New build, survey or snag only

Cyrus

Buying a new build and due to sign contracts next week, should i have a survey done prior to this? (house isnt complete yet i.e. kitchen isnt in etc) or just get a decent firm to do a proper snag when it is finished?

Alesto

I would do both. Any structural problems will be noted in the survey, not necessarily in the snag list and it's only an extra few hundred quid.

Most good surveyors will do both in the one go for a decent price.

Cyrus

Alesto wrote: »

I would do both. Any structural problems will be noted in the survey, not necessarily in the snag list and it's only an extra few hundred quid.

Most good surveyors will do both in the one go for a decent price.

cheers, but i cant get the snag done until the house is ready to be snagged and ill have the contracts signed at that stage...

Gumbo

It's a new build. No need for a structural survey in my opinion.
You will get a copy of the compliance with building regulations, Part A of the building regs is Structure. You will also get a copy of the completion certificate as signed by the assigned certified under the new building control amendment regulations.

By "you", I mean your legal representative.

IMO you don't need a structural survey but a good snagger.

Gumbo

Alesto wrote: »

I would do both. Any structural problems will be noted in the survey, not necessarily in the snag list and it's only an extra few hundred quid.

Most good surveyors will do both in the one go for a decent price.

Sorry but this is not the case. A structural survey is envasive and requires opening up works to inspect foundations, rising walls, beams and roof structures. No developer will allow that or any opening up works for that matter.

A survey for a new build will involve checking openings, risers/goings on stairs. Fire systems, means of escape and that. Serious elements are functioning correctly such as heating, electrics, door closing etc

Will also check for cosmetic inaccuracies.

Alesto

Apologies didn't mean structural survey, I meant pre purchase survey. Which is what we've just had done on our new build purchase.

Gumbo

Alesto wrote: »

Apologies didn't mean structural survey, I meant pre purchase survey. Which is what we've just had done on our new build purchase.

Cool. That's just a visual inspection then with emphasis based on current building regulations and throwing in anything that you feel necessary such as parking and boundaries etc

Eat of luck in the new home.

tradesman

As kceire said you are covered by compliance with building regs & also the developer should have a structural warranty. In theory my profession should not exist! (snag list surveyor) Do you bring a mechanic to the showroom to buy your brand new €30,000 car? Why should you have to get a snag list survey carried out on your €200k upwards brand new house? I have snagged many properties in London & Ireland built by the most highly regarded of developers & they still throw up over 100 issues! A good snag list surveyor will point out any structural issues they find along with the cosmetic items.By the way the least amount of issues I found on a survey was 54 in a house built in Tipperary & I considered it to be a very well built property. If you intend signing the contract before you get your snag list carried out make sure you get your solicitor to put a clause in stating it is on condition of your snag list being fully completed or words to that effect

Pkiernan

tradesman wrote: »

As kceire said you are covered by compliance with building regs & also the developer should have a structural warranty. In theory my profession should not exist! (snag list surveyor) Do you bring a mechanic to the showroom to buy your brand new €30,000 car? Why should you have to get a snag list survey carried out on your €200k upwards brand new house? I have snagged many properties in London & Ireland built by the most highly regarded of developers & they still throw up over 100 issues! A good snag list surveyor will point out any structural issues they find along with the cosmetic items.By the way the least amount of issues I found on a survey was 54 in a house built in Tipperary & I considered it to be a very well built property. If you intend signing the contract before you get your snag list carried out make sure you get your solicitor to put a clause in stating it is on condition of your snag list being fully completed or words to that effect

Priory Hall

tradesman

Exactly! Buying a new house is a gamble (as with any house) you are taking a chance hoping that everything is done correctly. That's why local authorities should be tougher on inspections as work progresses. It is impossible to check things when they are covered up with plaster & paint. The show homes look lovely all decorated & furnished but whats under the shiny walls & carpet / timber flooring?

I once surveyed a house & when looking for the stopcock in the kitchen it was not there, I eventually sussed out it was behind the sink unit! In my opinion that was the fault of the plumber. He / she should have left the stopcock far enough out from the wall so the kitchen fitter had to cut a hole for the stopcock to be sited in the base unit. Also the kitchen fitter was a lazy so & so for not cutting an access hole to be able to shut off the water in an emergency. That's the joys of construction! IMO it is all down to the foreman / finishing foreman to make sure these incidents do not occur.

SHNEY

Sorry, are you saying that a survey SHOULD be done before snagging.
I have had just the one for the bank but that wouldn't be very detailed.
Thanks.

tradesman wrote: »

Exactly! Buying a new house is a gamble (as with any house) you are taking a chance hoping that everything is done correctly. That's why local authorities should be tougher on inspections as work progresses. It is impossible to check things when they are covered up with plaster & paint. The show homes look lovely all decorated & furnished but whats under the shiny walls & carpet / timber flooring?

I once surveyed a house & when looking for the stopcock in the kitchen it was not there, I eventually sussed out it was behind the sink unit! In my opinion that was the fault of the plumber. He / she should have left the stopcock far enough out from the wall so the kitchen fitter had to cut a hole for the stopcock to be sited in the base unit. Also the kitchen fitter was a lazy so & so for not cutting an access hole to be able to shut off the water in an emergency. That's the joys of construction! IMO it is all down to the foreman / finishing foreman to make sure these incidents do not occur.

Bob24

Pkiernan wrote: »

tradesman wrote: »

As kceire said you are covered by compliance with building regs & also the developer should have a structural warranty. In theory my profession should not exist! (snag list surveyor) Do you bring a mechanic to the showroom to buy your brand new €30,000 car? Why should you have to get a snag list survey carried out on your €200k upwards brand new house? I have snagged many properties in London & Ireland built by the most highly regarded of developers & they still throw up over 100 issues! A good snag list surveyor will point out any structural issues they find along with the cosmetic items.By the way the least amount of issues I found on a survey was 54 in a house built in Tipperary & I considered it to be a very well built property. If you intend signing the contract before you get your snag list carried out make sure you get your solicitor to put a clause in stating it is on condition of your snag list being fully completed or words to that effect

Priory Hall

Yes that's a scary exemple.

Would any type of survey allowed by the developer for an individual buyer have uncovered the issues though? (I.e. would a surveyor have had access to all the right areas of the building to look at and been allowed to possibly cause some damage to look behind the finish?)

Victor

Pkiernan wrote: »

Priory Hall

Explain the comment.

tradesman

SHNEY wrote: »

Sorry, are you saying that a survey SHOULD be done before snagging.
I have had just the one for the bank but that wouldn't be very detailed.
Thanks.

The survey you had done by the bank's surveyor was for the bank to make sure they were lending the amount equal to the value of the property eg. you re asking for €100k but the house might be only worth €50k. If anything goes wrong they need to know they can recoup the money they have lent to you.

Victor

tradesman wrote: »

The survey you had done by the bank's surveyor

That's a valuation, not a survey.

The valuer works for the buyer, not the bank. The bank will insist the valuer be pre-approved.

tradesman

Victor wrote: »

That's a valuation, not a survey.

The valuer works for the buyer, not the bank. The bank will insist the valuer be pre-approved.

Maybe I took it up wrong but I presumed that when shney said the survey wasn't very detailed it was the valuation survey he had done.

Bob24

Do banks send a valuer to look at the property when it is a new build?

I have no clue as I never went through the process but it seems unnecessary to me.

Gumbo

Bob24 wrote: »

Do banks send a valuer to look at the property when it is a new build?

I have no clue as I never went through the process but it seems unnecessary to me.

Yes, in my experience.

Victor

Bob24 wrote: »

Do banks send a valuer to look at the property when it is a new build?

I have no clue as I never went through the process but it seems unnecessary to me.

No, they make the buyer hire a valuer to supply a valuation. To a certain degree, the valuer can do a 'drive by' valuation - they need to know the building exists, is essentially as included in the documents and then apply a value independent of the buyer, seller and estate agent.

Otherwise, buyer, seller and estate agent could conspire to defraud the bank.

Gumbo

Victor wrote: »

No, they make the buyer hire a valuer to supply a valuation. To a certain degree, the valuer can do a 'drive by' valuation - they need to know the building exists, is essentially as included in the documents and then apply a value independent of the buyer, seller and estate agent.

Otherwise, buyer, seller and estate agent could conspire to defraud the bank.

The banks still send their own Guy out. I was in site in clontarf recently, the MKN site, bank valuation, and met the same guy in another development behind McDonald's in artane.

I also got a mortgage out 2 years ago, and UB send out a valuer at their expense. I topped up this year to extend, and again, they sent out a valued at their expense.

the_syco

Bob24 wrote: »

Would any type of survey allowed by the developer for an individual buyer have uncovered the issues though?

Would a surveyor say that former IRA hunger striker Tom McFeelys building was unfit for people to live there? That's a tough one alright.

davo10

Yes to your own survey, even on new building. It is small money in the overall cost and can highlight issues with build. Also, it can be used to ensure developer finishes building to required standard.

To the poster who compared this to a mechanic visiting a car showroom, you buy your cars based on reputation, they have warranties and it's easy to bring a car back to a garage. We often don't know the builder, apart from Homebond there isn't much of a warranty and getting a builder back to rectify an issue or get redress for substandard work can be a nightmare.

Op, spend a couple of hundred Euro and get a thorough survey of the property.

Timelapse

Looking to get Snag/Survey done on newly built property.
Can you please PM me recommendation for a good Surveyor?

Thanks!!

Gumbo

Timelapse wrote: »

Looking to get Snag/Survey done on newly built property.
Can you please PM me recommendation for a good Surveyor?

Thanks!!

Mod Note

Timelapse,

Please do not post in multiple threads asking the same question.
Start a new thread on our subject matter if required, or check out the many threads already looking for Surveyor recommendations.

Thanks.