Sun 20 Mar 2022

When buying a property, you will most probably have some form of survey carried out to uncover any potential defects.

The most common form of survey is the mortgage valuation, which looks at all the important points that can affect a property and also checks if the purchase price, is an accurate reflection of the value of the property. Although the written report is fairly brief, it is important to remember that your Bank or Building Society will not lend you the money to buy the property, if they feel that there are any significant problems with it.

The next option, is a homebuyers report, which looks at all the same things, but provides a more detailed report.

Finally, you can have a full structural survey, which will cost significantly more money and is only really necessary if you already have doubts about the structural integrity of the property which you are hoping to purchase.

When you receive the report, it will highlight any items of concern which may require further investigation.  In our experience, serious issues arising from the survey are rare.  We frequently encounter some relatively minor points which may need looking into, such as dampness or roof repairs. Sometimes the surveyor will suggest a check of the gas or electrical installation. If walls or chimney breasts have been removed, the surveyor will probably suggest that your solicitor should check whether the appropriate consent was sought form the local authority when the work was carried out.

The language used in surveys can sound every alarming.  However, most issues are not nearly as scary as they sound to begin with.  We find the best way to deal with any issues arising in a survey, is to identify those items which may require further investigation and then arrange for a specialist to carry out an inspection and to provide a quote for any works which they consider are necessary.  More often than not, repairs turn out to be less expensive than you would expect. Very often, after further investigation, it turns out there is no problem after all.

We like to go back to the property and walk through the survey with the buyers, together with any reports and quotations , to put things into context and by doing so, usually you as the buyer will be reassured that you still wish to proceed with the purchase, and that the property is a sound investment.

Hopefully this has helped to put your mind at rest about some of the frequent concerns raised in a survey. If you are looking to buy or sell in the Watford area, be assured that we are here to help clarify and explain every step of the process. Call us on 01923 751301.