Getting quotes for a house you want to buy.

No, I live to far away, I was going to look in the local area and see what the going price was and advise from there.

Andy
 
Sponsored Links
You sound like you know a thing or 2 about the building trade pred...fancy a project? ;)



I was about to say I don't go "West of da river" now you say it's in Glos. is that still over the bridge or this side?
 
Also I'm going to be really busy soon if the solicitors get their fingers out! :evil:
 
You pay for professional advice

Typically, when you have a building survey done, you instruct the surveyor to advise you on the work you want doing and costs.

Don't rely on forum posts which brag about their supposed property dealing exploits, which have no relevance to your potential property, its condition or sale situation

I appreciate your comments woody. I was merely asking if I could ask a builder to accompany me on a viewing. I asked whether they charged. I wouldn't expect anyone to do it for free. I am new at this and just looking for guidance. It's a major decision and I want to get as much advice as possible before taking the next step, which may or may not include asking a builder for a quote depending on the general consensus.

I wouldn't ask for quotes on here based merely on a few badly taken photos! But guidance is most welcome. :)
 
Sponsored Links
You sound like you know a thing or 2 about the building trade pred...fancy a project? ;)



I was about to say I don't go "West of da river" now you say it's in Glos. is that still over the bridge or this side?

Depends if you go around via Gloucester or over the bridge! :D

It's directly north of Bristol as the crow flies...but over the old Severn crossing. Don't let my current location confuse you ;)
 
Unless you personally know a builder, or one comes very highly recommended from a close friend or relative and is reliable and trustworthy, then again I would not rely on any quotes, as he is quoting on "unknown work" and merely on what he "might do". Different builders "might do" things differently .... which can mean say £20k worth of difference.

I would not even rely on a builder's quote if you paid him, in this situation

Get a professional survey, and get a professional schedule of work and specification drawn up, and then give that to builders to quote. Then they are all quoting to the same specification and standard, not on their own random thoughts
 
Similar situation for us, we paid for a specification, they also gave an estimate, recommended a local builder, and then we got two further quotes for comparison. £500 outlay. Peace of mind and the recommended builder came up trumps.
 
Get a professional survey, and get a professional schedule of work and specification drawn up, and then give that to builders to quote. Then they are all quoting to the same specification and standard, not on their own random thoughts

Trouble with that suggestion is, it's a chicken and egg situation. Do people normally get surveys done on properties before they have put in an offer? What do surveyors do that a builder doesn't to asses the full extent of the problem?

I hear what you are saying but I don't have £1,000 to spend on a full survey on a house I may not even put an offer on. At this moment in time I'm looking for the best way forward on this potential money pit of a house.

I'm not scared of the work involved, I just want to get an idea on the costs, so I can make a more informed decision on what to offer. I'm happy to get a full survey done once an offer has been accepted.
 
A builder, is essentially out to earn a living and getting as much from a job as possible. An independent surveyor, has no vested interest in getting the work he recommends.

The little plaster crack, which a surveyor says fill with filler, can become a whole knock off plaster and check wall and stitch in new bricks and replaster job if you ask the wrong builder.

Saying you have not got £1k spare on what looks like a property in excess of £200k worth of risk is a bit naive

Normally you would put an offer in first. Its not binding and you can pull out when every you like. But there are times when a buyer would want a report and knowledge of costs before they know what offer to make

But the fact remains that buying a property that you know needs work doing on it, and not having that work professionally assessed, quantified and priced is asking for trouble
 
A builder, is essentially out to earn a living and getting as much from a job as possible. An independent surveyor, has no vested interest in getting the work he recommends.
Yep, good point.



Saying you have not got £1k spare on what looks like a property in excess of £200k worth of risk is a bit naive
I don't have the 1k at my disposal now, my wages are pretty tight, but the 20k+ of work needed would come from the sale of our house.


But the fact remains that buying a property that you know needs work doing on it, and not having that work professionally assessed, quantified and priced is asking for trouble
Which is why I am gleaning as much advice as possible to see what one would do in my situation. I'm learning along the way. If having to pay for a surveyor is the best way forward then so be it. Better start saving!
 
Nice part of the world, what I'm saying is allow £30k for all eventualities, I assume you like the property, in the past some properties I've viewed as a home, you get that feeling when you walk through the door, others I've seen the £s sign, so if you like it go for it, however, even here in Bristol I think things are slowing down again, so the likes of Lydney and surrounding areas should be going backwards, that,s why I say offer tops £150k and take it from there.
 
Yes pred, I get a good feel from it, but it's difficult to get past the nastiness at the start. Our present house was like that. It was smelly and painted in horrible colours. As soon as you put your own stamp on it it becomes your castle.

I think I know what the response to offering £150 will be but I suppose it's worth a go. I'm getting the feeling he wants shot of it a.s.a.p.
 
Yes pred, I get a good feel from it, but it's difficult to get past the nastiness at the start. Our present house was like that. It was smelly and painted in horrible colours. As soon as you put your own stamp on it it becomes your castle.

I think I know what the response to offering £150 will be but I suppose it's worth a go. I'm getting the feeling he wants shot of it a.s.a.p.


Offer £140 then.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top