Home Condition Surveys: helping homebuyers make the right decision
Putting you in the know
Buying a house is a major investment. One that you really need to make an informed decision about. That's exactly what the Home Condition Survey allows you to do. It's a striking fact that around 70% of homebuyers do not commission any form of independent survey on the property they purchase. Which?, the con
sumer agency, estimates that undertaking a condition survey could save homeowners thousands of pounds--in some cases, as much as £10,000. The Home Condition Survey is delivered by specially trained and fully-accredited residential property surveyors. It gives you a plain English, jargon-free report on the condition of the property using a simple 1-2-3 rating guide. You will understand any risks or unforeseen expenditure that could crop up when you are settled in. Your Home Condition Survey means you will know all you need to know about the house you're about to buy. Advice you can rely on
To produce a Home Condition Survey, the surveyor must be a member of SAVA, a accreditation scheme which trains and audits the work of surveyors. SAVA members specialise in providing information for buyers and sellers of residential properties. Your Home Condition Survey will:
Identify any major problems with the home you are buying
Highlight any hidden areas of possible concern that need further investigation
Give you a simple 1-2-3 condition rating of all key aspects of the property
Deliver a comprehensive and jargon-free report
Help you plan for future expenditure
Be carried out by accredited and comprehensively trained surveyors
Your Home Condition Survey will tell you about
Building condition and defects
Any structural movement
Damp, rot and woodworm
Heating and electrical services
Alterations
Drains
Environmental issues
The reinstatement cost you need for building services
The more information you have, the more informed a decision you can make
Your Home Condition Survey tells you all you need to know, in a comprehensive and easily
understood way. The surveyor gives each part of the structure of the main building a condition rating:
Condition Rating 1
No repair is currently needed. Condition Rating 2
Repairs or replacements are needed but the surveyor does not consider these to be serious or urgent. Condition Rating 3
These are the defects which are either serious and/or require urgent repairs or replacement, or the surveyor feels that further investigation is required. You may wish to obtain quotes for additional work where a condition rating 3 is given, prior to exchange of contract. Putting the buyer in control
Buying a house is stressful and it is not always in the seller's best interests to be fully open about its quirks and shortcomings. That is where the SAVA surveyor comes in. Your Home Condition Survey offers a thorough, comprehensive and easy to follow report for a fraction of the cost of a full structural survey--putting you in a stronger position to negotiate with the seller.
