RICS HOMEBUYER SURVEY AND VALUATION

This is our speciality.  We have been carrying out these inspections since the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors started the scheme in 1982 and are considered by many Surveyors in the Newcastle area to have more expertise than anyone else.

This is a good report format that advises on condition and state of repair of all elements of the building that can be seen or accessed without pulling the building apart.

Each part of the building has a separate section to the report where we describe the building materials, assess condition, comment on maintenance work or improvements and modifications carried out over time and state our opinion on whether all is satisfactory or that remedial work is, or will soon, be needed.

Repair work is noted at the end of each report section, as necessary, and summarised in the closing stages of the report into the categories Urgent Repairs, Further Investigations and Maintenance Work.

The house is valued on the basis of what it is, where it is and the condition in which we find it.

Most Clients find that this Report is more than sufficient for their needs.

We take the view that the RICS HSV gives all of the advice that most buyers need and that the Report is a very good tool to use to re-negotiate the purchase price.

Excellent value for money that can save thousands of pounds.

BUILDING SURVEY

This is the be all and end all of surveys.

The inspection parameters for a Building Survey and Homebuyer Survey & Valuation are the same, but this type of report goes into more detail.

Our view is that on most occasions when Clients ask for a Building Survey, the RICS HSV will provide them with sufficient information. 

Building Surveys must be carried out on commercial property as the HSV is specifically designed for residential property. Also, older houses, unusual construction form property and buildings in serious disrepair or with obvious structural defects would need a Building Survey.

The Building Survey is the most expensive survey option and we take the view that if we believe that the Client will receive sufficient professional advice and condition information with the HSV report format, this is what we will recommend.

We do not take higher fees from Clients purely for the sake of it!

VALUATION REPORT

This is the written equivalent of a Mortgage Inspection Report, but with more expansive comments on condition and state of repair.

It is not a survey, the report specifically designed to provide the Client with an assessment of value having general regard to condition. The inspection paramaters are restricted and it is important that this is fully understood when instructions are received.

This type of work is generally carried out for Clients who, perhaps unwisely, are not prepared to bear the cost of a SURVEY REPORT.

EXPERT REPORT

These are specialised reports that deal specifically with defects, generally carried out when Clients are in dispute with builders, window and conservatory companies, etc.

The reports assess poor workmanship, defective materials, etc, detailing all relevant points of complaint and stating what must be done to rectify.

BOUNDARY DISPUTES

This has become an area of professional work in which we have a considerable amount of experience and expertise.

Boundary disputes invariably cause a considerable amount of stress to the homeowner and, to be fair from the outset, has been described as the type of dispute than can create good fee incomes for a variety of professionals!

If you have what you consider to be the beginnings of a dispute with a neighbour, take early advice.

VALUATION FOR MATRIMONIAL, PROBATE AND OTHER PURPOSES

These instructions normally come in from Solicitors, or occasionally a Client will be asked to contact a Chartered Surveyor direct.

Inspections are made and the property valued for the specific purpose intended. It is important to understand that there are means by which the valuation is assessed for that specific purpose and that this is not normally an open market valuation. 

CAPITAL GAINS TAX VALUATIONS

A specialised valuation that is generally retrospective, by which we mean that the assessed valuation date is a specific point in the past.

These valuations need to be prepared with careful consideration of comparable evidence from the relevant time period. If property is to be transferred from one family member to another the valuation should be done at the point of transfer as it will be needed to set the value at that time. When the property is eventually sold a Capital Gains Tax liability can occur and tax liability is based on the difference between those two valuations.

My life and that of a number of Clients would have been made a little easier if someone had the foresight to sort this type of valuation out when property was initially transferred!

It is cheaper to do some things now rather than later, when the situation becomes more complicated and costs are higher.

LEASE AND LAND REGISTRY PLANS

These instructions normally come in from Solicitors, or the Clients is told to contact us directly.

When a single flat is sold the Solicitor needs to establish Title and record this with the Land Registry, who require a specific type of plan that shows the extent of the building and the site separation.

Recent changes in the Land Registry rules has resulted in many old Title plans no longer complyingwith their requiremqnts and new plans need to be prepared to define the boundaries

These are relatively simple plans but need to be very accurate in their form and the manner in which information is presented.