BUYING A PROPERTY? Uncertain about its condition and value?
Would you purchase a car without a service history, MOT or registration document? The answer is no, no, no. Would you
buy a property possibly with the value of £100,000 - £750,000 without a survey? The answer is possibly not. Why? Because of the cost.
building survey is a kind of health check for buildings and you should have a survey done before you enter into a contract. A survey can actually save you money. If there are any serious structural problems which you are unaware of then you can possibly renegotiate the sale price of the property to reflect the cost of any necessary repairs – you may even decide you don’t want to buy the property at all.
A
When you decide to purchase a property, it is normal to have two or possibly three viewings, mostly with the estate agent or owners in attendance and it will therefore be awkward to open wardrobes, proceed up into the attic or to manually lift manhole covers for the drains. A Chartered Surveyor will report on all parts of the property that are easily accessible and visual, he may spend 4-5 hours or so at the property carrying out the inspection and subsequently
compiling the report with professional advice and recommendations and for the sake of about £500 or
so, this inspection could save you thousands. As a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Partner of Freeborns Estate Agents, Dartmouth, I have been undertaking such surveys for the past 30 years or so and recall instances of finding live ammunition/ World War 2 stock in one attic, to finding an enormous wasp nest in another attic, to finding roof timbers that were not connected, serious
hidden by the careful placing of furniture in the corner of a room.
Considering the number of surveys that I have undertaken, I have only once been approached by the police when a neighbour noticed me leaning out of a window of an adjoining house with my ladder and crowbar - they considered my actions to be somewhat suspicious!
The use of the mobile phone has produced a
findings have included a spring which flowed though an older style property..
..and rotten floor joists being hidden by the careful placing of furniture
effects of dry and wet rot and timber infestation, as well as more usual instances of chimney breasts being removed without providing adequate support from above, and serious defects in drains and drainage systems. Other findings have included a spring which flowed though an older style property, a coal yard conveniently hidden by a range of fir trees and rotten floor joists being
sense of security in that in the event of getting stuck in an attic or by getting locked in a room, you can always call for assistance. There are various types of surveys that can be undertaken by a Chartered Surveyor and having an independent and comprehensive survey makes good sense and could save you thousands of pounds in unforeseen repair/ maintenance costs. At one time a purchaser
saved over £60,000 by being advised that the roof was in need of renewal. The Surveyor is not in a position to advise whether or not a purchaser should proceed with a sale; the information is provided and it is up to the purchaser to make their own decision, a valuation is normally provided and this confirms whether or not you are acquiring the property at the correct price based upon the information provided. This itself could save a purchaser a few thousand pounds or so should the property be overvalued. This often applies to “outsiders” from other parts of the country who are basing their knowledge on their own area and prices, and are uncertain about the prices and area of properties that they wish to buy.
For further information or for a free immediate quotation contact David Freeborn FRICS at Freeborns 1-3 Hauley Road, Dartmouth, TQ6 9AA, telephone 01803 832045 or email info@ freebornsestateagents.
co.uk
by David Freeborn
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