Building Surveys
Are you buying a new property......?
As RICS Accredited (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), The Mcatee Property Group is well versed in providing professional guidance on residential properties throughout Cornwall.
Why do you need an RICS Home Survey? Because forewarned is forearmed.
Choosing the right survey will help highlight any serious problems and advise you of the specific risks before you commit to the process of buying or selling a property.
RICS has three different levels of survey. These can only be conducted by an RICS qualified surveyor.
Reliable and cost effective, these reports carry the full weight of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors – the industry’s most respected authority on surveying.
Buying a home
It’s important to remember that your mortgage lender’s valuation report is not a survey. It merely tells your lender whether or not the property is reasonable security for your loan. An RICS survey will tell you the actual condition of the property. That’s vitalinformation that can be invaluable during price negotiations, and will also help you avoid expensive surprises after you’ve moved in. There is an option for an RICS Home Survey – Level 2 (with valuation) which, as the name suggests, also includes a valuation as a standard part of the service for your own purposes.
Selling a home
An RICS survey can be an aid to selling your home. It will show you any problems that may delay your sale or cause price reductions later in the process.
Staying at home
A survey of the current condition of your home will warn you of defects and help you avoid escalating repair and maintenance costs in the future.
In a Nutshell
A Level 3 Full Building Survey will provide a comprehensive assessment of the structure and condition of the property. It also includes a guide as to any repairs that are required. The detail provided in this type of survey will give you a thorough understanding of what you are buying. Industry guidelines recommend Full Building Surveys if your property is old, run-down, large or has unusual features. This type of survey is also recommended if you plan to do any significant work to the property.
A Level 2 HomeBuyer survey provides a visual inspection of areas that are reasonably accessible. The survey looks for serious problems that are readily evident, but does not go into detail on the structural integrity of the property. If your property is fairly new, conventionally built and appears to be in good condition, then guidelines recommend a HomeBuyer survey.