| Surveys |
When buying a house you are making probably the most important purchase of your life. The decision to buy a particular property is normally arrived at by considering factory such as size, location and character without really considering the condition of the fabric of the property. It is often only after an offer has been accepted that people begin to wonder whether the house is in a reasonable condition and that the price they propose to pay is fair. You cannot rely on the Vendor to point out any problems, it is up to the purchaser to discover these.
An inspection by one of our professionally qualified surveyors will give an independent balanced view of the property and all our reports include a valuation. We carry out hundreds of surveys and valuations each year both for private individuals and for the majority of major Banks and Building Societies. All our surveyors are professionally qualified and have many years of experience and extensive local knowledge.
It is not generally understood that there are difference types of inspection available, and deciding what kind of inspection you need depends on a number of factors. These include the type of property, age, apparent general condition and the amount of money you wish to spend. The higher the fee, the greater the degree of inspection and report, and hence the more accurate the valuation. Essentially we carry out three difference inspections.
This report is not a survey and the inspection is limited to a visual inspection of so much of the property as is reasonably accessible to value, without undue difficulty. This inspection will not normally include the loft area, sub-floor or services and would only record defects which the valuer considers to significantly affect the value of the property. The prime purpose of this report is to provide an expert opinion on value, often for purposes such as probate, matrimonial and part exchange.
This is a standard inspection designed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to provide a concise report on the condition of property together with a valuation. The report is produced on a printed form and specific comments are made on the condition of many areas including roof, rainwater goods, walls, external woodwork, fixtures and fittings. Only a visual inspection of services will be carried out and none of these are tested. The purpose of this report is to give a general opinion on the quality and condition of the building fabric and aims to assist a prospective buyer in deciding upon the soundness or otherwise of a proposed purchase. Should the valuer suspect any concealed problems then further investigation or specialist tests will be recommended. Additional information and a copy of the conditions of engagement can be found in a separate leaflet from our offices on request.
More commonly known until recently as a Structural Survey, this type of inspection involves a thorough inspection of the property and structure, including a partial sub-floor and roof space inspection, where these are reasonably accessible. It is designed to locate and identify defects or other factors which could affect your purchase. (We will arrange for specialists to carry out tests on the services and detailed inspection of accessible timbers simultaneously). This type of survey should not be considered to be a full Structural Survey since it does not include opening up structures or exposing foundations. It should however be noted that no inspection would be made of those parts of the property which are covered, unexposed or inaccessible and that the presence of carpets, furniture and other household goods will restrict the inspection. The report itself will be more detailed than a Home Buyers Survey and should provide a realistic assessment of the overall condition of the property when related to its age and construction but it will not necessarily be an inventory of every single minor defect. Further details and a copy of the conditions of engagement for this level of inspection can be obtained from our offices upon request.