Local Chartered Surveyors – The Benefits of Using Local Chartered Surveyors

The past few years have seen a huge slump in building surveys and a general decline in property surveys necessitated by changes in ownership. This article attempts to look at the importance of using local chartered surveyors for home buyers survey, structural survey and building surveys.

On average it takes around five years to become a Chartered Surveyor and that’s on top of graduating with an accredited degree. Given the length of time it takes to gain the required knowledge and the degree of dedication required to become chartered they certainly deserve their status as the highest form of property and land surveyor.

Homebuyers Survey

In recent years the number of homebuyers commissioning building surveys – do not confuse with valuation surveys required by the lender – has dropped dramatically to around 25%.

Given that most homebuyers are buying property that will take them a lifetime to pay for, it is quite ludicrous that they should cut out the property or home buyers survey out of their budget to save a few quid. In reality this is the point where they should have the best survey they can afford and for that survey to be carried out by a local chartered surveyor rather than a friendly builder.

Local Chartered Surveyors

Using the word local in context with surveyor is extremely important because only a local surveyor has the experience and knowledge to prepare a property report that will fully include his or her extensive local knowledge which will have been collected over many years in that locality.

Local surveyors, especially chartered surveyors know everything there is to know about property and land within their locality and it is for that reason that where possible you should always engage the services of a local chartered surveyor.

Sure, we all want to save a few quid and just because a structural survey or building surveys is not forced upon us don’t mean that we shouldn’t have it. The idea of putting your life’s savings into an old house without a decent survey is a recipe for disaster. After all what does the average homeowner know about subsidence, dry rot, rising damp, sagging roofs and bulging bricks all of which cost a fortune to repair and in most cases will involve remortgaging to pay for reinstatement.

Valuation Surveys

Some people think that a valuation survey is good enough and that if there are any major problems with the property you are intending to purchase the valuation survey will pick it up and the lender will tell you. In reality you will not get a copy of the valuation report and the lender is unlikely to disclose any details of the valuation survey even if there are major defects.

All the lender is concerned about is their investment and regardless of faults picked up on the valuation survey, if the property is valued enough to cover their loan then they’re happy. I should point out of course is that no lender will lend you money on a property without a survey so why on earth would you buy a property without your own survey.

The lesson is simple, if you are planning on buying a property, have the best survey you can afford and if possible have it done by a local chartered surveyor. In the long run it is the best property insurance you can buy and later if there is a problem then you have something to fall back on.

Finding Chartered Surveyors

You can find local chartered surveyors and compare prices for all types of property survey including home buyers survey, building survey and structural survey at Surveyors Supermarket, on of the UK’s leading Building Surveying sites.