Hello dear home builders / renovators / restorers!
We are currently looking for a house in our town. At the moment, we rent half of a house, which is only separated from the neighbor by a partition wall.
We renovated and moved into our living area two years ago (wallpaper, tiles, ceilings). So, our living space is finished.
The neighbor’s side is only partially renovated, as the basement rooms (old laundry room, etc.) are unused and still have the 70s/80s style charm.
On Sunday, we have the first meeting with the landlord (with whom we get along well) to clarify some initial questions.
Now to my concern:
Does it make sense to contact a professional / building surveyor to thoroughly inspect the property? We are not unskilled in DIY and want/can handle some renovations ourselves. But we do not feel confident judging whether the asking price matches the condition of the property.
Who can or should one involve for assistance? Is this a common practice? How have you approached this?
Best regards
SaTo12
We are currently looking for a house in our town. At the moment, we rent half of a house, which is only separated from the neighbor by a partition wall.
We renovated and moved into our living area two years ago (wallpaper, tiles, ceilings). So, our living space is finished.
The neighbor’s side is only partially renovated, as the basement rooms (old laundry room, etc.) are unused and still have the 70s/80s style charm.
On Sunday, we have the first meeting with the landlord (with whom we get along well) to clarify some initial questions.
Now to my concern:
Does it make sense to contact a professional / building surveyor to thoroughly inspect the property? We are not unskilled in DIY and want/can handle some renovations ourselves. But we do not feel confident judging whether the asking price matches the condition of the property.
Who can or should one involve for assistance? Is this a common practice? How have you approached this?
Best regards
SaTo12
B
Bauexperte22 Oct 2015 21:53Good evening,
Definitely!
That’s exactly what an expert specializing in masonry and existing buildings can help with.
Is it common practice? It’s definitely the right and safer approach!
You might only look at the walls, maybe check if the insulation below the rafters is still okay—but that’s probably about it. Because, for example, not every damp glass element is necessarily damaged 😉
First, talk to the landlord alone on Sunday and listen to what they have to say. If the property is still of interest afterward, tell them that you would like to have the building’s structure assessed by an expert so you can better estimate the “renovation costs.” Explain to the landlord that this approach isn’t about mistrust, and I’m sure—unless they can provide a complete record of maintenance work on the house over recent years—they will understand your request.
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), an expert would likely charge around €400-600 (including documentation) for an afternoon’s work. In your region, probably less. Even if not, it’s well-invested money that you can easily recover through savings on renovation costs. 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
SaTo12 schrieb:
Does it make sense to contact a professional / building expert to thoroughly inspect the property?
Definitely!
SaTo12 schrieb:
But we don’t feel confident judging whether the purchase price matches the condition of the property.
That’s exactly what an expert specializing in masonry and existing buildings can help with.
SaTo12 schrieb:
Who should you turn to for help?
Is this even common practice?
Is it common practice? It’s definitely the right and safer approach!
You might only look at the walls, maybe check if the insulation below the rafters is still okay—but that’s probably about it. Because, for example, not every damp glass element is necessarily damaged 😉
First, talk to the landlord alone on Sunday and listen to what they have to say. If the property is still of interest afterward, tell them that you would like to have the building’s structure assessed by an expert so you can better estimate the “renovation costs.” Explain to the landlord that this approach isn’t about mistrust, and I’m sure—unless they can provide a complete record of maintenance work on the house over recent years—they will understand your request.
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), an expert would likely charge around €400-600 (including documentation) for an afternoon’s work. In your region, probably less. Even if not, it’s well-invested money that you can easily recover through savings on renovation costs. 😉
Regards, Bauexperte
Good morning,
Thank you for your detailed response.
You have already answered my next question regarding the cost of an expert inspector.
Here, it is certainly cheaper... I am estimating around 300€.
If we are still genuinely interested in the house after speaking with the landlord, it makes sense to hire an expert inspector. The costs can then be included in the price negotiation.
Can the inspector also provide an assessment of the heating system? Probably not 😀, so I will consult a specialist for that.
Thank you!
Thank you for your detailed response.
You have already answered my next question regarding the cost of an expert inspector.
Here, it is certainly cheaper... I am estimating around 300€.
If we are still genuinely interested in the house after speaking with the landlord, it makes sense to hire an expert inspector. The costs can then be included in the price negotiation.
Can the inspector also provide an assessment of the heating system? Probably not 😀, so I will consult a specialist for that.
Thank you!
B
Bauexperte23 Oct 2015 10:33Good day,
The problem when inspecting an existing property as an amateur – I include myself here, by the way – is that we only notice the visible aspects. However, these may only have cosmetic relevance. Everything hidden from our eyes is important to know because it usually requires the largest investment during renovation. Therefore, I think it’s good that you are wise enough, in your own interest, to bring in expertise – assuming the first conversation goes well for you!
I deliberately recommended a specialist because someone who is experienced in existing buildings deals with these issues every day and stays up to date. An architect could certainly be consulted as well; on the other hand, I personally prefer to have something tangible, which an architect will probably not provide in most cases. Architects, like specialists, are only human and can make mistakes. That’s why, in my opinion, it is very helpful to have a written report that can later – in the worst case – serve as evidence for the liability of the person issuing the assessment.
Regards, Bauexperte
SaTo12 schrieb:Or something like that 😀
If we are still truly interested in the house after talking with the landlord, it makes sense to hire an expert. The costs can then be included in the purchase price negotiation.
The problem when inspecting an existing property as an amateur – I include myself here, by the way – is that we only notice the visible aspects. However, these may only have cosmetic relevance. Everything hidden from our eyes is important to know because it usually requires the largest investment during renovation. Therefore, I think it’s good that you are wise enough, in your own interest, to bring in expertise – assuming the first conversation goes well for you!
I deliberately recommended a specialist because someone who is experienced in existing buildings deals with these issues every day and stays up to date. An architect could certainly be consulted as well; on the other hand, I personally prefer to have something tangible, which an architect will probably not provide in most cases. Architects, like specialists, are only human and can make mistakes. That’s why, in my opinion, it is very helpful to have a written report that can later – in the worst case – serve as evidence for the liability of the person issuing the assessment.
SaTo12 schrieb:He will certainly be able to tell you something about the system and its piping, for example, how much longer it can be operated, etc. For the internal components, the specialist on site should take a look 😉
Can the expert also say something about the heating system? Probably not 😀 I’ll consult a professional for that.
Regards, Bauexperte
Bauexperte schrieb:
The problem with a non-expert inspection of an existing property – I include myself here, by the way – is that we only notice surface issues. However, these are often only relevant cosmetically. Everything hidden from our view is important to know, as it usually requires the largest investment during a renovation. That is exactly my main point.
I would rather invest a few hundred € now and know what I am dealing with,
so that I can possibly avoid the biggest mistake of my life or get confirmation for a successful retirement investment 😎
I already have the documents for the house in front of me. These include building plans, property information, land registry extract or notary excerpt (from when the house was inherited in 2004), invoice for heating system purchase/installation, and invoice for the conservatory.
1. Does the expert need these documents? Am I allowed to hand them over to him?
2. Should I inform the landlord on Sunday that we want to involve an expert? If yes, why?
3. Am I allowed to show her the documents/evaluation in my presence only, but would it be unwise to leave them with her for a longer period? (She could use them if we later decide not to buy or are unable to, etc.) Is that correct?
4. Does the evaluation serve as a basis for negotiation? Will the expert give me a “ballpark figure” of what the property should cost? For example (purely hypothetical) the seller wants 100,000€ – the expert states that due to the condition (roof issues, mold, or similar) the price should not exceed 80,000€.
Thank you very much for your help,
SaTo12
B
Bauexperte23 Oct 2015 22:56Good evening,
I almost think you and I are having a private conversation here 😀
Anything beyond “normal” renovations I would definitely bring up during negotiations. Whether it pays off for you, you’ll find out quickly based on the seller’s reaction. You just must not forget that you have no legal right to reduce the purchase price; the seller entirely sets it. If she doesn’t like your offer, no matter how much the appraisal supports your position, she will always decide based on her own interests 😉
Best regards, Bauexperte
I almost think you and I are having a private conversation here 😀
SaTo12 schrieb:I would show him the invoice for the heating system and the conservatory, like the construction plans; personal information from the land registry is, in my opinion, none of his business and you shouldn’t hand it over. They were given to you in confidence.
1. Does the appraiser need these documents?
SaTo12 schrieb:I hardly think he would be going around showing invoices to others.
May I hand these over to him?
SaTo12 schrieb:Yes, why not? I always think openness and honesty are better than secrecy.
2. Should I inform the landlord on Sunday that we want to involve an appraiser? If yes, why?
SaTo12 schrieb:You will have to show them to her when it comes to concrete negotiations, right? Whether you let her keep them is up to you; I don’t see any reason to do so.
3. May I show her the documents / evaluation in my presence, but it would be unwise to let her keep them for a period of time. (She could use them for herself in case we no longer want or are allowed to buy, etc.) Right?
SaTo12 schrieb:An appraiser will first conduct an inspection with you – and ideally the current owner – and then produce a report. This report describes the current value of the property as well as the necessary renovation work including estimated costs.
4. Does the evaluation serve as the basis for negotiation? Does the appraiser give me a “ballpark figure” for what the property should cost? For example, (purely hypothetical) the seller wants €100,000 – the appraiser states that due to the condition (roof issues, mold, or similar) it should be no more than €80,000.
Anything beyond “normal” renovations I would definitely bring up during negotiations. Whether it pays off for you, you’ll find out quickly based on the seller’s reaction. You just must not forget that you have no legal right to reduce the purchase price; the seller entirely sets it. If she doesn’t like your offer, no matter how much the appraisal supports your position, she will always decide based on her own interests 😉
Best regards, Bauexperte