A house survey is an Expert Inspection of a Residential Property and it must be completed by a qualified surveyor and they must be an accredited member of RICS - the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Rics surveyors offer three 'levels' of survey: a Condition Report (level one), Homebuyer Report (level two) and Building Survey (level three).
It's not a legal requirement to have a survey on a property you are buying, but if the property is of a certain age it is common sense.
Homebuyer surveys are a good way to avoid unexpected repair costs further down the line. Getting a survey for a house or flat will give you an idea of just how much you might need to invest in a property after you buy it.
There are different types of reports for different house types, build styles and ages. For a new house you would just go for a simple report like the RICS Condition Report but if you are looking to buy a period property then you would need a RICS Building Structure Survey.
Not anyone can preform these Surveys, the surveyor has to be a member of a recognised governing body such as the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) or Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The surveyors are levelled from Licenced to Chartered and you must seek advice upon the surveyor and type of survey you required.
I am a RICS level 2 qualified surveyor which allows me to preform 2 out of the 3 levels and mortgage valuations, let me briefly go through the different levels and reports and if you need a Structured Engineer to preform a RICS Building Structure Survey, I can recommend one.
A member of Our Valuation Team will contact you shortly with a choice of Dates. This is a no obligation, free and fair House / Property Valuation
The Valuer will Visit and Survey your Home and provide you with a Honest Value within an Hour
Value is an Opinion and Not the Sales Price, this is down to yourselves, we can only advise.
Are you thinking about Moving? Need some Advice on Improving your Home? We can give you a brief Home Survey and Advice on how to Improve your Property to maximise your equity.
Have you Sold your House and you're looking at number of purchase options, you may ask our opinion or you would like a Survey on a new purchase
Are you looking to invest, investment property is increasingly propular and there are many different options, we can provide our professional opinion on Real Estate Investments.
The RICS Condition Report describes the condition of the property, it only identifies any risks and potential legal issues and highlights any urgent defects which effects the value of the property. It’s most suitable for new-build and conventional homes in good condition. This is a very basic report.
A HomeBuyer Report is a survey suitable for conventional properties in reasonable condition and is the most common and recomended report.
This will help you find out if there are any structural problems, such as subsidence or damp, as well as any other unwelcome hidden issues inside and outside.
The HomeBuyer Report doesn’t look beyond the floorboards or behind the walls. The surveyor can not lift carpets or move cabinets, fixed or non fixed, he can only report on the visual aspect of the property.
Some home-buyers’ reports include a property valuation, so you might be able to revise your offer if the survey reveals a lower price than the mortgage lender’s valuation.
If there’s no valuation included, you could use the report’s suggestions for repairs to renegotiate the price.
For example, if it’s going to cost you £5,000 to carry out work on the property’s damp walls, it’s reasonable to offer £5,000 less than the asking price.
The report will show every aspect, visually and documented, it will go through the safety of all services and their service history. The surveyor has to be qualified at Level 2 to complete this report, if the property has visual structural defects above hairline plaster cracks then the surveyor should not continue with the report and refer you to qualified structual engineer to preform a RICS Building Survey. I can give you examples of this level of report.
This is the most comprehensive survey and is suitable for all residential properties. It’s particularly good for older homes or homes that might need repairs. This type of survey typically costs upwards of £600 and provides detailed advice on repairs.
It’s very extensive and in some circumstances worth the extra money but it does not usually include a valuation. Although this survey can’t look under floorboards or behind walls it should include the surveyor’s opinion on the potential for hidden defects in this area.
The surveyor should also provide information on potential repair options. Again, you could try to save money by comparing the details of the repairs required against the lender’s valuation.
The price of House Survey depends upon two factors, the age / condition of the property and the size of the property which is represented by the property value.
I am qualified at Levels One and Two and I can give you an instant quote for the Doncaster Area and for level three surveys I have a few local Structual Engineers I can recommend.
For a Detailed Quote or Booking a House Survey | Call me or Email Me
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Abacus Valuations Ltd is a registered company at Orchard House, East Lound, Haxey, Doncaster. South Yorkshire DN9 2LR. Registered company Number is 13387578.
