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Why are building surveys important?

If you’re considering buying a home but are hesitant to get a building survey prior to finalising your purchase your purchase, you’re in the right spot. We’ve gathered data to highlight how important surveying your building is and the reasons you should not skip when buying a home.

What is an architectural survey?

The building survey London will be an examination of the property you are looking to purchase to identify any flaws either major or minor and any other flaws that the property may have beneath the surface.

A complete survey report will contain:

A thorough analysis of any flaws on or in the property, in addition to any dangers that could be present or could develop,
Assistance to handle any maintenance and repairs that are required on the property along with an estimate of cost,
The description for any work on the structure the property previously had,
If you’re interested, a value on the house.

This inspection will take a close look at the outside and inside of your home, as well as the accessible and visible areas to provide you with a complete overview of the area.

What are the key elements of this study?

The surveyor is required to complete the following steps and will provide any evidence to support it.

Tests that are damp,
Any changes made to support walls,
Material that is hazardous, such as asbestos,
Subsidence,
Japanese knotweed,
Roof damaged,
Large trees pose a risk to the property’s boundary,
Dry rot or Woodworm
Important information about the building materials that are used to construct the property
Any suggestions if any further investigation is required.

What are the importance of building surveys?

The surveys will identify any structural problems the property might be suffering from and let you know if the property is worthy of the price it’s asking. Sometimes sellers don’t know about the problems in their property, and therefore offer a price that isn’t reflective of the repair work needed. If you conduct a building survey done on the property you will be able to determine the real worth of the property and ensure that you’re paying more than what you should be, if there’s substantial damage.

If the survey uncovers structural problems that are an issue, it will give the buyer two options. You can choose to either walk off the deal, aware that it’s not a good decision and go to something else appropriate, or, if you’re determined and willing to fix the problems then you can make use of the results of this survey to negotiate an asking price of the property.

The best time to have an inspection of your building is before you make a final decision on the purchase and to give you enough time to reconsider your decision should you have to. While they may be expensive, the costs vary between PS500 to PS1000 depending on the area and the size of the house you’re considering, they could save you thousands in the event of damage that you weren’t aware of prior to.

Are there other options?

If you’re worried about the cost of an inspection of your building There are better alternatives,

A condition report focuses on the condition of a house and highlights immediate issues as well as potential legal issues. The report doesn’t offer any guidance or an estimate since it’s the simplest and cheapest survey. It’s typically priced around PS250.
A homebuyer’s report is a good option for homes which are modern and in good state. The report will focus on subsidence as well as damp structural issues , but is not able to look into problems at the surface. The report is more expensive and will cost approximately PS400.

In the end, deciding if an architectural survey is the right choice for you depends on your own personal preference. While it may seem costly but if it uncovers issues in the property, it could help you save lots of time and money. Also, should you choose to pay for the survey, and discover significant problems and decide that you don’t wish to buy the house in the future, you can offer the report of the survey to prospective buyers, and get some of your investment back. It is best to think about such things over the long term what amount of money can be saved in the future if you pay for it now?