Frequently asked questions
It’s highly recommended that you consider having a survey carried out if you’re in the process of purchasing a property. By doing this, you’ll be aware of any significant issues before committing to one of the largest purchases you will ever make.
Surveys highlight any defects and issues that may not be easily identified when viewing a property. An experienced surveyor will visit the property, carry out an inspection and prepare a report detailing all of their findings, as well as limitations.
There are different types of surveys recommended for different types of properties.
The type of survey needed will depend on the property in question. For most, a Level 2 Home Survey (HomeBuyer Report) will be appropriate; this can come with, or without a valuation. A Level 3 Home Survey (Building Survey) is more in-depth and recommended for those properties over 100 years old, Listed, or in poor condition.
For more information on the types of survey and which survey you should choose, please contact our experienced team.
A mortgage valuation simply a brief inspection of the property for the benefit of the lender and not yourself. It provides them with the confidence to lend you the money and that is all. In some cases the property is not even inspected.
An RICS Home Survey can give you the confidence to pursue the purchase of a property as a qualified surveyor can inspect and provide you with a full report of the current condition of the property.
For home purchase surveys, it is usually the buyer who arranges and pays for the survey. The report is designed to help the buyer understand the condition of the property and flag up any risks.
However, we can also carry out surveys for homeowners who wish to understand the condition of their home before selling.
A qualified member of the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) will carry out the survey – see ‘about us’ for more information on all of our surveyors.
At Blanking Associates we pride ourselves on giving a personal, yet fast, thorough and efficient service to all of our clients; no matter which type of survey or valuation is required.
After we have confirmed instructions from you, we will make the booking with the estate agent to carry out the inspection; usually we can obtain access into the property within 5 working days.
After the inspection, reports take around 5-7 working days to be emailed to you.
Once you have recieved the report, if you have any questions at all, our surveyors are more than happy to go through the report with you.
Of course, we will ensure that the surveyor understands your concerns before inspecting the property, in order to make sure any issues that you have are thoroughly considered.
Of course, give us a call anytime and the surveyor will be more than happy to discuss all of their findings to you. Alternatively, email us any specific queries you have.
Additionally, if your solicitor at any point after the survey provides you with any documents you want advice on, then please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Depending on the type of inspection, the surveyor could be in attendance anywhere from 20 minutes for a valuation on a small property, to all day for a Level 3 Home Survey on a large property. A Level 2 Survey usually takes around 2 hours.
The surveyor will need access into every room, including any loft space, basement/cellar, and permanent outbuildings, such as garages, for all types of surveys.
Every property is unique and we will provide a bespoke quote for every report that we provide.
Please get in touch with us for a free no obligation quote.