Building Surveys
Buying a house is considered one of the most expensive and stressful times of our lives. As a result it can be tempting to cut corners, or hope for the best. However, we have found that more and more people are turning to professionals from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to provide a report that can be used not only as a guide for whether the property being bought is a sound investment, but also as a tool for negotiating on the purchase price.
At Grafton Building Consultancy we are able to undertake Building Surveys and HomeBuyers Reports excluding the property valuation and estimated rebuilding (or “reinstatement”) cost of the property for insurance purposes.
Depending on the type of property you are purchasing, we can advise you on which report is most appropriate. As a general guide, property built since 1930 without known structural movement is usually surveyed using the Homebuyer Report format. Properties older than 1880 should be surveyed using the Building Survey format. Property built in the 50 year period between can often be reported on using either format depending upon the level of detail required in the report. We are able to advise on the most appropriate survey for your needs.
A Homebuyer Report will cost from £400 +VAT and a Building Survey from £600 +VAT depending upon various factors. As an independent firm, our reputation is important to us and we strive to provide the very best reports at a fair price.
We always follow up after the survey with a call to discuss our findings and to talk over any significant items noted. Alternatively, if you wish to discuss the report with us after reading it, we are happy to explain matters in further detail. Many of our clients find this a useful and refreshing approach.
Schedule of Condition
A schedule of condition is designed to record the condition of a building at a given point in time. It is more commonly used by tenants entering into a lease of a property who need a schedule of condition appended to their lease at the time entering into a lease.
We can produce photographic schedules to include a written description of a building element, a photograph as a record of comparison, along as recording any damage. These are located onto a plan to identify the location of the photograph.
We can also produce schedule of condition to form part of a Party Wall Award. The schedule of document records the condition prior to works commencing which can be compared to following completion of the works associated with the Award.
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Sound property advice is based on years of training, hard work and passion, as well as familiarity with legislation and sound consideration. You’ll find all that and more at Grafton Building Consultancy.