Survey on 14 yr old Warehouse conversion

[Will!]

I'm looking at buying a flat in a converted warehouse in Manchester.  I'd rather buy a purpose-built flat, but there are only warehouse conversions in my price range in what is by far the most convenient location for the two jobs I'll be doing.  I'm a cash buyer and I'm trying to work out what survey, if any, would be of use for a flat in a converted warehouse.

Is a survey worth it?

[One-percent]

Setting aside, the site on which you have posted this , my suggestion (not advice as I am uniquely unqualified) is that a survey should be carried out completely independent of the mortgage provider. In other words, do not use the one that the building society appoints to do the valuation.

years ago, we got a mortgage from the Halifax. Used the surveyor that the Halifax was also going to use to do the valuation. Totally incompetent. For example, stateed that the wall was solid brick construction.  It was cavity. Did not spot the rotten ground floor which we then needed to replace. The two things were linked as the mortar had softened and fallen into the cavity. This then breached the damp proof and subsequently spread the damp to the suspended floor which in turn rotted.  

We found out thar the surveyor was an arm of the Halifax and they just gave us the 'well sue' response when we raised this and other inaccuracies. 

Recently, I have had to get a valuation done for probate. Asked around and got a lot of recommendations for a local, independent firm. The valuation was far more detailed that the full, survey done by the Halifax firm and at a fraction of the cost.  It was also clear from the way in which it had been written that it was meant to genuinely inform, rather than cover the a£Se of someone clearly not competent.