You’ll Know What’s Wrong (And How to Fix It)
When you’re viewing a property, you’re probably being rushed around by a shiny-suited estate agent who will have you in and out in 5 minutes flat. During that time, you’re looking for reasons to buy and planning where furniture will go. You’re not looking for minor cracks in the spare room or other defects that you might need to fix.
If we’re honest, most purchasers don’t have enough knowledge about how buildings work or how they perform, so we can’t expect you to make a full and accurate appraisal of the condition. Luckily, when you commission a survey, the surveyor is allowed as long as they need in the property. They can go over it with a fine-toothed comb and an expert eye, looking into hidden areas like roof space that you won’t be able to see during a viewing. From this inspection, your surveyor will be able to explain what condition the property is in, in detail, and if there are any repairs that are needed (which there almost always are). And if you commission a Level 3 survey, you’ll also be given cost estimates for remedial work.
You’ll Know How Much You Need to Budget
If you need any remedial work done to your new property, having a cost estimate can be an incredibly helpful thing. After all, you might already be stretching your budget, and you don’t want to take on expensive liabilities that you can’t really afford. If you’ve got your heart set on a dream kitchen, or the bathroom needs some updating, then the funds for this might need to be reallocated to make sure the building is weathertight and safe to live in. Understanding what a building will cost to maintain will reduce disappointment and stress in the future.
On the other hand, if you’re not totally maxed out then you might decide to borrow a bit more against the value of your property. This is a more cost-effective source of finance than borrowing on an unsecured basis or using a credit card, and means you will be able to manage the repairs more effectively.
You Can Renegotiate on the Price
Surveys tend to happen once you’ve made an offer on the property, but that doesn’t mean the price is firm just yet. If something is uncovered during the survey that would cost a lot of money to put right, then you are well within your rights to go back to the seller and ask to renegotiate the price.
A good surveyor will even help you to do this by providing an estimate of what they think it will cost to repair (not a quote of works, but a rough guide to help with your negotiations), which can save you the inconvenience of arranging multiple trades to come and look and quote. You can then use it to pass on the cost liability to the vendor by negotiating a discount on the agreed price, so you’re not paying above the odds for a house you’ll have to fix.
Surveyors Can Recommend Tradesman to Help
Surveyors aren’t just good at surveying. We also know a lot of people. We tend to work alongside a wide variety of trades and professionals, which means we build a strong network of people we trust to recommend to our clients. Since most ordinary people don’t have a little black book of tradespeople, they can call on at a moment’s notice, this is often one of the most valuable things your surveyor can do. We can recommend everything from builders and damp proofers to architects and pest controllers. Whatever you need, we probably know someone who can help.
And the best part? At Harrison Clarke we don’t take referral fees from third parties, which means you can trust us to find the best fit for you as an individual and add real value by matching you with the right person.
You’ll Be Able to Brag About Working With the Best in the Business (If You Choose Harrison Clarke)
After all, doesn’t everyone want to work with the best? We don’t mean to toot our own horn (ok, we do a bit), but that’s where we sit. Our clients tend to choose us because we’re already a trusted advisor to other people they know. They might have been referred by a family, a friend, or another professional advisor involved in the purchase process. Or maybe they read all the five–star reviews we have on Google and Trustpilot!
Regardless of how they find us, our clients can rest safe in the knowledge that our surveyors are on their side. We won’t rush their survey just to fill our diary, and if there are defects to be found in a property, we will find them. So you won’t be the person complaining down the pub that you’ve got so many things to fix because your surveyor was useless. We’re very proud of our reputation, and we’d love a chance to show you why.
So if you want to commission a chartered surveyor that you can trust to inspect your new dream home, all you have to do is call 023 8155 0051, and one of our team will be happy to help.
We also have a range of videos talking through various aspects of Surveying. You can access them via our website or our YouTube channel.
At the time of writing, we have a total of 97 reviews across Trustpilot and Google. We are proud to say that they are all 5 star ratings across the board.
