Building survey

[VillageContractor]

Any recommendations for a building surveyor?

[DimPrawn]

Any recommendations for a building surveyor?

Yes, get a good one at a good price.

HTH BIDI

[WTFH]

1. What age is the property? If it’s old, expect them to find issues.

2. Are you looking for a basic one, or a detailed one? Detailed is better, but is more of an insurance cover for the surveyor

3. How nervous are you? If you’re buying an old house it will have issues. You have to decide how much you want the house compared to how nervous you are. Our house has no damp course. No foundations. No wall insulation. One of the chimneys has a lean of about 15deg. It’s roughly 200 years old and hasn’t fallen down yet.

[VillageContractor]

I think it's a 1930s house. I expect to find issues but considering its the biggest purchase I'm going to make I'd like to know everything before purchasing

[Benny]

I think it's a 1930s house. I expect to find issues but considering its the biggest purchase I'm going to make I'd like to know everything before purchasing

Look out for corroded wall ties

[AtW]

Make sure to bleed the radiators...

[jamesbrown]

I think it's a 1930s house. I expect to find issues but considering its the biggest purchase I'm going to make I'd like to know everything before purchasing

Kick it a few times and make sure it isn’t lying about its age, but you probably don’t want to know everything before purchasing. In other words, treat it like a Saturday night with nlady.

[Zigenare]

Look out for corroded wall ties

There is a caveat to this.

Depending on the age of the property they won't find wall ties using a metal detector, our wall ties are made of slate! The surveyor appointed by the Halifax didn't take this into consideration and marked "Evidence of Wall Tie failure" on his report. We paid for our own surveyor's report and the chap was brilliant. Needless to say his report was accepted without qualms by the lender.

[WTFH]

I think it's a 1930s house. I expect to find issues but considering its the biggest purchase I'm going to make I'd like to know everything before purchasing

A wedding ring (or a job lot of them if you're Brillo) is the biggest purchase you'll ever make.

As for knowing everything about the house, that can be dangerous. What you really should want to know is the important stuff - are cracks on internal plaster just cracks, or are they a reflection of external ones?
Are there any big trees nearby that could affect the foundations?
Is there damp in the corners of rooms?
Has the central heating been maintained?

How many imperfections can you live with?

[Halo Jones]

I may be biased but I would always go with a Chartered Surveyor becauseA) they have to prove they know what they are talking about, B) if there is a problem you have some recourse to a "higher level".
Not always the cheapest but as a house is likely to be your largest expenditure, is now the time to skimp?

Here is the link to search for a local Surveyor