house purchase questions

[tali122]

which is more likely to highlight problems in a house purchase -the surveyors valuation or conveyancing local searches ? -is it worth doing an enviromental search for a resendtial street -do comprehensive searches give me more "bargaining power" to find faults to reduce the price ? - and do vendors reduce the price or will they gamble for the next potential purchaser -what would you do if you were a purchaser AND also as a vendor?
thanks

[Ethel]

The surveyor finds problems with the property itself , the local searches find problems with the immediate area that affect the property.

If I were buying a property more than 30 years old and/or unusual in any way I would have the most comprehensive survey available. You should scrutinise the searches and do your own homework of the area.

I would use any problems that come to light to haggle the price - if I still wanted to buy.

If I were the vendor and the buyer found too many faults I would want to know why the heck he still wanted to buy it!

[buildersmate]

The environmental search checks if any near neighbour has permission to store chemicals, store or dispose of rubbish (licensed tip), has permission to extract water from a borehole, or permission to dispose of effluent into a watercourse - that sort of thing. I'm not convinced its worthwhile in a residential area because if one has one's wits about one, you'd have done such a tour around the immediate area anyway. If its a mixed area, with some light industrial premises, its maybe worth having.

[tali122]

thanks both for info, i am very familiar with area as i lived there for 28 years! but was wondering whether known info that becomes "official "on a conveyancing search gives me scope for negotiation on the price