Thinking of buying a house?……………… If you read nothing else today, just read this!

Thinking of buying a house?……………… If you read nothing else today, just read this!

We’re often asked by clients  do they really need a survey? and if so, should they have a survey before or after they buy?

The simple answer is “Yes and before” I’ll explain why.

The purpose of a survey is to establish the value and condition of a building/property prior to purchase. This means the potential buyer can be made aware of any issues or potential issues which may arise and affect either the condition or valuation. The last thing any new home owner wants is to find out they have just inherited someone else’s problem which had gone unnoticed or had even been hidden.

So what survey do you need? Well, there are three levels of surveys: a valuation report, a home buyers report and a full building report (to learn more about what’s involved with these surveys check out our blog page: A mortgage valuation report is not a survey!).

For some buyers the cost of a full building survey may not always seem financial viable as for a standard domestic property these surveys can cost within the region of £650.00 – £900.00. When however, you consider the average house price in the North is now £200.000 the cost of a full building report can be less than 0.3% the value of the property! So it often makes me wonder, why would anyone invest upwards of £200.000 and commit to re-paying loan agreement over 25 years without taking professional advice and instructing a survey, its madness!

All is not what its seems, or to use my favourite quote “The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”

I’d like to think we live in an honest  world with trust worthy, utopian people, all living harmoniously. Idyllic as that sounds unfortunately this is no utopia, particularly where moneys is involved. When people are buying and selling property often it’s quick fixes, a splash of damp seal, a lick of paint before placing furniture in front of the problem prior to the property going on the market. Lets just hope no-one sees it, because surveys don’t move furniture do they?………

Well that doesn’t rest well with me. As a building surveyor of 15 years it’s my responsibility to inform our clients of the buildings condition and potential problems which may arise, and as previously mentioned this is ideally best undertaken prior to sale. With today’s modern technology there’s little which can be hidden from an experienced surveyor with the right equipment to hand. Our surveyors use all the latest inspection and investigative equipment such as borroscopes, thermal imaging cameras and specialist diagnostic tools, so even the concealed can be revealed.

Today’s pre-purchase survey was a prime example of why you should consider instructing a report even if it’s for your own piece of mind after being told by agents the property is fine.  The estate agents opinion was that this property (details removed for obvious reasons) was in excellent, sound condition although in need of redecoration, and to the unsuspecting buyer, the property was presented well.

During the survey it became evident that “all was not as it seems” and upon further investigation issues of damp, decay and infestation were revealed.  Problems were identified within the ground floor walls and within the floors, which when the carpets were overturned revealed the timber floors had widespread  issues with decay and infestation to the extent where the integrity of the floors had been completely compromised. These issues had clearly been noted by the vendor (current home owner) and decayed / infested floor timbers had been covered up to prevent investigation and disguise any evidence of a problem.  Furniture had also been conveniently placed against areas where problems were identified.

The results of this inspection revealed approximately 75% of the entire ground floor was compromised by either damp, decay or infestation and required replacement in addition to damp repairs to the ground floor walls. The estimated costs of these repairs are expected to be within the region of £10,000 – £15,000 an expensive surprise for the potential new home owner.

Luckily, this home owner instructed a survey at a cost of £120.00 which identified these problems irrespective of the attempts to disguise them.  The cost of the survey was merely 0.8% of the estimated costs of the repairs, this would have been a very expensive oversight if not considered, I’d say a very small cost for a big investment.

So who you gonna call?………

Well , it’s no longer Halloween so lets forget the Ghostbusters.  First thing, do your research don’t just pick a name out of the phonebook or the first advert on Google. All industries have governing bodies and organisations which regulate their operations and performance.  It’s easy to easy for business to set up, call themselves specialists and acquire logos that mean nothing and relate to nothing for the service they provide ‘badge collectors’ we call them!  There’s an article on our website which explains all about badge collecting Members of the Associations that Matter.

Find the organisations which relate to the service you are looking for and search for their approved specialists. Seek companies who are suitably qualified, have a proven track record and are regulated.  Check out their review’s , speak to their clients and see what they have to say, remember your home is probably the biggest investment you’ll make in your life time, protect your investment and buy with sound knowledge and advice and most importantly your head not your heart!

Whether you’re a business, property professional, home owner or potential purchaser we can help.

Dryfix Preservation provide professional and credible reports undertaken by experienced and fully qualified remedial surveyors for damp, decay and other building issues. Our reports are undertaken out in accordance with The British Standards Code of Practice and come with a comprehensive assessment of any problems identified during our survey along with our recommendations and costs for repairs, if necessary. Our reports include edited pictures and detailed specifications along with category damage ratings to assist your understanding about the urgency of any repairs needed.

Our surveyors also carry all the latest diagnostic and inspection equipment onsite, so even the concealed can be revealed with photographic evidence of our findings included within your report, so you can be sure of correct diagnosis.

“We don’t have to tell you we’re experts, our customers do that for us” See our Testimonials

Dryfix Preservation Ltd, Yorkshires Leading Damp & Timber Specialists – http://www.dryfix.net

Tel: 01904 791388 Email: info@dryfix.net