Four things a surveyor might ask before they do your home survey
A home survey is vital if you’re looking to buy a new property. It involves a chartered surveyor looking closely at the house, including the surrounding area.
You’ve heard about the questions you need to ask a chartered surveyor. But what about the questions they need to ask you? The surveyor will want to know certain things about you and your needs before carrying out the survey. Don’t worry; they aren’t the estate agent and won’t feed back to the seller (at least, not without your permission).
This information helps them conduct the most accurate inspection for you.
Here are four things a surveyor might ask you before they do your home survey.
Do you need anything specific from the property?
Here, we’d think about tailored requirements, such as:
- Number of bedrooms
- Are the kitchen and bathroom working and safe?
- Garden/no garden/paved areas
- Off-road parking and driveway
- Garage/shed/tool storage
- Planning regulations for extensions/renovations
- Heating systems
- WiFi speed
All these factors can make a difference when buying a home. They all need inspecting in a home survey. For instance, sellers sometimes incorrectly classify two-bed properties as three-bed (and vice versa). If you have dependents or regular visitors, you need to know what’s possible.
In the same way, the estate agent might have advertised a functioning kitchen or bathroom and a quaint shed. In these situations, things often look good on the surface – they want to sell their house, after all. But a home survey often uncovers things like poor ventilation and damp in a poorly installed kitchen or bathroom, or a shed with a beautiful exterior but is rotting on the inside.
What will the property be used for?
This is also crucial to consider. Quite a few people buy a home so they (and their families) can move into it. Simple enough. Not everyone, though.
Landlords, for example, will want to know that a home is already in good condition. If it needs repairs, you’ll be looking for inexpensive, simple fixes that make the most of your budget. You’ll also consider nearby facilities, area appeal, safety, energy efficiency, updated Building Regulations and more.
You might also want an investment property, even if you plan to live in it (and not rent it out). Here, your priority wouldn’t be the day-to-day essentials but home desirability. Your decision would be based heavily on estimates of value increase and potential local developments in the near future.
How soon would you expect to move in?
Sometimes, home surveys uncover problems that could affect your moving-in timeline. For example, a severe mould problem in the kitchen could mean gutting the room and starting from scratch. It’s still possible to move in, of course, but installing a new kitchen takes weeks (realistically, months). In the meantime, cooking will be difficult, and you might feel like you’re camping. Most people would prefer to not move in until the repairs have been finished.
Other similar problems can cause delays. You might want the seller to repair certain issues out of their own pocket before you move in. We often see this with squeamishly-unhygienic bathrooms, old carpets, or asbestos cases. By waiting for this, it’ll take longer to move in.
When a surveyor writes their report and discusses it with you, they’ll have a good idea of how the repairs will impact your target timeline.
How important is this property to you?
Consider a situation where a child wants to purchase their parents’ home. Perhaps their parents have passed away. The building might have been in the family for generations. This specific property will mean far more to that individual than another buyer.
The surveyor will still carry out the same job, of course. The property will get a detailed inspection and comprehensive report. However, they might focus more on affordable ways to repair problems. Bad news might be delivered more gently, and so on. As a buyer, it’s a higher risk (and the surveyor will tell you as such). But it’s not without reason, in this case.
You may find yourself in a similar circumstance, where a home is worth sentimentally more than its material value. That should always be taken into account.
Ask GB Home Surveys about a property inspection
Interested in having a property inspected with a home survey? GB Home Surveys can be found in:
- Gloucestershire
- Herefordshire
- Worcestershire
- Taunton & North Somerset
- Bristol
- Bath
- The Cotswolds
- South Wales
- The West Midlands
If you’re hoping to move to a home in one of these areas, please get in touch with us. We’re always happy to have an obligation-free chat about what you want and need from your new house.
Use the form below to get in touch with us. Alternatively, head over to the Our Locations page for area-specific contact details. We look forward to hearing from you.
