DIYbanter - View Single Post - OT

Tim Watts[_3_]

On 15/07/15 13:09, wrote:

Surveys seem to be almost valueless in most cases. You get a list of
disclaimers that leave more or less nothing of value. If examination
has revealed no signs of structural problems, no flying freehold, the
taps work etc, what really will a survey add. Other than interpreting
some structural issues the rest its not hard to check yourself.

I've had surveys pick up stuff and occasionally provide additional info
that was interesting.

However, they are not really good value for money. An EICR costs about
1/3 of a full survey and gives you full circuit tests and a sample of
inspections. Can still miss things though - but the overall picture is
pretty accurate.

Same goes for the usual house risks, eg flood, mining subsidence,
explosion etc.

I think you need to know something more than that. There's new neat
unsafe wiring and old mucky safe wiring. Take a pic of the CU & board
and show us.

Indeed.

And there's really ****ty old wiring and wiring with sheaths cut back,
bits of lead cable, rubber cable (I have seen both in houses I looked at
a few years ago).

Walk around the floors and look for bouncy or wobbly bits.

If you find those, interpretation is still needed.

Yes - but if you do, you know that you need to look harder. Is it a
loose board or a rotten joist?

But in addition, you can also pay for an electrician to do an EICR
(electrical installation condition report) - that'll be 200-300
ish.

I think you'd get better mileage from showing us a pic of the CU &
board.

Disagree. The OP can do that and will get value. But EICRs are about the
only reasonable inspection regime I know of, seconded by a drain CCTV
(that will tell you if your drains are cracked or full of roots but not
if they are merely leaking).

You could also pay a GasSafe person to do a Gas Safety check and
boiler inspection.

You could also get the drains CCTV surveyed.

bit OTT if they work though

Just saying...

Out of those, the EICR offers the most useful check for the money
IMO, over and above what you can see yourself.

The important thing is take your time - refuse to be rushed. Take
some pictures. Mark on the agent's floor plan where the sockets and
rads are. This will let you spent some time planning your layout
when you move in.

If you think it could do with an immediate paintjob, I recommend
paying for moving with a few days storage as a buffer and getting
the place hit in one go by the painters.

Can the OP not paint?

DIY painting vs storage costs? Another "just sayin". if the place is
sound but grubby, it could be very attractive to get it hit with a full
inside paintjob just before you move in rather than spin it out for
months. If it is OK-ish, then not.

Book a carpet clean too. It is all so much easier to do when the
place is devoid of furniture.

no, buy a carpet cleaner, one with a solution pump. It'll save you a
whole set of carpets, probably more than once.

Of course, most people don't do half these things, but some do do
some of them, so I merely present as a pool of ideas, not as a
"must do list".

As for solicitors - many are useless and slow. Try to find one with
a reputation of being ruthlessly efficient - they do exist.

Be aware of people promising to be fast then proceeding at a rate of
snail.