We are highly skilled in undertaking Surveys and Valuations of all kinds of residential property, from the smallest studio apartment to large individual properties, including Listed Buildings. Every purchaser needs to know the true condition of the property they are intending to buy in order that they can make an informed decision prior to committing to purchase.
If you require a mortgage, the Lender will instruct a surveyor to inspect the property to provide a Valuation, but you must be aware that this is not a survey or report on the condition. This Inspection is simply to enable the Lender to assess the suitability and value of the property for lending purposes. In some cases, the Lender’s surveyor may carry out only a “drive past” inspection or may not even visit the property and will simply conduct a desktop exercise. This should not be relied upon when considering a six-figure financial investment. Not all major structural issues can be seen from the kerbside or indeed, Google Earth.
We recommend that a Survey be undertaken and the results can then be considered before entering into a contractual agreement. If the Survey highlights significant defects or problems with the property, you are then in a position to possibly re-negotiate the purchase price or, if the property gets a clean bill of health, it will provide reassurance that your proposed investment is safe.
When you are considering a survey, there are the following levels of inspection which should be considered: