Do I need to hire a chartered surveyor?
If you’re someone looking to purchase a property or
have commenced a new construction project, it is recommended that you have the
value of the property or site assessed before you continue with the
transaction.
A Chartered Surveyor’s job is to do just that. Their main role is to assess the
condition of a property, a construction
project underway or a potential new development to evaluate its value, amongst
a number of other duties. They can assess if there is any damage to a property
or any future issues or problems that you might run into, such as nearby
building work or planning permissions.
Perhaps you’re someone purchasing a home, a property developer looking to
renovate an old house, or a construction professional making plans to build a
new development. Whatever your project entails, a chartered surveyor is there
to give you professional advice.
In this blog, we give you reasons as to why you might want to hire a chartered surveyor for your next project or house purchase.
If you’re a first-time buyer, or someone that is
moving house and has put in an offer for a property, you can contact a
chartered surveyor to assess the property.
The work of a chartered surveyor is hugely beneficial to you as a home buyer,
particularly if you are unfamiliar with the potential defects of a property
that potentially could affect the value such as damp walls.
A home
condition report is one of the most basic surveys you can get with a chartered
surveyor and is a traffic light report of the visual condition of a home. This
states the parts of the property that need repairs, are cause for concern or
parts that are satisfactory.
The inspection is provided using photographs and diagrams to which the
home-buyer can use to complement their mortgage valuation.
Everyone wants to ensure that they are getting the
best value for money, and with reports suggesting that 9 out of 10 new-builds have defects
,
it’s of the utmost importance for most home buyers to ensure that they get what
they pay for.
A chartered surveyor can visit the property to assess the condition and make a decision on whether or not the property is worth the asking price based on whether there are any defects or issues of concern.
Assessments involved in a homebuying report include;
-Assessing the condition of the property
- Faults that may affect the value
-Urgent issues
-Damages to the interior or exterior including rot
-Insulation, drainage and damp-proofing
As a home buyer, you will want to know if there are any issues that come with the property you are about to buy. Common things you might want to be investigated are:
-Damp issues
-Roofing problems
-Structural issues
The aim of the report is to provide the homebuyer with clarity as to whether or not to proceed with the transaction based on the asking price. The homebuyer can then make clear decisions and actions before the contracts are exchanged.
If you’re a first-time buyer, you might look at purchasing a new-build property. New-build snagging reports are available for those who are purchasing a property of this kind and who would like the reassurance of whether the property has any issues. With this information in mind, before you move into your new build, you can inform the developer of any faults and have them fixed before exchanging the contracts.
Building
surveys, or structural surveys as they have previously been known, are
inspections of properties. Much like a homebuyers report, a building survey is
for homebuyers looking to get a comprehensive report of any defects to their
property and any potential concerns before they make the purchase.
A building survey, however, is
a more detailed inspection of a property. The main difference between the two
is that a building survey will be conducted on large and unique buildings
including older (usually pre-1960) and listed buildings.
Building surveys are also useful if you are planning major building work to a property because they will assess any major or minor defects that could affect the building process, such as structure.
Planning permission
Seeking
planning permission involves a lengthy application process which, if not
followed through correctly can be costly.
A chartered surveyor can guide you through the process of the planning
proposal, submit it on your behalf and help you prepare architectural services.
On the other hand, if you have a neighbour who has submitted a planning
application that you don’t agree with and want to object to the planning, a
chartered surveyor can assist in reviewing and preparing the objection letter
with you.
If you’re a
tenant of a rented commercial property, your landlord will often schedule a
dilapidations survey to be prepared in order to ensure that you, as a tenant
have maintained the property in accordance to the initial terms of lease.
A chartered surveyor can inspect the property and its condition. It will offer
the landlord an insight into whether maintenance work has been carried out
within the terms of the agreement and to allow time for any outstanding work to
be dealt with before the lease ends.
A chartered surveyor in the UK is someone who is a
member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
and for this reason, you should always look for this accreditation when searching
for a chartered surveyor.
Although they will need to hold this qualification, not all chartered surveyors
will provide the same level of quality of reporting, and much of what they
offer will depend on their level of experience and the time it takes for them
to do the job.
In order to choose the right chartered surveyor for you, you should look at
online reviews and ask people in your local area if they can recommend someone
to you.
Alternatively, if you find a chartered surveyor, you should consider asking them questions like;
-Are they chartered?
-What experience do they have?
-How can they help me?
-What is the process of the survey?
-What are their
surveyor fees?
Simon Levy: Expert Chartered Building Surveyors in Boreham, Watford and Greater London
At Simon Levy
Associates, we’re experienced in surveying homes. Whether you’re looking for
help on a commercial or domestic property, our team of chartered building
surveyors have over 30 years’ experience in providing property advice and
reports.
If you’re someone that has put an offer in on a property, hiring a chartered
surveyor is a safe way of saving money on any costly defects that you may not
be aware of.
Everyone wants to be sure that they are getting value for money, and
particularly when it comes to such an important investment such as a house, you
want to make sure that it is a worthwhile investment for your hard earned
money. Get in touch
with Simon Levy
Associates to find a surveyor today.
