Home Condition Survey

What is a Home Condition Survey?

A Home Condition Survey is a plain English, jargon-free report on the condition of the property.  It will be carried out by a specially trained and fully qualified residential property surveyor and will show up anything that needs urgent attention, or is likely to present future problems. It will also highlight any exceptional maintenance that you will have to take into account.

 

My bank is doing a survey - isn't that enough?

Your mortgage lender will usually require a valuation report, but these are not the same as the Home Condition Survey. The lender isn't going to live in the property, and a valuation report is designed around their needs, not yours. It will not contain all the information you need to make an informed decision.

 

What will a Home Condition Survey tell me?

Your Home Condition Survey will tell you all you need to know about the property in an easily understood way. Armed with an HCS, buyers can often negotiate the price of the property down by 5-10 times the cost of the survey.

 

It will cover:

  • Building condition and defects
  • Structural movement
  • Damp, rot, and woodworm
  • Heating, drains, and electrical services
  • Alterations and additions
  • Rebuilding cost - for buildings’ insurance.
 

Each element will be rated with a simple 1, 2, 3 condition score and presented in a jargon-free, easy to understand report. The report will also include information on any defects that are discovered and how to go about getting them fixed.

 

A home is probably the most expensive purchase you will ever make, so make sure it's a sensible one. Investing in a Home Condition Survey (HCS) helps you to understand the pluses and minuses of your potential purchase - and can save you thousands of pounds later down the line.

Buying a property can be very stressful. Decisions involving huge amounts of money, technical information, legal wrangling, and deadlines all demand your attention and most of them are outside your control or experience. The feeling of uncertainty can be overwhelming. We recognise that feeling!

Investing in a Home Condition Survey will reduce at least part of the anxiety. Be confident that your new home is not a nightmare in disguise because a trained and audited professional has thoroughly examined every nook and cranny, followed up every suspect symptom, and assessed the work you will need to do to keep the place in good condition.