Surveys

Why have an independent survey or valuation?

There are many reasons why you should get a survey before you purchase a new house, but here are our top five:

1. A mortgage valuation does not benefit the homebuyer

This is for the lender and will not look deep into the condition of the property.

2. Surveyors will take an objective and impartial look at a home

While the average home buyer spends 35 minutes viewing a potential property before deciding whether or not to purchase it, our surveyors will spend a minimum of two hours inspecting the property along with at least 2 hours before and several hours compiling your finished report.

3. Save yourself a costly bill down the line. If you can’t afford a survey, will you be able to afford any surprise repairs that become apparent?

According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) buyers who didn’t get a survey faced on average £5,750 worth of repairs when they moved in and 17% of these ended up paying more than £12,000 on average.

4. Find issues and address the impact with contractors before you commit to purchase and sign any contracts

Should the surveyors encounter any defects that require expensive repairs, it doesn’t automatically mean you shouldn’t purchase the property. Should the seller not wish to address the reported issues, you could use the report as a renegotiation tool.

5. Your surveyor will have a broad understanding of known issues within your chosen area and any local risks

We know that local knowledge matters. Our RICS surveyor will have a broad knowledge of your chosen area, types of local property, and issues to look out for, such as past flooding or potential risk, proximity to pylons, overhead cables and electro-magnetic fields, current or past underground mining.

If you wish to discuss the benefits of getting a property survey, or find out more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

RICS Home Survey – Level 3

The RICS Home Survey Level 3, also known as a full structural survey and previously as a RICS Building Survey, is the most thorough survey offered by RICS.

It is a good house survey option if you’re buying a property over 50 years old, of unusual design, is a listed building or in poor condition; if you’re planning to undertake renovations or have any concerns about the property. And while they are more expensive, they are thorough.

The Level 3 survey will include everything you would get in a RICS Home Survey Level 2, plus it will describe the identifiable risk and causes of potential or hidden defects in areas not inspected. It will outline the likely scope of any appropriate remedial work and explain the likely consequences of non-repair. Plus you’ll get recommendations in respect of the priority and likely timescale for necessary repairs.