Moving house can be a stressful and costly experience, so it may be tempting to skip the need for getting a home survey to save some time and money. However, whilst all may seem fine on a viewing, there could well be some underlying issues with the property you are interested in buying. If you are thinking of buying a new home, then read on to find out what a home survey is and why it is vitally important to get one.
What Is A Home Survey?
A home survey is an inspection of a house that you are potentially going to buy, carried out by an RICS approved surveyor. Once you have had an offer accepted on a house, you will want to instruct a RICS accredited building surveyor to do the survey. These experts will look for any potential problems with the house, big or small. This could range from any possible issues with damp, to problems with the roof. They will bring to light any repairs or alterations that might be needed. Whilst you do not have to have a survey done, it is advisable to do so as it can save you a lot of undue stress and avoidable costly surprises once you have moved in.
What Types Of Home Survey Are There?
There are various levels of home surveys available done by Norfolk surveyors, depending on how much detail you want the report to go into. The more common ones are the RICS Home Survey Levels 2 and 3, with Level 2 also being known as a Home Buyers Report.
Home Buyers Report
A Home Buyers Report provides a detailed survey of the building and will involve a non-intrusive look at the property. This means that the surveyors won’t be looking under any floorboards or behind any walls, but they will note any obvious signs of subsidence or rot. It can also include a valuation and insurance reinstatement cost for the property, which basically tells you how much you would receive through insurance if the property was destroyed. You can learn more here.
Building Survey
A more extensive building survey is also available where surveyors Norwich will check under floorboards, go into the loft, and look behind walls. This is definitely more advisable if the house you are buying is older and is more likely to have potential problems.
The Benefits of Getting a Home Survey
Getting a home survey done will help you make an informed decision about the biggest potential purchase of your life. If anything is uncovered in the survey, then by knowing about it now, it can help you negotiate a better deal if you still wish to go ahead with buying the house. If it has uncovered an issue that means you no longer want to proceed with the purchase, then this has saved you from a very costly mistake. A slight damp patch in the corner that you notice on a viewing may end up being a very big damp problem with the roof that will only be picked up on a home survey. By knowing about it now, you can be more prepared for future costs once you have moved in.
Getting a home survey completed by building surveyors Norwich is an integral step in the process of buying a house, and one that shouldn’t be skipped! It will lead to peace of mind for your purchase and highlight any potential problems before it is too late.
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