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An Expert Guide to RICS Home Surveys

Your home will most likely be the biggest purchase of your life, so you need to get it right and know what you’re investing in to. To make sure you are making an informed decision, a building survey will give you detailed expert advice on your property, including defects and the cost of repairing them. This guide offers an outline of what each home survey includes, so that you can determine which is right for you and your home.

 

Homebuyer Survey

The Homebuyer survey reports on the condition of the home, and highlights any urgent defects. This survey also offers advice on repairs, maintenance that might need to be taken out, and whether these will affect the value of the property.

The Homebuyer survey is a briefer version of the Building Survey. Surveys for modern homes are carried out by valuation surveyors, whilst old or damaged buildings must be surveyed more thoroughly by a chartered surveyor.

A building survey will inspect indoor features like ceilings, walls, floors and woodwork, and outdoor features like roofs, pipes, guttering, walls and windows. A surveyor will also inspect the main services, including heating, drainage, electric, gas, and water.

The report will assess the overall condition of the property and decipher to what extent it is in need of repair – whether urgently or not at all. If the property is in urgent need of repair, the report will also identify whether you need advice from a legal advisor. Finally, the report will determine the value of the property.

 

Building Survey

The Full Building Survey is the most comprehensive and thorough report, offering an in-depth and detailed evaluation of the condition of the property. This survey can be carried out on all types of property, including listed buildings, and is essential if you are planning major works on a large or old property.

It is carried out by a building surveyor and can take many hours to complete. A surveyor will inspect all aspects of the property and analyse defects and the cost of repairing these defects, whilst offering advice on repairs and maintenance.

The Building Survey will assess all defects and faults with the property, including the implications these faults could have, and the cost needed to repair them. The survey will also test dampness on the walls and woodwork, and efforts made to reduce damp, including insulation and drainage.

The survey will decipher how the property was constructed and which materials were used, and provide information and details for proposals for any further work which may need to be carried out.

 

Specific Defect Survey

A Specific Defect Survey, also known as a specific structural survey, is an analysis of a building’s specific structural issues, including any new issues that are uncovered during the survey.

The survey assesses any structural defects with the property, and determines any structural issues. If there are issues, the survey will detail how to repair the damages found, or suggest any further investigations that need to be carried out, including the cost of these repairs by consulting professionals.

Hopefully, this guide has shed some light onto the different types of survey and which would be best for your needs. Whether you require a Homebuyer Survey, Building Survey or Specific Defect Survey, expert advice from a qualified RICS surveyor is essential to ensure your home is structurally sound and right for you.

Contact Allcott Associates today to book a survey, and for expert advice on which survey would best suit your needs.

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