WHICH TYPE OF SURVEY DO I NEED?

So, which survey to choose? Broadly speaking you can have either survey on any type of property; it is choosing the right survey to fit the particular house bearing in mind your particular requirements. Certainly the criteria and guidelines in the sections above should be followed but perhaps the main deciding factor is to consider what you want out of the survey. If you just want to know the main items of disrepair, whether the building is going to involve you in high initial costs or whether something is going to fall over and injure you, then broadly speaking the Home Purchase Report would be adequate. If you want more detail and a more analytical discussion, more input from the Surveyor and more flair in the report, then the Building Survey would be better. The larger and older the building, the more likely it is that a Building Survey would be more appropriate.

Needless to say, the Building Survey is more expensive than the Home Purchase style of report. The inspection is longer and the report takes longer to dictate, type and check and usually photographs are included if there is anything useful to show. We do not believe in inserting photographs just to pad out the report, they have to show something or illustrate a point.

A feature of our reports, either the Building Survey or the Home Purchase variety, is our after-service. We are not believers in sending out the report and then forgetting the Client. We encourage the Client to telephone us afterward to discuss the matter further, or if possible come into the office to see us personally.

Our fee structure for surveys and valuations can be obtained by telephoning us. Basically, they are on a scale depending on the price of the property. There are not that many yardsticks to use for fees but generally speaking the higher price, the larger the property and the more difficult or time consuming the inspection.