enquiries@cassproperty.co.uk 01555 660206

Home Owners

Your home may be the largest investment you make and managed properly it will keep its value in the short term and increase in value in the future.  Poor management of this asset can negatively affect its value and affect your personal wealth.  We can work with you to make sure that routine repairs and improvements are managed properly to avoid headaches and prevent premature and costly deterioration to your home.  If you have limited funds for property maintenance you should resist the temptation to see the problem as being too big to address.  We can help you target the main issues and provide advice on how to use your budget to best effect.

 

Top tips for Homeowners

  • Always use reputable tradesmen – seek references and if possible use contractors who have worked for people you know and who did a good job. Where this is not possible use firms listed with trade organisations such as CORGI/Gas Safe (Heating). NIC/EIC (Electricians) etc.
  • Wherever possible, avoid awarding work based on one price – get competitive tenders or quotations for the works so that you can check that you are not being ‘ripped-off’. Usually three quotes is best for all but the smallest works and this may be increased for tendered works of larger value. This is not always possible and sometimes cost is secondary to using someone you know you can trust, but it is a good general rule.
  • Have a clear specification prepared by a professional – this ensures that the contractors are all pricing the same work. Letting the contractors propose different repair solutions gives you no way of knowing whether each cost represents value for money.
  • Use a Chartered Building Surveyor with extensive maintenance and repairs experience to investigate problems with your property. These may include cracking, loose render, leaks, unsightly staining, dampness and wood rot. Maintenance problems often have multiple causes that may not be identified by contractors who are specialist in a single trade.
  • Consult a Chartered Building Surveyor when you are considering upgrading insulation to your property. Spray foam insulation can cause damage and make your home harder to sell, retrofit cavity wall insulation can be harmful to your property, and upgrading loft insulation can cause condensation in attic spaces.
  • Use a suitably qualified and experienced professional to supervise site works and ensure specification compliance and workmanship standard. This provides a buffer between you and the contractor and avoids them taking advantage if you have limited knowledge of construction detailing and repairs.


We can help with identifying defects, prepare technical documentation relating to overdue maintenance and related repairs, obtain quotes, and supervise the works (to check that they are finished to an acceptable standard).

We appreciate Consultants’ fees are an extra expense over and above the cost of any repairs, alterations, or new work projects, and we respect that it may be your choice to go it alone.  Where this happens but things don’t go as planned, we are still here to help.

We would be happy to discuss your needs and initial advice is free.

Typical services to Homeowners include:

  • Helping people who have been mis-sold spray foam insulation;
  • Investigating sub-standard works and specifying remedial works to bring them to a reasonable standard; and
  • Preparing reports to strengthen the client’s position when approaching Contractors about workmanship issues. This can avoid communications breakdown which may result in the need for costly court action.
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