Tips for Buying a House without an Inspection

[stz]

I bought this place without a survey and plenty of people thought I was acting stupidly. My rational was that the general survey most often sold for 'peace of mind' wasn't going to tell me anything more than a walk around the property with my father would. If anything came up on that walk around which concerned either of us we'd skip the general survey and go straight to pricing the work with an expert in that area. I mean, you need a survey to help you make a decision on something you aren't an expert in, if the survey is a broad and general one (and here they are very basic unless you go for specialist ones) then you don't need the survey to help you make a decision on something and if you are concerned go for the expert opinion or walk away. All our offers were conditional and non-binding up until the date of exchange.

For me it is pretty much foundations, drains, roofing, electrics and heating. We walked away from one house which was described as having suffered 'historic settlement' as even repaired and no longer ongoing it would have been the same headache convincing buyers when I came to sell. Another because when we put a measured amount of dyed water down the drains at the back we lost a significant amount by the time it reached the street. Upon investigation it seemed to be leaking under the driveway and as floor joists along that side of the house had been replaced I assumed ongoing moisture penetration from the leaking drains.

Ah the joy of buying 100+ year old houses.