To arrange a valuation, a HOMEBUYER Survey, or to enquire about our services, please see the services page or call a member of our team on 01785 25 45 45.
Our scale charges for surveys are based on the age and purchase price of the property.
| Purchase Price | Post 1939 | Pre 1939 |
|---|---|---|
| up to £100,000 | £275 | £300 |
| up to £150,000 | £300 | £335 |
| up to £200,000 | £380 | £415 |
| up to £250,000 | £480 | £515 |
| up to £300,000 | £535 | £535 |
| up to £400,000 | £635 | £635 |
| up to £600,000 | £785 | £785 |
| up to £800,000 | £1,000 | £1,350 |
All prices quoted are subject to VAT at the standard rate.
From £700 + VAT. Please call us on 01785 25 45 45.
You can request a survey using the online form on our Professional Services page, by calling us, or visiting our Stafford offices.
A1 The HOMEBUYER Service comprises:
A2 The Surveyor's main objective in the HOMEBUYER Service is to give Clients considering buying a particular Property the professional advice which will assist them:
A3 The HOMEBUYER Service therefore covers the general condition of the Property and particular features which affect its present value and may affect its future resale. The Report focuses on what the Surveyor judges to be urgent or significant matters. Significant matters are those which, typically, in negotiations over price would be reflected in the amount finally agreed.
B1 The Inspection is a general surface examination of those parts of the Property which are accessible: in other words, visible and readily available for examination from ground and floor levels, without risk of causing damage to the Property or injury to the Surveyor. Due care is therefore exercised throughout the Inspection regarding safety, practicality and the constraints of being a visitor to the Property (which may be occupied). So furniture, floor coverings and other contents are not moved or lifted; and no part is forced or laid open to make it accessible.
B2 The services are inspected (except, in the case of flats for drainage, lifts and security systems), but the Surveyor does not test or assess the efficiency of electrical, gas, plumbing, heating or drainage installations, or compliance with current regulations, or the internal condition of any chimney, boiler or other flue. Also, the Surveyor does not research the presence (or possible consequences) of contamination by any harmful substance. However, if a problem is suspected in any of these areas, advice is given on what action should be taken.
B3 Where necessary, parts of the Inspection are made from adjoining public property. Such equipment as a damp-meter, binoculars and torch may be used. A ladder is used for hatches and also for flat roofs not more than three metres above ground level. Leisure facilities and non-permanent outbuildings (such as pools and timber sheds) are noted but not examined. In the case of flats, exterior surfaces of the building containing the Property, as well as its access areas, are examined in order to assess their general condition; roof spaces are inspected if there is a hatch within the flat.
C1 The Report provides the Surveyor's opinion of those matters which are urgent or significant and need action or evaluation by the Client before contracts are exchanged. It includes some or all of the following:
C2 Matters assessed as not urgent or not significant are outside the scope of the HOMEBUYER Service and are generally not reported; however, other matters (such as safety) are reported where the Surveyor judges this to be helpful and constructive. If a part or area normally examined is found to be not accessible during the Inspection, this is reported; if a problem is suspected, advice is given on what action should be taken.
C3 The Report is in a standard format arranged in the following sequence: Introduction & Overall Opinion; The Property & Location; The Building; The Services & Site; Legal & Other Matters; Summary; Valuation. In the case of leaseholds, the Report is accompanied by a standard appendix called Leasehold Properties.
D1 The last section of the Report contains the Surveyor's opinion both of the Market Value of the Property and of the Reinstatement Cost, as defined below.
D2 "Market Value" is the best price at which the sale of an interest in property would have been completed unconditionally for cash consideration on the date of valuation. In arriving at the opinion of the Market Value, the Surveyor also makes various standard assumptions covering, for example: vacant possession; tenure and other legal considerations; contamination and hazardous materials; the condition of uninspected parts; the right to use mains services; and the exclusion of curtains, carpets, etc., from the valuation. (If required, details are available from the Surveyor.) Any additional assumption, or any found not to apply, is reported.
D3 "Reinstatement Cost" is an estimate for insurance purposes of the current cost of rebuilding the Property in its present form, unless otherwise stated. This includes the cost of rebuilding the garage and permanent outbuildings, site clearance and professional fees, but excludes VAT (except on fees).