Who pays for structural engineers report

[geri]

Selling a house. Sale agreed two months ago. Nearly at signing contracts stage. The house had an internal wall moved 2ft prior to us purchasing the house 15yrs ago. The buyers solicitor is requesting that we provide a certificate from a steel engineers that it's ok. The estate agent tells us that the buyers don't care about it but their solicitor won't proceed without it. Is it not normally the buyers who foot the cost?

 

[noproblem]

I doubt it very much and if the seller wants it sold and is happy with the price he'd be well advised to pay for it. It's just one of those things or else he tells the solicitor acting for the buyers that he'll get the cert/report but he won't pay for it.

 

[Palerider]

If you cannot provide that certification because let's say you never sought it yourselves then offer a written note confirming the work was completed prior to your purchase -15 years ago and there have been no issues with it since you moved in, that should suffice if the buyers are happy anyway.

 

[geri]

I doubt it very much and if the seller wants it sold and is happy with the price he'd be well advised to pay for it. It's just one of those things or else he tells the solicitor acting for the buyers that he'll get the cert/report but he won't pay for it.

That's what I'm thinking too. Just wanted to see what others thought.

 

[Leo]

Yeah, it's up to the vendor to provide and if required, any for any such certifications that the property and any alterations are compliant.

Banks in particular seem to be getting a lot more strict on obtaining certs for any work carried out prior to releasing funds. You may need to engage an engineer to offer an opinion on compliance, as it will be impossible after the fact to get full certification on the steel work that is now enclosed unless you can trace the original engineer (if there was even one involved) and get them to provide the cert which is very unlikely.

A purchaser will often engage a surveyor or engineer to perform a pre-purchase visual inspection of the house at their own expense.