Why Should You Hire a Building Surveyor when Buying a New Home?
Buying a new home is a big step, whether it's your first home or you're seasoned in purchasing property. No matter your experience with buying property, it's essential to make sure that your purchase is sound and that all bases have been covered. One of the most important things you can do during a property purchase is to hire a chartered surveyor to assist you on your journey. When buying a home, there are many things that are often overlooked, which can be detrimental to the success of your home purchase. Our blog is here to give you an in-depth guide on property surveying and its importance. If you're considering buying a home, our article is here to help you understand the importance of a property inspection and how it can help you. To learn more, keep on reading.
What Do Building Surveyors Do?
You may be wondering what the role of a building surveyor is when it comes to purchasing a property. Building surveyors are established professionals who evaluate buildings before the transaction takes place. They look at the quality, structural integrity and surrounding area of a building to determine which areas need improving or attention. The typical services you can expect from a building surveyor includes:
● Looking for defects within the building
● Advising on environmental and health risk factors
● Advising on legal or planning issues
● Help with building planning and applications for building permits
● Advice on property alterations, improvements or extensions
Types Of Surveys
There are several homebuyer surveys out there, each looking at different elements of a property and going into different levels of detail.
Level 1 (Condition Survey)
A Level 1 condition survey is the most basic report on a property. This report will detail any visible defects and urgent issues that your surveyor spots on the property. This survey is recommended for normal houses, bungalows, flats and other properties in reasonable condition.
Level 2 (Homebuyer Survey)
This is a more detailed report on the condition of a property, going into more detail regarding any repairs and other issues that need fixing. This survey is appropriate for most properties.
Level 3 (Building Survey)
A Level 3 building survey is the most extensive report given, which goes into detail about a range of issues and aspects of the property. This survey gives a comprehensive review of a property’s condition, as well as an estimation of how much the repairs will cost to carry out. This survey is recommended for older properties and properties that have had major renovations.
Why Are Property Inspections So Important?
Property inspections are crucial for various reasons. You may be wondering why you need a property surveyor to help you with your transaction but they are an integral part of the process. Property surveys are not a legal requirement in England and Wales, but they can be extremely useful in assessing the condition of your property before you go ahead with your purchase.
Safety
Safety is a key reason why property inspections are so important, especially for tenants about to purchase a building. A property inspection and follow-up report will help buyers become aware of safety risks that are being posed by any defects within the house. Additionally, for landlords who need to be made aware of the issues and potential problems within a house, property inspections help with covering all bases and assessing the building in line with industry standards.
Peace Of Mind
Peace of mind is another key reason why property inspections are so important. For buyers who are looking for a property, there can often be concerns with regards to safety, structural issues and other threats to a property such as mould or age. By having an inspection carried out at any level, buyers can be made aware of certain issues ahead of the transaction, leaving them well informed before their purchase.
Illegal Additions To A Property
If a specific property has any illegal features or extended areas that have not been permitted, it’s essential that buyers are made aware of this. Buying a property with illegal elements can cause serious issues later on in the future, especially regarding tax.
Documenting Maintenance Issues
If your surveyor does come across several maintenance issues regarding the property that you want to purchase, they will have to give you and the landlord a detailed report of defects, repairs and other elements of the property that need to be addressed. By delivering a detailed report, these maintenance issues are not only handled early on, they are documented in the report. Having these files can be useful in the future, for future purchase or selling of the home, or if the property needs frequent repairs.
Choosing The Right Chartered Surveyors
Once you've found the property that you want to buy, finding a professional and established surveyor is crucial for your inspections. You may be overwhelmed when it comes to choosing your surveyor, but our guide below is here to help simplify your choice.
Choose A Local Company
You may be wondering why choosing a local surveyor can benefit you, but depending on the area you are buying in, you want a surveyor who is well versed in the local surroundings. Someone with a good knowledge of the local area, laws and regulations, land restrictions…etc will be able to assist you with your purchase with ease. Local experts can help you feel reassured during the process, as they have in-depth knowledge regarding the area you are buying in.
Ensure They Are RICS Qualified
An essential part of choosing the right surveyor is to ensure that they are RICS qualified. All RICS regulated surveyors will have to adhere to their professional regulatory requirements, meaning you can feel reassured that your property is being surveyed against industry standards. Choosing a professional company that is regulated is essential for buying a home, as they will deliver a high standard of professionalism, ensuring that all necessary areas are covered and checked during your inspection.
Check Reviews
Reviews are another important place to conduct some research when choosing building surveyors. Reviews and references can give you objective information regarding the companies you want to use from previous customers. Reading reviews will tell you everything you need to know about a company's previous work, as well as how their clients perceive their service to be.
Word Of Mouth References
Word of mouth references are also a good way to find reliable surveyors that you can trust. Being recommended to a company by family, friends or colleagues can help you feel reassured in the service provided.
Quotes
Another key thing to do when looking for your building surveyor company is to get free quotes from a range of organisations. By doing this, you can gain a better understanding of which services are covered for what price, and which companies are charging too much. By shopping around for a few quotes, this can help you determine how much you want to spend and on what type of survey.
Simon Levy: Structural Surveyors & Professional Property Inspections
Whether you're buying a home for the first time or you're many properties down the line, skipping out on property inspections can be detrimental to your purchase. We've covered everything you need to know regarding property purchases, so that you know exactly what to look for in a chartered surveyor.
Here at Simon Levy, we have a team of professional and qualified property surveyors, ready to help you on your transaction. We offer comprehensive building services, designed to help you have the most stress-free property purchase possible. With over 30 years of experience, our team is committed to helping all of our clients with professionalism and care.
To learn more about our services, or how we can help you, feel free to get in touch with our team today. We will be happy to answer any queries or questions you may have.
