Engineers, is it normal....for them to always find something wrong?

A

Andy_and_lou

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for them to always find something wrong? I just had 2 houses looked at, the first one was shot down because of the attic convertion and the second one, they are saying there is a problem with drains (btw these houses are only 2 years old)...I'm selling my house at the moment too and now I'm afraid the engineer that comes to look at my house will find something wrong too. :-|
 
You need to learn to read their reports. No house will ever be perfect - there will always be issues. The real test is (a) are they serious/fundamental or just cosmetic (b) do they need fixing at all, if yes, at what cost and to who? and (c) if they are very serious but you like the property, can you factor in the cost and time commitment to fix them in the price to offset?

Finally, if there are issues, are they so serious that they are unfixable at any price, in which case, it is unlikely that a Bank will finance?

mf
 
i agree with meathman99, they have to say some thing, even its cosmetic, i know a engineer who puts things down for that reason, these are usually cosmetic, but he has put down drains before
 
I'm more inclined to agree with mf1. Obviously there may be some unscrupulous surveyors who just put things down for the sake of it and the fee but most will presumably only put things down that are relevant and that they will help the potential buyer assess whether or not the issues are serious/fundamental or not.
 
Worth remembering that when an Engineer signs a report, such as a home inspection, they are personally liable for any errors in it (I believe it may be similiar in other lines of work but I only have experience in the Engineering field).

If they completed a report, failed to mention an issue with drains and those drains later collapsed, the Engineer who completed the report and failed to mention the issue could be (or at least opens up the possibility of being) sued.

For that reason alone most Engineers will take great care to include absolutly ever issue they identify in the report.

There is also an issue with verbal "advice". If a builder suggests something to a client and the client goes down that route the onus is on the client to ensure it's correct. If an Engineer suggests something in casual conversation (relating to his area of expertise obviously), due to the nature of the qualification, this is considered as expert advice and the Engineer can be held responsible for any errors.
To quote one of our lecturers before we went out into industry, "If they don't make you say something, then don't say a damn thing!".
 
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