry out the work you risk them having the cheapest cowboy round to fix it and then you'd only have to get someone else in once you move in to put things right.

Our survey was pretty much suggesting a full re-roof but we've had 2 companies round and both have said it will be fine with some relatively minor repairs.

Saw a house yesterday evening, offer in this morning, knocked back, raised slightly and accepted. What the fuck do I do now?

Stage 1 complete, congrats.

Book the survey and use it to get the price back where you want it. It looks to be becoming a buyers' market again so hopefully you'll be able to bargain with success.

Nice one! Do you have a Decision in Principle from a mortgage lender?

Celebrate. Buy blow.

Put it all on red, buy two houses.

Yeah but this was a little while ago. need to speak to mortgage people again I guess!

Surveys - obviously the lender will send someone round to make sure the place actually exists but who does the "proper" survey, independent person?

Book the survey and use it to get the price back where you want it.

Sounds a good plan however we only had to raise our offer by 3k. Ha, "only 3k" - what have I become? Let's see what the survey throws up...

You can usually request to 'upgrade' the standard mortgage valuation up to a Homebuyers or even a Full Building Survey. May be a little cheaper than going independent, plus the mortgage valuation they then provide to the lender could be more accurate too.

the only expensive issue is the verge, really. once they are up there, removing the tiles and replacing the felt should not be too difficult. the felt projection into the gutter should be replaced, otherwise water runs down the wall and wrecks window frames. prob what is happening in the first floor ensuite...

get at least one quote to do the work - def.

@Dry @BRM cheers folks, will make some calls

unless you are confident the house is good, go for a full structural or stick with the box-check mv.

the homebuyers is 400 squid. most surveyors are on 100plus knicker an hour - how much effort do you think goes into something they need to inspect and write a report on in four hours? 1 hour travel there and back, one hour survey, one hour to write the report and an hour to do the admin.

on the most expensive thing you will ever purchase? especially when they can caveat it to fuck with surveyor speak...

Any opinions on the accuracy of Zoopla's property value calculations, and is there anywhere else reliable online to get a second opinion (without giving my contact details to estate agents)?

When we remortgaged, we only knew the Zoopla estimate but the bank's valuation was a couple of grand higher. Not far off at all.

My mortgage advisor uses Zoopla and he is the one who negotiates with the lender on my behalf. So I've made sure to refine the estimate on the site as before it was listed without double glazing, GCH etc and did not have a reception room (which it definitely has).

Zoopla reckons it's gone up 50% in two years, which if my advisor can make stick with the Halifax, will make the next mortgage deal significantly better than the one I'm on now.

We moved. We're living out of boxes. The mortgage is fucking crippling.

Congratulations :)

Ooh, I just had a fiddle with refining the estimate, added GCH, double glazing and fireplaces... added on £70k!

It took four months, but the day finally arrived.

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DER TAG! Congratulations!

This is probably accurate. If you have 70 rooms in your house.

Congrats!

Congrats! That feeling when you finally have the keys in your hand.