Buying a house is often described as one of life’s most stressful experiences. And with good reason. Not only is it probably the most expensive investment you will ever make, there are so many steps to consider that it is easy to make the mistake of missing something, and that could be very costly indeed.
Commissioning a house survey is one of the vital steps all home buyers should ensure they take before buying any property. Failing to do so could mean missing a detail which could be very costly to correct at a later stage.
Not having a house survey could be costly
According to RICS – the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors – https://www.rics.org/uk/ around a quarter of homebuyers who don’t commission a survey prior to purchasing a property, face unexpected bills for building work after they have bought it. The average cost for such work, such as roof repairs, is just under £2,000, but these could be far higher.
Remember, a valuation is not a survey
Some home buyers mistakenly believe that a valuation report conducted by their mortgage lender is the same as a house survey. It isn’t. A valuation report is simply that. It is designed to confirm the valuation of the property for the purpose of the mortgage lender lending money against it. It does not highlight any structural or other potential problems with the property.
By ensuring that a separate building survey is commissioned, attention will be drawn to any significant issues with the structure of the property, enabling the buyer to consider these – and any associated costs of repair – before deciding whether or not to proceed with the purchase.
There are different levels of home surveys, depending on the type of property concerned. Ranging from simple reports on the condition of a property to detailed reports on major defects, repair and maintenance options, experienced surveyors, such as those working for home buyers survey Kent, will ensure that no essential details are missed. A full range of the different home survey options available, can be seen here at home buyers survey Kent.
Having a home survey commissioned is the only way to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge you need about the condition of a property before you commit to buying. Make booking a survey a top priority.