Often a lot of people when they are considering selling or buying a home wonder whether the fee for a house surveyor to carry out a survey of the property is worth paying. As a seller, you get forewarning about what needs doing to the property to make your sale. As a buyer, it is the best option you have to make sure you are not spending a large amount of money on a commercial or residential property when it is not in as good condition as you thought.
Before you legally commit yourself to a purchase you can have a survey done to check and reduce the risks. Not making this choice could end up being a big mistake. So is the cost of the survey worth it? Absolutely yes. Depending on the results of the survey it could lead to you finding;
● The price set is not too much and is fair
● What needs fixing and changing in terms of major issues
● Whether there are any issues that would make buying the property a bad investment
● Whether you can negotiate on the sale price based on the new information revealed
Even if you already have a mortgage valuation you can still benefit from a homebuyers survey. That valuation report is from your lender plus it will not address issues with the property. Some lenders do not even give you a copy of the full report.
Two main types of property surveys
When it comes to buying a property you have a choice between 2 main options and your surveyor can help you decide which best meets your needs. There is the building survey, and the RICS homebuyers survey.
1) RICS homebuyers survey
This is a survey designed by RICS (the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) to be a more affordable option for people buying a home so they can reduce the risk to them. It is in the standard format. Unlike the full structural survey it is;
● Good for when a property seems to be in good condition
● Is used for conventional houses, flats, and bungalows
● Highlights just the most significant concerns and what the level of urgency is with them
● Includes the surveyor’s valuation of the property if it were placed on the market right then
● The house surveyor will offer opinions on issues that might affect the property’s value if they are not taken care of
● It will cover the outside of the building and the inside
● The surveyor will offer advice on what decisions or actions you might want to take before buying
2) Building survey (full structural survey)
This is the same as above but with a lot more detail included. They, therefore, take longer on the inspection and to write and cost more. This survey is especially a good idea when the house is run down, has had a lot of major alterations made, if it is an uncommon build type, or if you are planning on making big renovations and changes of your own. Minor and major issues are included, technical information included, photos, and more.
