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The Survey / Condition Inspection is a thorough examination of the property, inspecting all elements internally and externally which are readily accessible, in other words areas or elements that are readily visible and available for examination from ground and floor levels, without risk of causing damage to the Property or injury to the Surveyor. Due care is therefore exercised throughout the Inspection in order to safeguard both the surveyor and anyone else related to the property survey.
It should always be considered that the constraints of being a visitor to any Property which may be occupied at the time of the inspection are taken into full account and furniture, floor coverings, personal property and other contents are not moved or lifted; and no part of the buildings fabric is forced open, unless the client has agreed with the current owner that such exploratory works can be undertaken.
The Homebuyers Condition Survey
The homebuyer report is normally arranged and presented in the following sequence:
Introduction & Overall Opinion; The Property & Location; The Building; The services; Legal & Other Matters; Summary, Valuation and a re-build estimate for insurance purposes.
The services are inspected (except, in the case of flats, for drainage, lifts and security systems), but the Surveyor does not test or access the efficiency of electrical, gas, plumbing, heating or drainage installations, or compliance with current regulations, or the internal condition of any chimney, boiler or any flues. Also the Surveyor does not research the presence (or possible consequences) of contamination by harmful substance. However, if a problem is suspected in any of these areas, advice is given on what action should be taken.
Where necessary, parts of the Inspection are made from adjoining public property (On receipt of access permission) and equipment such as a Hygro-Thermo meter and a damp-meter, binoculars and an inspection lamp are used. A telescopic ladder is used to access flat roofed areas and the roof space if a 'loft ladder' is not installed. In the case of flats, exterior surfaces of the building containing the property, as well as its access areas, are examined in order to assess their general condition; roof spaces are inspected if there is a hatch within the flat.
The Report provides the Surveyor's opinion of those matters which are urgent or significant and need action or evaluation by the Client before contracts are exchanged. It includes some or all of the following:
Urgent repairs
For example, steamed double glazing, defective chimney stacks, observed water damage, dpc problems or omissions, proximity to finished ground levels, 'live' plaster, roof coverings and render failure etc. Advising the client to obtain quotations where appropriate.
Significant matters requiring further investigation
For example suspected subsidence or heave, hazardous tree proximity or drainage problems, beetle attack or evidence of dry rot, the presence of asbestos for which the client should obtain reports and quotations from suitable specialist contractors.
Significant but not urgent repairs and renewals
For example replacement glazing or a new covering for a flat roof may be highlighted as future priorities. The surveyor may also highlight other considerations or legal matters, for example a possible right of way, which the client should instruct their legal advisers to include in their inquiries.
Matters assessed as not urgent or not significant are outside the scope of the homebuyer report, and are generally not documented but I tend to note all issues observed. Other matters (such as safety) are reported where I judges this to be helpful and constructive.
Non accessible - Non Inspected areas
If a part or area of the property which is normally examined is found not to be accessible during the inspection, this is reported. If any problems are suspected, advice is given on what action should be taken.
Reinstatement Cost Estimate
The reinstatement cost is an estimate for insurance purposes of the current cost of rebuilding the property in its present form, unless otherwise stated. This includes the cost of rebuilding the garage and permanent outbuildings, site clearance and professional fees etc, but excludes VAT (except on fee costs).
The Building (Structural) Survey
Will include inspections of roofs ( structure and coverings, internally & externally), walls condition (internally & externally), floors, windows and doors, chimney stacks and parapets, ceilings, mains services intakes, central heating condition, sanitary goods, the decorations standards, garages and any outbuildings, grounds and boundary fences, hedges and boundary walls along with any observed defects such as dampness, visible structural damage, tree proximity, timber decay, insect ingress, drainage condition, habitat etc.
With this type of survey it is normally possible to factor in any areas of particular concern, for example drainage systems, proximity of trees, internal chimney inspections etc. I will happily tailor the survey inspection to your specific requirements.
The survey report will be a detailed account of the properties condition at the time of the inspection, I am legally obliged to inform you of all the findings of the survey. The survey will typically highlight problems and if requested, will indicate an approximate cost for any required remedial attention.
This type of survey is extremely comprehensive both in the extent of inspection and detail of the report, the full building survey typically costs upwards from £340.00 and normally takes much longer than a homebuyer's condition Survey, it is not uncommon for some Surveys to take a whole day and in some cases for some larger properties, two -but at the right price!
Although the Building Survey can be comparatively expensive when compared to a homebuyers condition survey, it can more than pay for itself if you decide to re-negotiate the purchase price based on the survey findings with all information obtained, fully documented and burnt onto a CD, along with all of the inspection photographs and a condition category sheet for your future reference or for showing any observed defects or problems to your legal team, building company, particular specialists or local tradesmen.
A CD is provided free of charge for all types of surveys undertaken containing all of the full size inspection photographs (2816 x 2112 – 2.7Mb) to assist when pointing out any defects discovered to your legal teams, building contractors or to local tradespersons along with ‘user manuals’ for boilers, heating programmers, heating thermostats etc where available and a further .pdf report copy which can be enlarged on-screen for clearer detail of any points raised during my inspection.
Arranging a Building (Structural) Survey, a Homebuyers Condition Survey or a PropChex34 Inspection quotation is easy and straightforward. Simply contact me advising the subject properties full postal address and the postcode, provide your own postal address, the subject properties occupation status and your estate agents address and contact details and I will post or email an agreement to you for your signature. On receipt of the signed agreement we will arrange to either collect the keys from your agents enroute to the property or, we will arrange with them to contact the current occupiers to arrange an appointment date.
Following the survey, I will immediately inform you by email of my initial opinion of the condition of the property advising you of any defective items discovered and I will be readily available to discuss the survey report with you at any time.
The Small Office | 1 Maple Road | Ashtead | Surrey | KT21 2LX.
T: 01372 2769497 M: 07710 200848 E: ian@site-inspection-services.com or i.gibb@btconnect.com
Indemnity and PL Insurance Refs: P0044702-Sun Alliance PLC / Caunce O’Hara.
