[BNM] [OT] Can anybody recommend a surveyor?

[Catherine Pope]

If the survey is just for you own purposes, rather than a requirement
for the mortgage, I would recommend getting a builder/property
maintenance person to take a look.  We went for a fairly basic survey
on our house, and then got an electrician and someone who'd done
property maintenance for the Council to have a poke about.  In this
case, they were friends, so it didn't cost us anything, but an hour of
a tradesperson's time is invariably far cheaper than an equivalent
chunk of surveyor.  The estate agent wasn't terribly happy about it,
but then that's just another reason to take such an approach.

If you have particular concerns about the property, eg the plumbing,
get a specialist in that area to take a look.  As Chris says, a survey
will only recommend that you appoint a qualified electrician,
CORGI-registered plumber, damp proofing company, stuctural engineer
etc.  They slap a big disclaimer on the survey report, and you have
absolutely no means of recourse if they miss anything major.

Also, find out from your solicitor the repairs for which you'd be
liable.  As it's a flat, you may not have significant responsibility
for anything major, or equally, you may find that you have sole
responsibility for the roof.

Catherine