OUR INDUSTRY BLOG
When things go wrong buying a property
What to do when things go wrong No matter how experienced you are at dealing in property, there’s always something nasty that can jump out and bite you. The trick is to see it coming and deal with it promptly. A lot of problems are simply down to poor communication....
read more
What if your surveyor is negligent and misses something important?
Claims against surveyors What do you do if you move in and your roof starts leaking and the windows fall out the first time you slam the front door? If you didn’t instruct a survey, then there’s not much you can do. Similarly, if you only have a copy of your...
read more
What if your survey says you need to get a ‘specialist report’?
Specialist reports Where your surveyor has spotted any significant defects - which are normally highlighted with a red condition rating - they may advise you to get quotes for the repair work before you buy the property. It's also quite common for surveyors to advise...
read more
Survey reports – how to read them
Interpreting surveys Surveyors are sometimes regarded as the 'Doctor Deaths' of the property world, with barely a positive word to say. But it’s important to bear in mind that the surveyor’s job is to highlight defects and flag up future maintenance concerns. You're...
read more
Choosing a surveyor
What type of surveyor? Surveyors come in assorted shapes and sizes. Anyone can call themselves a ‘surveyor’, a title that's sometimes adopted by double-glazing salesmen for enhanced credibility. Qualified surveyors, however, are always the chartered variety and...
read more
What’s the right type of survey to get?
Wealth warning: People sometimes pay more than they need to on surveys! What type of survey? In the last blog we looked at why a mortgage valuation isn't a proper survey - essentially it's just a quick look round to advise the bank whether the price you've...
read more
What does a mortgage valuation involve?
If the mortgage valuer 'downvalues' your property it could blow the whole deal out of the water. It pays to be nice to the mortgage valuer! Banks and Building Societies normally appoint chartered surveyors to carry out valuations for mortgage lending purposes. This is...
read more
What exactly is a survey?
Mortgage valuations are sometimes mistakenly called 'surveys' So what's a survey? Most buyers require a mortgage. And before handing over shed loads of cash, the mortgage lender will want to be sure that the property you’re buying with their money really is worth the...
read more
Surveys and valuations – Why go naked without a survey?
The only law that applies when buying property is the law of the jungle - better known as "Buyer beware". Why book a survey? If you buy a cereal bar and it turns out to be stale or mouldy, the full force of the law will be on your side. You can demand your money back,...
read more
Hidden legal nasties – that even the most expensive survey won’t warn you about.
How to spot hidden restrictions that could stop you extending, or running a business, or that give someone else the right to live there! Restrictive covenants Restrictive covenants are ‘promises not to do something’ contained in the original deeds. Usually dreamed up...
read more