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House Survey

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:15am
41 replies1694 views15 members subscribed
Karen67

Posts: 10

2 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 5 Aug 2018

Hi. We will be moving over in the next 6 months. Need advice on getting a survey on a property when we find one to buy. An agent said it isn’t worth having one, as surveys are generally not carried out in Spain. Has anyone had a survey done, if so was it worth while and can anyone recommend a trusted surveyor.

Many thanks in advance.

Karen & Ian

Jan

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:47am

Jan

Admin

Helpful member

Posts: 87

58 helpful points

Location: Albánchez

Joined: 12 Apr 2015

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:47am

It's always wise to have a survey done. Agents only want to sell houses , they don't really care what happens afterwards. 

We wouldnt buy a house in UK without a survey so why do they think we shouldn't have one done on Spain just because it's not the 'norm' there.

It's much cheaper to know there are problems before buying (and then not buying), than after.

I'm sure you will get some surveyors recommended on here.

TonySam

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:04am

Posts: 48

41 helpful points

Location: Albox

Joined: 23 Dec 2017

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:04am

Hi Karen and Ian,

We have just gone through the process of buying a cortijo just outside of Albox, it wasn't the first house that we liked.

We previously fell in love with a place in Arboleas, which on the face of it, needed a bit of TLC. We had a survey done that uncovered a lot more and that would have ended up costing us a small fortune.

We moved on and found our forever home following another survey by the same chap. He was very honest and thorough and not overly expensive.

As Jan states above, agents want to sell properties and most, not all, don't care once it's sold. I would definately not jump in and buy without having a survey done.

I can PM you the details of the surveyor if you like.

Good luck,

Tony

pah1547

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:02pm

pah1547

Helpful member

Posts: 323

206 helpful points

Location: Huércal-Overa

Joined: 31 Mar 2016

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:02pm

Don't know if this is going to be the same guy or not but there is a firm that advertises to do the energy surveys and they also do house surveys as well. They advertise in the Euro weekly news. Wish we had got one done before we moved as it cost us a lot more than we planned for when we bought our house. 

Would appreciate you also sending me the details who you used Tony.

Best wishes,

Paul.

Karen67

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:27pm

Karen67

Original Poster

Posts: 10

2 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 5 Aug 2018

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:27pm

TonySam wrote on Wed Sep 26, 2018 11:04am:

Hi Karen and Ian,

We have just gone through the process of buying a cortijo just outside of Albox, it wasn't the first house that we liked.

We previously fell in love with a place in Arboleas, which on the face of it, needed a bit of TLC. We had a survey done that uncovered a lot more and that would have ended up costing us a small fortune.

We moved on and found our forever home following another survey by the same chap. He was very honest and thorough and not overly expensive.

As Jan states above, agents want to sell properties and most, not all, don't care once it's sold. I would definately not jump in and buy without having a survey done.

I can PM you the details of the surveyor if you like.

Good luck,

Tony

Hi Tony

Thank you so much, that would be great if you could pass their details over to us.

I did actually think the advice from the agent was incorrect. I used to be an agent & have worked as a property lawyer U.K. so knew we should be getting a survey done.

Many thanks

Karen & Ian

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Markyb

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:06pm

Posts: 50

44 helpful points

Location: Partaloa

Joined: 18 Apr 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:06pm

Karen67 wrote on Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:15am:

Hi. We will be moving over in the next 6 months. Need advice on getting a survey on a property when we find one to buy. An agent said it isn’t worth having one, as surveys are generally not carried out in Spain. Has anyone had a survey done, if so was it worth while and can anyone recommend a t...

...rusted surveyor.

Many thanks in advance.

Karen & Ian

The agent who found my property in Almeria also advised against having a survey done. I didn't take any notice, booked a surveyor. He was excellent, he saved me a fortune as he told me to walk away from the property and not look back! The agent was furious..... 

But even better, the buyer of her personal property was also advised not to proceed by the same surveyor. So yes, its not in the interests of any disreputable estate agents for buyers to be cautious and have surveys done.

More than happy to supplu details of the surveyor.

pah1547

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 4:49pm

pah1547

Helpful member

Posts: 323

206 helpful points

Location: Huércal-Overa

Joined: 31 Mar 2016

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 4:49pm

Hi, could you please give us their details please?

Best wishes,

Paul.

beauly

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:37am

beauly

Helpful member

Posts: 206

89 helpful points

Location: La Alfoquia

Joined: 2 Apr 2018

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:37am

Karen67 wrote on Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:15am:

Hi. We will be moving over in the next 6 months. Need advice on getting a survey on a property when we find one to buy. An agent said it isn’t worth having one, as surveys are generally not carried out in Spain. Has anyone had a survey done, if so was it worth while and can anyone recommend a t...

...rusted surveyor.

Many thanks in advance.

Karen & Ian

Hi there. Why not have a survey done.  It CAN only give you reassurance. Particularly when it only costs around €70 unlike the cost in the UK.  Do not understand why someone would advise not to bother. But then we all have our own ideas. Particularly worrying if an agent suggests you are wasting your money when it costs next to nothing. We did not have one done. The only thing was we did not realise we had a septic tank, but then every one has one around us which we did not realise.

Karen67

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:25am

Karen67

Original Poster

Posts: 10

2 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 5 Aug 2018

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:25am

Hi. 

We were always going to have a survey done, it was the agent who said that surveys would be not worth the paper they’re written on.

Many thanks.

Jan

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:40am

Jan

Admin

Helpful member

Posts: 87

58 helpful points

Location: Albánchez

Joined: 12 Apr 2015

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:40am

The way we always look at it in the UK, is that a survey gives you the chance to back out of the sale or ask for a reduction in price if the work needed is worth doing.

For an Agent to say it is not worth the paper it's written on is a pretty negligent statement as how do they know? All properties are different some with issues some with not. If you have a survey and it does not throw up any major issues then it's worth it (for peace of mind) almost as much as one that does.

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