Surveyor : help please : buying property

mkdon

Please forgive me as have little experience here but at what stage does one use the services of a surveyor
what exactly do these guys do,?

and after paying for their services if find something like Pyrite this means you are out of pocket of a couple thousand right and back to square one in search for a house or would the seller have to pay this for not specifying?

any recommendations on any inparticular?

Bananaleaf

mkdon wrote: »

Please forgive me as have little experience here but at what stage does one use the services of a surveyor
what exactly do these guys do,?

and after paying for their services if find something like Pyrite this means you are out of pocket of a couple thousand right and back to square one in search for a house or would the seller have to pay this for not specifying?

any recommendations on any inparticular?

Hi there

After having gone sale agreed you would engage with a surveyor.
They check the house over to make sure that it is structurally sound and will look for evidence of pyrite, sloping, leaks etc. It's a visual inspection, so nothing invasive but they will basically tell you whether the structure is sound or not.
The survey costs about 3-400euro, not a couple of thousand.
My understanding of buying a second hand house (which is what we did) is that, what you see is what you get, so no, the seller does not pay for not specifying. Neither do they have to pay for the repairs if anything was found to be wrong with it. You would however, at that point, decide whether you still had an interest in the property and if you did, you would engage your solicitor and get them to dispute with the seller's solicitor.

The onus is on you to do the survey as a form of protection for yourself. If evidence of pyrite was found, you would be a good example of why there is a need for a surveyor's report.

Interestingly, we were told by our bank valuer that there was no need to do a structural survey if we wished to save a few bob, as the house wasn't that old. Personally, I think you'd be mad not to do it. Even if there are no major issues (which there weren't with our place) you still end up with a very valuable document and you will feel like you know your new house very well.

I can PM you the company we went with if you like. They were fantastic

Gumbo

mkdon wrote: »

Please forgive me as have little experience here but at what stage does one use the services of a surveyor
what exactly do these guys do,?

and after paying for their services if find something like Pyrite this means you are out of pocket of a couple thousand right and back to square one in search for a house or would the seller have to pay this for not specifying?

any recommendations on any inparticular?

The above post really hits all the points.
Are you buying new or second hand?

The survey is to check for obvious signs of problems. It is a visual inspection. It’s not an invasive inspection or indeed a structural inspection. It’s aim is to make sure Planning issues are not evident and that there are no obvious signed of damage.

If major cracks are noticed, they will simply be highlighted and a footnote placed on the photo that you should engage the services of a structural engineer to determine if they are minor in nature or still moving. Seasonal cracking, maybe 5mm during the course of the year can be considered minor.

Things like pyrite will manifest within 10 -15 years after the property was built. It can happen sooner but it’s an unknown science with regards to when the effects can be visable. Tell tail signs can appear beforehand.

The survey will highlight areas where you may want to upgrade in the future, the boiler for example, insulation levels and plumbing/wiring.

Most cost in the region of 400-500 here in dublin.

mkdon

Thanks for response

So if a building is affected by pyrite what does this mean exactly seems a lot of half assed building has gone on in country and pyrite affected .

Could a place still be worth buying if has pyrite?

mkdon

Thanks for response

So if a building is affected by pyrite what does this mean exactly seems a lot of half assed building has gone on in country and pyrite affected .

Could a place still be worth buying if has pyrite?

mkdon

Bananaleaf wrote: »

mkdon wrote: »

Please forgive me as have little experience here but at what stage does one use the services of a surveyor
what exactly do these guys do,?

and after paying for their services if find something like Pyrite this means you are out of pocket of a couple thousand right and back to square one in search for a house or would the seller have to pay this for not specifying?

any recommendations on any inparticular?

Hi there

After having gone sale agreed you would engage with a surveyor.
They check the house over to make sure that it is structurally sound and will look for evidence of pyrite, sloping, leaks etc. It's a visual inspection, so nothing invasive but they will basically tell you whether the structure is sound or not.
The survey costs about 3-400euro, not a couple of thousand.
My understanding of buying a second hand house (which is what we did) is that, what you see is what you get, so no, the seller does not pay for not specifying. Neither do they have to pay for the repairs if anything was found to be wrong with it. You would however, at that point, decide whether you still had an interest in the property and if you did, you would engage your solicitor and get them to dispute with the seller's solicitor.

The onus is on you to do the survey as a form of protection for yourself. If evidence of pyrite was found, you would be a good example of why there is a need for a surveyor's report.

Interestingly, we were told by our bank valuer that there was no need to do a structural survey if we wished to save a few bob, as the house wasn't that old. Personally, I think you'd be mad not to do it. Even if there are no major issues (which there weren't with our place) you still end up with a very valuable document and you will feel like you know your new house very well.

I can PM you the company we went with if you like. They were fantastic

Please pm me the details

Gumbo

mkdon wrote: »

Thanks for response

So if a building is affected by pyrite what does this mean exactly seems a lot of half assed building has gone on in country and pyrite affected .

Could a place still be worth buying if has pyrite?

Pyrite is basically a reaction in the sub floor build up.
It causes swelling and thus pushes the ground floor slab up and creates cracks everywhere. Around door frames are a common give away which causes doors to become off line and out of plumb, not closing etc

Why only pyrite?
There are many other problems that can be just as bad, Fire stoping, no insulation, no damp proof course amongst others.

What age is the property you are buying?
Check the locality for pyrite such as neighbors etc

It’s also worth noting that houses in the same block as each other can have different effects. I’ve been in houses that are perfect while the house 3 doors down was badly affected by pyrite, and this in a row of terrace houses.

rameire

I have had the same requirement as moving to D15 to a second hand hoose.
the wiff did a search on boards and came across a thread from 2003 which was very helpful.
the link is attached.
I would not recommend commenting on that thread through.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=1244846

Victor has some links in his post and this is where we found our surveyor.
cost 400 for D15.

rameire

Just reporting back,
Surveyor completed survey yesterday and had the report by 10pm same day.
report was on everything from wall dampness to ceiling, to attic to shed to windows, doors floors, fixtures fittings and everything else that could be reported on by looking at switching on, switching off.