This report will tell you what condition each part of the house is in - and why.
The colour-coded summary shows you, at a glance, the condition of each part of the house before the individual parts and their gradings are discussed in detail.
You'll get a breakdown of the house into 24 basic parts, ranging from the chimney stacks above the roof, down to the drains under the ground, and covering everything in between. There are sections for the electricity, gas, oil, water and heating installations and even a special section for internal dampness. The report doesn't just stop at the basic building either - even the condition of the bathroom fittings, kitchen units and fitted wardrobes will be checked for you.
You get more than just a check on the house.
To give you the complete picture, the condition of any permanent outbuildings, garden walls, paved areas, and garden steps are also checked. These outside features can be extensive and their condition is often highly variable, so they can easily unbalance the report. To prevent this, they are summarised but still describe the important defects.
It is common for potential conveyancing issues to be discovered during the formal inspection of period houses. The report therefore includes a short section specifically for your conveyancer. This details any issues found that need checking by your conveyancer prior to exchange of contracts.
The latest survey system is used to ensure you get the highest standards.
The survey system used for your condition report has been tested and approved by the Consumers Association (Which). It was commissioned by, and is is owned by, HM Government, and is intended to represent the 'Gold Standard' of residential building surveying. As you would expect from the 'Gold Standard', you get a more extensive survey than is traditional for home buyer surveys, and the surveyor must analyse and trace the source of problems to establish their importance (instead of simply reporting their presence).
The system is the culmination of years of independent research into surveying houses by the Surveyors and Valuers Association (SAVA) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE), and can only be used under license. A license is only issued when a surveyor can prove they meet the exacting standards laid down for performing inspections, diagnosing defects and assessing the prognosis for the house. Even then, to retain their license, each surveyor must submit to ongoing external audits of their survey work and keep up to date with the latest research into surveying houses. To enable you to differentiate between holders of this special license and other surveyors, only a license holder can call themselves a 'Home Inspector'.
It sounds too good to be true - what's the catch?
Because the licensed survey system used comprises a complete package, there are some limitations. Being a condition report, it is designed purely to provide you with the information you need when negotiating to buy, planning the order of maintenance works, and arranging estimates for repair work. It does not include any recommendations or advice on repairs and maintenance (although these can be supplied via a 'top-up' at a later date). The report coverage is also fixed and cannot be modified for any special requirements you have - your report will cover the main building in detail but any flats that are not part of the main building, cottages, detached annexes etc. will only be covered in summary form unless separate reports are requested for them in their own right. Similarly, outbuildings, boundary walls, garden steps, and separate buildings housing leisure facilities can also only be covered in summary form.
Full money back guarantee of satisfaction.
I operate a 100%, no quibble, money back guarantee for all my clients - if you are not totally satisfied with any service you purchase from me, I will give you a 100% refund.
There are other types of survey available when buying a house, and even other surveyors. This particular survey though, is the only one backed by the government, that is designed specifically to give you the information you need when buying, and that comes with the guarantee of quality afforded by independent audits of the surveys. Few other surveyors can offer this survey, and even fewer can provide the specialist expertise in period houses, that I bring. Unless you have special requirements that demand an alternative survey type, this is the one I personally recommend when buying a house - despite the fact I can supply other more expensive surveys, which still have my personal guarantee of satisfaction.
By getting a condition report, you will be given more than a long descriptive list of what is wrong with the building. You will also learn the condition of the various parts of the house and its fittings, whether anything needs serious or urgent repair, and which parts are perfectly sound or just need minor repairs that can easily wait. You will even be warned of any potential conveyancing issues found during the inspection so you can get them checked by your conveyancer.
To obtain a free, no obligation quotation, just enter your details in the form below and I will telephone you to discuss the house so I can provide a quotation. If you prefer, you can telephone my office direct on (01263) 734815 and if I am not available, leave a recorded message so I can get back to you.
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