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Potential Home Buyers

Buying a house or flat is recognised as being one of the most stressful things that we do in life, and understandably many prospective home buyers are nervous about the prospect of unforeseen ‘surprises’ costing them money after purchasing the property.

We have the expertise and technical knowledge to inspect properties offered for sale. This can provide peace of mind to home buyers, helping them to be better informed when deciding whether to buy the property. In some cases this can result in them ‘dodging a bullet’ by choosing to look for a different property.

Top tips for potential home buyers

  • Don’t waste money on surveys unless you have an offer accepted by the seller. If you are outbid in a competitive market, the findings of the survey be academic and you will have wasted your money. Instructing your Solicitor to submit your offer ‘subject to survey’ is one way that you can avoid this. It is possible that your ‘qualified’ offer will be rejected by the seller in favour of one without any qualifications, but if it is accepted you will be able to appoint a property professional to look at the property before you proceed with the purchase.
  • Study the home report for possible issues that require further investigation. These will usually be Category 2 or 3 items or there may be limitations to the extent of the home report survey. An example of this might be a survey of the attic being limited to a ‘head and shoulders’ inspection from the access hatch. You may want a general inspection for peace of mind , or you may concentrate on specific areas like these for your Surveyor to inspect.
  • Don’t overstretch yourself financially. Houses and flats are a long term investment and are affected by interest rate changes caused by fluctuations in the economy. Make sure you will still be able to afford your mortgage repayments if interest rates go up. If not you could have your property repossessed by your mortgage lender and be left without a home. Choosing a property with a manageable mortgage will mean you can keep it and move up the property ladder when the time is right for you.
  • Don’t be tempted to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’. Taking on a property that is beyond what you can comfortably afford can result in considerable stress and hardship and the initial joy of moving in can soon turn to worry and misery. Be content with a home that you can afford and do not focus on what others have. If you need to compare yourself with others, compare yourself with those who are less fortunate and appreciate what you have. This will be a better recipe for happiness and contentment.

Pre-purchase Inspections
We can carry out surveys tailored to the specific needs of different prospective home buyers. These vary between concentrating on particular aspects of the property such as the roof and attic space, to a general overview to check for any visible issues that are significant and that we think the purchaser should know about.

Post-survey Reports
Buying a home can be an expensive process and buyers do not want to spend more than they have to on surveys. We take a bespoke approach to reporting our survey findings, doing only what we feel our clients need. Our flexible, transparent methodology involves proposing a suitable report style after we have finished the survey. Depending on what we find, this can range from something that is simple and inexpensive, to a more detailed report with accompanying photos which takes longer to prepare and is therefore costs more.

If you decide to proceed with the purchase, we can help deal with any defects, specifying repairs, obtaining quotes, and supervising remedial works to ensure they are finished to an acceptable standard.

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

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