Choosing a Survey

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.

Helping you choose the right survey

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has three different levels of survey that can only be conducted by an RICS qualified surveyor at Monk and Partners we offer Level 2 Home Buyer Reports and Level 3 Building Surveys which also include a valuation.

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 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors RICS survey will tell you the actual condition of the property. That’s vital information that can be invaluable during price negotiations, and will also help you avoid expensive surprises after you’ve moved in.

What is a Chartered Surveyor?

Before attempting to buy a property, you might never have heard of a property surveyor or a chartered surveyor.

You will probably have been told you need one, but you’re not sure why, or what they do and what you need to know when choosing one. Above all you need to make sure that they are a registered firm with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors RICS.
A Chartered Surveyor is a property specialist who has trained professionally to value a property, and assess it for any defects, future issues or problems that might otherwise impact on the value. As surveyors we then produce a report for you on so you can make informed decisions. These might be items such as if it is a good investment, or if there are any issues that might create problems in the future, like damp, structural issues, Japansese Knotweed, wood worm and much more

What we do?

Our surveyor will visit the property and walk around, assessing multiple different areas, carrying out tests and identifying whether there are any problems. We will then put it all into a report for you to review and discuss any aspects of the report that you which to discuss, together then with the legal information you will then be in a position to decide if you want to go ahead with the purchase.

At times the survey may raise concerns which may then advise you to carry out further investigations into the likely cost of repair or replacement that you may not have allowed for. At times the extra costings mean that you need to renegotiate.

When do I need a Chartered Surveyor?

The earlier that you contact Monk & Partners after finding a property you wish to buy the sooner you will have to make informed decisions while the legal process takes its cause.

If you arrange a survey early on during the process it is a strong level of commitment, when you have made an offer that’s been accepted that you are looking to complete the transaction. If one of our surveyors identify something that stops you buying the property, it can often have saved you money.

We are often asked to visit a property near the end of a transaction which will invariably upset the seller who will see it as a last-minute decision and who may also find it unsettling.

For further information and a no obligation quote call 01752255222 or email office@monkandpartners.co.uk

At a Glance Survey Comparisons

This table will help you choose the most appropriate survey, but if you have any particular requirements, remember to discuss them with your surveyor before they inspect the property. The surveyor may be able to provide you with extra services, under separate contracts.

Service FeaturesSurvey Level 2 RICS Homebuyer Report (Survey) ServiceSurvey Level 3 RICS Building Survey service
Describes the construction and condition of the property on the date of inspection.
Aims to identify any problems that need urgent attention or are serious.
Aims to identify things that need to be investigated further to prevent serious damage.
Aims to tell you about problems that may be dangerous
Aims to show up potential issues and defects, before any transaction takes place.
Aims to help you decide whether you need extra advice before committing to a purchase.
Aims to enable you to budget for ant repairs or restoration.
Aims to advise you on the amount of ongoing maintenance requires in the future.
Aims to establish how the property is built, what materials are used and how these will perform in the future.
Aims to describe visible defects, plus exposing potential problems posed by hidden defects.
Aims to outline the repair options and give youa repair timeline, whilst explaining the consequences of not acting.
Where practical and agreed, provides an estimate of costs for identified repairs.
Provides specific comments on energy efficiency.

Note: Extra services can be provided with all surveys but will require a separate contract.

 

For more information, visit rics.org/homesurveys

David Monk BSc (HONS) MRICS

 

Principal responsibility for providing professional advice to Banks, Housing Associations, private and corporate clients for valuations, landlord and tenant issues, loan security valuations and surveys of commercial and residential properties together with development appraisals. David has over 30 years of property experience.

Why choose Monk and Partners?

Please pass my thank you onto the surveyor too as I know he has gone above and beyond to help me. It is truly appreciated!’ from Mr M. 

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