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HomeBuyers Survey, Building or Snagging Survey. Which is right for you?

If you’re in the process of buying a property, it is worth having a House Purchase survey carried out by a RICS Chartered Building Surveyor. While getting a HomeBuyers survey is completely optional, and can seem like an unnecessary expense, it will help confirm you’re not paying over the odds and could help identify any major problems or concerns about the condition of the property. The last thing you want is unexpected costs for repairs and maintenance as soon as you move in.

The RICS Building Survey, HomeBuyers Report and Snagging Survey are all different and which one you choose will depend on the type of property you’re buying, its age, its condition, if it’s been converted or extended or if you are planning on carrying out alterations to the property.

As local Chartered Building Surveyors we provide a number of different RICS surveys, and are happy to advise on the right survey that’s most suited to the property you are buying. In this blog post we will take a look at what each one includes and which type of property it’s most suited for.

pots 716579 1920 - HomeBuyers Survey, Building or Snagging Survey. Which is right for you?

Bought a New Build? Get a Snagging Survey

If you’re buying a new build property, then the Snagging Survey would be an ideal choice. As its name suggests,  its purpose is to identify any defects or ‘snags’ caused by poor workmanship, construction or design defects and whether all compliance to Building regulations have been met. Snags can be small defects, such as where something is damaged or doesn’t fit properly, minor cracks or even major structural issues.

A Snagging Survey is prepared either prior to completion or at any time during the two years following your purchase and is given to the housebuilder to fix any issues found. If you don’t get a Snagging Survey done,  you could end up spending thousands sorting out any issues yourself, or even worse end up with a problem property.

What is a HomeBuyer Report?

The most popular RICS survey is the Homebuyer Report – a  non-intrusive, visual inspection of the property’s condition, mostly suitable for conventional and modern homes.

As well as providing a visual inspection of the property’s major indoor and outdoor features, including ceilings, walls, roofs, roof voids, subfloor ventilation and rainwater goods, it also inspects the visible parts of

the heating and drainage systems and helps establish if there are any structural problems such as subsidence or damp.

Starting at around £500, the RICS HomeBuyer Survey will also include a market valuation of the property as well as a reinstatement value.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the HomeBuyers report, please take a look at our article on the 3 reasons you should get one.

The comprehensive RICS Building Survey

The Building Survey, also known as a structural survey, is the most comprehensive option. It provides a thorough inspection of the property with the condition of each element of the house described and any defects identified. In addition, it will outline the likely cause of any problems, repair options, the urgency of repair and the likely consequences of doing nothing. It also includes a schedule of works required and the likely costs.

Building Surveys help uncover less visually obvious issues, so if you are buying an older, non-standard property, or something that is a bit more dilapidated, we would highly recommend you go for this option. The cost is around £700-£2000 depending on the size, age and construction of the property, but is a worthwhile option.

HomeBuyers Survey – Unsure which to get? Get in touch

Knowing what type of survey to get can be tricky, as it will depend on the property and also on your budget. As a rule, if you’re buying an older, non-standard property, get a Building Survey. For a new build, get a Snagging report and for any other property a HomeBuyers Report should suffice. As experienced local building surveyors, fully regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), we provide all of the above RICS Home Surveys, so we can discuss which one would be right for you and also provide you with a quote.

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