Your local Cosey Homes accredited building surveyors will assess the construction of the building and its structural integrity. Usually recommended for buildings more than 70-80 years old, or with significant historical damage, our Building Surveys will give you a greater explanation of any defects and recommend remedy.
We are always committed to giving our clients the best value possible and so we include extra helpful information where appropriate to ensure you get the most out of the service and our surveyors when choosing a full structural survey.
As with the HomeBuyers Report, we will compile the Building Survey using our standard formatted template which is designed to be industry jargon-free and easy to follow. We use the RICS standard reporting traffic light system, thus enabling clients to easily understand areas of the property that need attention. You can download an example RICS Building Survey here.
Level 1 / Green: no action required
Level 2 / Amber: defects requiring attention and repair but not urgently
Level 3 / Red: serious defects requiring urgent attention and repair
What’s included in a Building Survey Report:
✓ In-depth visual inspection of the property designed to assess its overall condition and state of repair
✓ Details of all major faults and defects, including hidden defects and technical details for building construction and materials
✓ Visual inspection of all building elements inside and out, including walls and ceilings, roof and guttering, windows and doors
✓ Assessment of structural problems and subsidence, damp issues and timber decay, including woodworm and rot
✓ ‘Traffic light’ grading system is used to indicate the severity of any defects identified
✓ Advice regarding guarantees, planning and building control issues, disputes etc, to be followed up by the conveyancer
✓ Informed recommendations for repair options as well as future maintenance requirements, including estimate of costings
Starting from £550 including VAT
Your local Cosey Homes RICS-accredited surveyors are highly experienced and knowledgeable and are usually available to carry out reports within a week of instruction. You can also request a call from the surveyor on the day of the visit for a rundown of significant findings.
All you need to do is call our office and give the property details and we will arrange the rest for you. If there is an estate agent involved, we will arrange access with them directly.
Click here for an instant online quote for a RICS Building Survey or call Cosey Homes on 0330 053 5823 to speak to one of our advisers.
There is no set time limit for a building survey inspection; it all depends on the type and size of the property and its condition. A full Building Survey is more in-depth than a HomeBuyers Survey, so the timeframe tends to be longer. We typically allocate a three-hour time slot for a Building Survey. We aim to deliver all our reports within 5 working days, from the date of the survey taking place.
Our surveyors will do their best to inspect lofts and roof spaces wherever they are accessible. However, as the survey is based on a non-intrusive visual inspection, it will not be possible to investigate spaces where there’s a layer of insulation on the joists and timbers are not visible.
A Building Survey is not a specialist asbestos report although the surveyor may well make a comment, based on his professional experience and knowledge about the risk of asbestos and likelihood of a particular item containing asbestos. They may recommend that you undertake further investigation, sampling and testing to establish whether or not asbestos is present.
If the survey identifies serious defects in the property, the report will give you a cost estimate for remedying the problem. We would normally advise that further investigation is carried out to establish the extent of the damage. You may be able to use the information to try and renegotiate your purchase price, or you may even prefer to walk away from the purchase altogether.
If the survey has unearthed unexpected problems with the property, you are perfectly entitled to reduce your offer to cover the cost of remedying the defects. Inform the estate agent of the survey results and submit independent estimates from reputable contractors. You can then make a new offer that more accurately reflects the value of the property and renegotiate with the seller.
You can request a RICS Building Survey quote by completing a simple form.
Get a quote
A survey which gives an overall opinion about the condition of a property and a current market valuation. The Homebuyers report is a must for anyone buying a new home.
If there is a specific issue with your property, you may need a surveyor to make an inspection and recommend certain action. Cracks, subsidence, damp and timber infestation are examples.
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