House survey

[preston]

Hello,  We have just starting the process of buying a house in SW France.  We want to have a survey done because most french houses are so old (and beautiful).  We have been quoted £1600 .  Is an architect over there as good as having a survey.  We are getting a few mixed messages over this.  Can anyone suggest someone in the Monflanquin area south of Bergerac.

Thanks for any help.

[LEO]

Almost nobody in France gets a survey done !

I am sure other posts will follow. 

[virginia.c]

I am buying slightly further north in 24 and have just had a structural survey on the property - for considerably less than £1,600.  He was recommended to me and this is the second survey he has done for me.  I have been very pleased with the reports and the advice, plus the fact that he is an English speaker.  If you pm me your contact details I will ask him to get in touch.  I know that the majority of people buying in France do not get a survey, but like many before me, I wouldn't consider making such a purchase (particularly  of an old property) without one.

Good luck with your purchase

[timc17]

It's not the norm here to have a survey done before buying as is not employing a solicitor to check the purchase document. I will use both if we buy here again for peace of mind if nothing else. The price of £1600 does seem high though. I would not expect to pay more than £1000 for a survey here. There are several UK surveyors/engineers advertised in French Property News etc so you should be able to find quite easily.

 

Tim

[cooperlola]

Try

http://www.surveyors-en-france.com/regions.html

[Ian]

A "cheaper" alternative to a surveyor is to take around an experienced builder (his advice won't have any legal clout - most surveyors are able to cover their backs too).  The builder can spot many of the practical issues, plus give you an idea of the cost of repair if needed.

Because they are efectively pitching for the work, their time to carry out the "survey" will not cost you much.

[mint]

Ian

Disagree with you most strongly.  If a survey is needed, then you need a good and experienced surveyor from the Building division of the Chartered Institute of Surveyors or a Structural Engineer.  If it's the structure of the house you are worried about, then these are the guys who will understand the structural elements of the building, their life-span, what could be salvaged and what should be demolished, whether and how to construct extensions, alterations, etc.

Most of the builders I have ever worked with (in a work situation) are barely literate, have problems following plans and are not often of a mind to accept professional advice.  Mind you, I am not talking about proper builders, for example a builder who is an Associate (or higher) of the  Chartered Institute of Builders.  I am not for one moment saying that a bit of written qualification automatically confers commonsense or knowledge.  We all know incompetent surveryors, lawyers, doctors, surgeons, etc.  However, the fact that someone has some sort of paper qualification generally means that they have at the very least follow a course of study and instruction in their chosen profession. Buildings can be very complex structures and, of course, very expensive and I personally would not effect a purchase just on the say so of some Joe Bloggs who calls himself "Joe Bloggs Building Services"

Depends on what you call "cheaper", Ian.  Cheaper can mean mega expensive in the long run.  Depends on what you think you are prepared to spend for some peace of mind over such an important purchase and investment as  your house. 

[darnsarf]

The problem with Surveyors in my experience is that they don't actually provide you with very direct, clear opinions on the state of a property. I've never received a report that steered me one way or another. They tend to talk at great length about what might lie behind a possible problem and paint a fairly bleak picture overallo, mostly it seems to protect their professional indemnity insurance premium. A Builder, on the other hand, illiterate or not, or maybe an Architecte will be much more likely to tell you how it is.

[Hagar]

Preston this old thread might help a bit http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/564563/ShowPost.aspx

It is a few years ago but still relevant I think.

As far as UK surveyors are concerned my experience has been much the same as Darnsarf's - experience using an independent  french achitect was completey different - and much cheaper.

rgds

Hagar

 

[Jo]

Have had two surveys done on two different houses we were considering, used the same french surveyor each time at a cost of 300 euros each time for a verbal report. We had nothing written, but as I was walking with him filming the house for my absent husband, having him on film would probably have been enough!!!!!