As surveyors we will always look in the loft where we can. When you are the home buyer you should too. Roof spaces can be full of surprises, and not necessarily the sort of thing you see on “Cash in The Attic”. As the surveyor in this situation we can find it frustrating. It will limit our access to the loft, and restrict our inspection of the structure. That means we are not able to give a full report to our clients. As the buyer it can be stressful, it needs to be resolved, probably on the day you are trying to move in.
The first scenario is you are lucky, and have looked in the loft and seen the problem. It can be surprising how many people don’t look in the loft. But in fairness who carries a ladder round to a viewing, apart from a surveyor?!
The second scenario is that you paid for a survey, in which case you will have been alerted to the issue. In these cases you may arrange for the vendor to empty the loft before you complete and move in.
The third scenario is that you never looked. The first time you find out your new house is not as empty as you thought, is when you go to put your suitcases, and Christmas tree into their new loft and discover there are squatters.
This will not be funny on a stressful moving day. There is no time for many trips to the tip. Skips are more expensive than you would think, and they may not be immediately available. Skips can also require a licence to put one on the road outside your new home.
We don’t suggest that you need a survey to check the roof is empty, it is much more useful than that. However we recommend you check to avoid more stress and expense later.
A few examples of not so empty lofts
Here are some photos of lofts we have inspected recently on properties which were vacant and empty of all furniture.
When is an empty house not an empty house!
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