Posts Tagged ‘Rainwater Pipes’

House Home Flat – Property Building Structure – Surveys Reports.

What is basically happening to define these products?

House Surveyors will all tell you they all do the same things to produce property surveys. PROinspect are Home Surveyors but also Experts that Barristers/Solicitors and the Courts refer to for expert opinion on negligence and so we know what causes inferior service levels and customer dissatisfaction.

With this background we know that our formula that defines the PROinspect service level standard is second to none at all.

So what do building surveyors actually do when they get to a house, the home of a seller?

Basically – they inspect systematically all the component parts of a structure for a whole raft of defect and hazard types and then translate that into the report type requested and then offer advice on that content. It is not the “what” that matters, more the knowledge and experience of the individual surveyor and the amount of time he or she is prepared to take to compile your report. This goes far beyond a detailed site inspection.

For the most popular survey product in England & Wales this means that the following are inspected and reported upon……..

1. Chimney Stacks
2. Roof Coverings
3. Rainwater Pipes & Gutters
4. Main Walls
5. Windows
6. Outside Doors
7. Conservatory & Porch
8. Other Joinery & Finishes
9. Roof Structure
10. Ceilings
11. Walls & Partitions
12. Floors
13. Fireplaces, Chimney breasts & Flues
14. Built-in Fittings
15. Woodwork
16. Bathroom Fittings
17. Electricity
18. Gas or Oil
19. Water
20. Heating
21. Water Heating
22. Drainage
23. Common Services
24. Garage
25. Other (Outbuildings)
26. General (Site)
27. Regulations
28. Guarantees
29. Other (legal) Matters
30. Risks to the Building
31. Risks to the Grounds
32. Risks to People
33. Market Valuation
34. Rebuild Cost assessment

It is reasonable that as the Surveyor will be limited by floor coverings, linings, insulation, fittings, possessions that the report cannot be an invasive investigation after damaging the premises to take it apart to see how it is put together. Caveats will apply but these are only valid if they are reasonable in all the circumstances.

With the above in mind it becomes self-evident that the more you pay a competent Surveyor the better the survey product that you will get. We cannot, because of space limitations, elaborate on this but suffice to say it our experience that cheap often means second-rate. No substitute exists for spending time and effort before the inspection, at the property, after the site inspection and then “in the office”. Time means money.

What defines a good house surveyor and the best home survey product?

• Clear and direct communication between customer and surveyor at the fee quotation stage.
• Being informed of your survey options to get the right survey product for your individual needs (there are many products to choose from).
• Finding a truly an experienced and knowledgeable Surveyor for the locality of, and construction type of, the home to be viewed.
• Obtaining a plain language report created at the level that the customer can understand.
• Structured Surveyor/Customer communication post-report so that the customer has the confidence to proceed.

With the greatest will in the world this does not happen when customers choose big companies or when the option is chosen to combine the loan valuation with a private survey.

It takes effort for a home buyer to get the right recommendation to a good Surveyor. That effort will be rewarded massively when defects or problems are found – when the going gets tough, the tough get going – you need a robust professional on your team and that is what PROinspect are. If you get a quote from anybody other than the actual Surveyor who is going to inspect your next home then that person, and the company that they are employed by, should not be considered as worthy of your custom. Move on until you find an unbiased, true professional who you can take seriously.

If your home or property is in southern England then I invite you to call me for further opinion and advice. Stuart Parrett +44 (0)1489 896 174