2007 homeseller survey introduction

[sm_jamieson]

I know someone who had a corgi interview the other day. The corgi interviewer apparently went on about many people not being able to sell their home in 2007, due to this survey I would presume. When a seller gets the survey, and they know the recent history of the house, it will be more of a decision as to whether every little change, wiring mod etc. is mentioned I suppose. Unless you just get a company in to the the survey by the book without telling him anything. Also, I wonder if this survey will include building control etc. I expect the corgi bloke is expecting loads of inspection work in 2007 and some more corgi golden years. Do people agree / disagree with this corgi's opinions ? Simon.

[Andy Hall]

So people who don't have a properly documented history will just get an inspection done and the cost will enter the housing market - i.e. the customer will ultimately pay.

It's a complete nonsense to suggest that they won't be able to sell their home.

What it could perhaps do, is to raise the issue of CORGI's monopoly again. Last time the HSE looked at this, it was decided not to bother to allow more organisations on gas safety. For the Part P electrical requirements of the Building Regulations there are 5 approved organisations. So paradoxically for CORGI, this apparent new market could well imply additional organisations competing with them, and it would not be before time.

[s--p--o--n--i--x]

The majority of people genuinely can't remember what they have done to their homes.

[Andy Hall]

Exactly, so the net effect is another bullshit tax.

[Mike]

Although you will have to fill in the forms, it will be quite acceptable to write "not known" or "information not available" across every question just as it is with the current solicitors information form. It is then up to the purchaser to decide to proceed or not. If the regulations were tightened more in response, you would see more properties moving to some sort of auction, albeit one with possible an indefinite time period and high reserve, where no guarantees on the property being auctioned exist.

[Ed Sirett]

Apparently on the ball conveyancing clerks are starting to ask for certificates on the state of the gas/water/electric installations.

The effect of this legislation, IMHO, will be to fragment the housing market into certified and uncertified segments. It's not clear to me just what the relative size of the two markets would be. It is likely to depend on a number of factors. However I suspect strongly that mortgage lenders will take the line of least resistance and only lend against 'benchmark' houses. If that happens almost all houses will be 'to standard' and it will take a great deal of marginally necessary work to get them up to the the letter of the regs. If however mortgages were available for any house then I suspect that only the top of the market will get the 'A1' certificates.

[Mike]

Mortgages are available for any property, even derelicts, otherwise the auction market would die whereas it is in fact possibly healthier than normal sales at the current time. You just have to look a bit harder for the money. But at the end of the day there's a huge amount of money out there to be lent and currently only a limited number of people looking to borrow.

[Richard Faulkner]

Ed,

In 1991 I did a course on the New Estate Agent Regulations and David Perkins talked about a future where every house for sale had a log book, service record, and survey, and a title document and search, in the file. He also talked about buyers having pre-arranged finance. This would enable the deal to be done in the estate agents office, (with a few faxes involving the lender and the Land Registry), thus putting solicitors out of business, (or forcing them to become estate agents).

It's not dissimilar to the car market really, and those properties with more information will be more valuable, (how much, remains to be seen).

[Ed Sirett]

It will be interesting how it all works out. If the scheme takes off (or is forced to) then there will surely be a huge industry of getting and certifying houses as "ready".

Note to self: Join an electrics guild next year in readiness.

[Huge]

[54 lines snipped]

Indeed. And when I buy a car, I don't believe a single word the vendor tells me - And I'm the same with houses. Never in a million years am I going to trust a survey performed by the vendor.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The vendor of my present house had a recent report from one of those woodwork/damp treatment firms stating no work was needed. I found wet rot easily in the cellar on my own inspection.

I got several free surveys from specialist firms - including the original one who said nothing was needed, which all specified a series of works. So draw your own conclusions.

(At that time, most BS required a warranty against woodwork problems and damp etc to be in force for at least 10 years.)

[Richard Faulkner]

I have been saying this ever since it was first mooted. There is nothing to stop a seller with a dodgy house bribing a surveyor, or merely having several surveys and picking the best one.

[Huge]

Or unpicking the folder and retyping the contents.

[Steve Firth]

And the entire thing introduced for the most ludicrous reason. President Blair was miffed because he sold his house in Islington when he moved into No 10. The fool thought that selling a house in Islington was a good move the peopel who bought it from him resold for about twice what they paid for it not quite a year after buuying it. El Presidente was V. v. mad about this because the people selling it had done nothing to improve the house just bought and sold it. So he decreed that buyers shoudl be told how much the seller had paid and when and then dressed it up woith some more guff to make the homeseller pack.

[Ed Sirett]

I think it will be similar with the specialist surveys:

Electrician: You can't have a 'tificate it's not good enough. It's going to to take 3k to bring up to scratch. Householder: You're the second bloke who's said that. Is it possible to make some sort of compromise? Electrician: Well if I replace that cracked socket and the duff light switch. Make out a ticket. That'll be a grand. Houseolder: £900 for cash? Electrican: It's a deal.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've heard some s**te in my time, but this takes the biscuit.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I just retrieved all the deeds to my house, as they are of no legal value anymore. I can see how much each previous owner paid for the house, and how much their mortgage was for. Actually, I can tell who owned the land all the way back to 1652 which was facsinating, and went back much further than I imagined it would.

[Steve Firth]

Yeh, and even sadder becuase it's true.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Are you IMM, Steve? Saying things are true just because you believe they are?

[Doctor Evil]

These two are mad.

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