First-Time Buyer: Hiring a surveyor or engineer?

FrankC21

Hi,

I have spoken to both of our mortgage provider and solicitor in relation with hiring a surveyor or engineer. But I have a couple of questions in my mind, it is a new house and we have placed a 5000 deposit to secure the property but at the moment the house isn't completely finished yet only the foundations and the projected completion is around November/December.

QUESTIONS:

What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?
If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?
How much do they charge (estimate)?
Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one?

terrydel

FrankC21 wrote: »

Hi,

I have spoken to both of our mortgage provider and solicitor in relation with hiring a surveyor or engineer. But I have a couple of questions in my mind, it is a new house and we have placed a 5000 deposit to secure the property but at the moment the house isn't completely finished yet only the foundations and the projected completion is around November/December.

QUESTIONS:

What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?
If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?
How much do they charge (estimate)?
Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one?

What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?

Nothing, waste of time doing it before the house is fully completed.

If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?

See above. He'll charge you for every visit if he does.

How much do they charge (estimate)?

400-1000 ballpark.

Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one?

Get one who is registered with Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and/or RIAI.

Gumbo

FrankC21 wrote: »

Hi,

I have spoken to both of our mortgage provider and solicitor in relation with hiring a surveyor or engineer. But I have a couple of questions in my mind, it is a new house and we have placed a 5000 deposit to secure the property but at the moment the house isn't completely finished yet only the foundations and the projected completion is around November/December.

QUESTIONS:

What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?
If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?
How much do they charge (estimate)?
Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one?

1. What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?

Nothing.

2. If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?

No, he has no right and no entitlement to inspect. The contractor may not let him on site at all. The house will be covered under BCAR so they will have their own Assigned certifier to inspect and issue certs of compliance.

3. How much do they charge (estimate)?

€400-€1000 give or take for a full pre-purchase survey but........

4. Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one

You may not need one. You need to snag the new home, not carry out a survey. A pre-purchase survey is to identify any possible defects, planning, building regulation issues. A new home will be freshly built, come with some form of construction insurance, have an Assigned Certifier certification through BCAR. You are required to snag only.

FrankC21

But can I still go up there and check the site or is it a bad idea, last time i saw the site was open viewing june 13 and only the foundations are up. I mean i placed 5k already i wonder will there be any progress.

Gumbo

FrankC21 wrote: »

But can I still go up there and check the site or is it a bad idea, last time i saw the site was open viewing june 13 and only the foundations are up. I mean i placed 5k already i wonder will there be any progress.

You can look from the outside.
You have no right to go onto the site unless invited and if you enter the site the Contractor will want to ensure you are a Safe Pass holder.

Typically when buying off the plans, that's it, the next time you see it will be when finished.

Dolbhad

FrankC21 wrote: »

Hi,

I have spoken to both of our mortgage provider and solicitor in relation with hiring a surveyor or engineer. But I have a couple of questions in my mind, it is a new house and we have placed a 5000 deposit to secure the property but at the moment the house isn't completely finished yet only the foundations and the projected completion is around November/December.

QUESTIONS:

What exactly will the surveyor do while the house is till in the process of construction?
If I hire one now does the surveyor actually go up to the site often to check on it while still being built?
How much do they charge (estimate)?
Our solicitor recommended one but should I look for another one?

A house is the most expensive thing you’ll buy. Spend the money on a good engineer and solicitor! And have engineer visit the site as much as you can afford. I don’t get why people just do a snag list. You get the chance to have the house checked out as it goes up.

We looked at new build last year. Had gone sale agreed. We instructed an engineer. He went through the plans in details with us and had gone on site to see the house. On threads you’ll see some difference between builders. He was able to say this is a good builder, usually no issues.

Everything can be in compliance with planning and building regulations but some houses can be built better than others. No site foreman is going to decline an engineer to go on site.

Our engineer saw the house before it was plastered. Said they had great soundproofing put in etc. He also said the time frame of builder was unrealistic and would be at least an extra 3 months and originally we were told it would December we would be in. We decided not to go ahead and pulled out but first people didn’t move on until April so our engineer was closer to it. A lot of new builds were signed off in boom and aren’t great. for what I’m spending, I want to know what’s going on.

Our engineer said the site foreman wasn’t happy with the plastering on the show house when he was on site and ordered it to be fixed. Whereas my friend was buying a house at the time and her engineer had told her the site was abit of a mess when he went on site as foreman’s fired some tradesman over quality of work. He warned her he wasn’t happy with the quality and she had huge issues with snagging on closing.

We backed out as overall the location didn’t suit us. However the back garden was going to much smaller than we told when we went sale agreed and it was going to be all sloped. Never occurred to us to ask about a sloped garden and builder wasn’t going to volunteer the info. It was our engineer who mentioned in passing that it was sloped. And tell us the orientation was different (worse) than what we were told. If these things matter, get an engineer.

We had gone on site to have a look. We just had to organise it with site foreman and he let us on site and look around. However this was phase one and the house was being constructed same time as the other houses so think that’s why they gave more leeway