Diary of an APC candidate – Part 3
Sunday, 19th December 2010
Surveying
I recently accompanied one of our Chartered Surveyors on an RICS Homebuyer Report.
What was a little unusual about this particular property was the style in which it had been built, in terms of design it was as far from conventional as it could be, the footprint of the property was essentially a figure eight, with the main living quarters divided between the two circles. The property was also built partially below ground whereby the kitchen and reception rooms were situated on the lower levels.
The combination of this unusual design and extravagant interior made it an interesting job to be a part of. The property itself was in the region of 30 years old, however apart from the slightly dated décor, this was hard to tell this. Structurally the property was as new, with little to no defect noted, there were a couple of minor leaks in places, however these could be easily rectified through a simple schedule of planned work and regular maintenance.
Looking back on this report, it is clear to see why the client was a nervous about the purchase, it turns out that although the RICS HBR inspection revealed little to no fault it gave them the peace of mind needed to proceed with their purchase.
As a trainee surveyor, one aspect that is becoming increasingly apparent to me is that although there is a straightforward methodology to putting a price on a property, it is near impossible to put a price on the peace of mind that a pre-purchase survey such as a RICS Homebuyer Report provides.
With more and more stories arising about cowboy builders, dodgy works and increasingly defect prone properties, having a surveyor that is familiar with the area, property style and varying defects that can arise does not only give the client the reassurance they need to proceed, it also gives them the opportunity to highlight other questions and queries, for example advice on works they intend to do once they exchange or drawing the surveyors attention to a specific observation they have made through their viewings.
In my next post I will write about some of the most common questions that I have been asked when taking new enquiries over the past 6 months.
