If you're wondering whether you need to survey a house or apartment prior to purchase, or need assistance on what the survey should include, read on. Remember that your house survey is part of your investment in this significant purchase and any findings from the survey can give you a negotiation tool.
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I HAVE A VALUATION REPORT FROM THE SELLER. DO I STILL NEED A SURVEY?
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The answer is yes. You cannot safely rely on the “valuation report” carried out by the bank. The focus is different to that of a purchaser. The lender’s surveyor inspections establish a ‘value’ of the property bearing in mind the...Read More
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WHO DO I EMPLOY TO SURVEY THE PROPERTY?
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You should have the house examined by an architect, structural engineer or building surveyor, provided he or she is experienced in house surveying. People sometimes get a friend who is qualified as an architect/engineer/surveyor to carry out a survey of...Read More
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WHAT SHOULD A NORMAL HOUSE SURVEY COST?
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Surveyors normally work on an hourly rate basis - professional fees vary. A detailed examination of a property may cost a lot of money, particularly if the surveyor becomes uneasy about something and needs to back with a builder to...Read More
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IS A SURVEY NECESSARY FOR A MODERN HOUSE?
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The answer is yes. However, most experienced property professionals consider a very detailed survey unnecessary in relation to a modern house in a building estate and feel that a more careful examination is more appropriate and necessary in relation to...Read More
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HOW SHOULD I INSTRUCT A SURVEYOR?
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If you want to be able to properly rely on a surveyor's report, your instructions to them need to be in writing. However, before attempting to put them in writing, you should discuss and agree the general nature of the...Read More
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IS IT NORMAL FOR A SURVEYOR’S REPORT TO CONTAIN PROVISIONS ABSOLVING HIM FROM LIABILITY?
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It is normal for surveyors to cover themselves against problems being found which they were not allowed look for. For example, if the house had fitted carpets and the owner will not allow the surveyor to lift them, it would...Read More
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WHAT SHOULD BE SURVEYED?
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The surveyor should look at everything relevant to the condition of the house and its services, insofar as is reasonable in the circumstances. The owners of a house for sale, particularly one in good condition, will not normally allow a...Read More
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SHOULD YOU SURVEY THE SEPTIC TANKS OR DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS?
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The answer is yes. Most of the houses that do not have access to a local authority sewer rely on a septic tank or a sewage treatment plant for drainage and will require a percolation area. In its simplest form,...Read More
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SHOULD THE SURVEYOR CHECK THE REGISTRATION OF SEPTIC TANKS?
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The answer is yes. Under the Waste Water Treatment Systems (Registration) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 220 of 2012), owners of houses drained by a septic tank are obliged to register it with their local authority. Under section 70D of the...Read More
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SHOULD A SURVEY INCLUDE A CHECK ON THE DEED OR TITLE MAPS AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PROPERTY BEING PURCHASED?
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The answer is yes. It is good practice to get copies of the map or maps from the title deeds of the property being purchased and to ask the surveyor to make a general comparison of this with the actual...Read More
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IF I AM BUYING AN APARTMENT IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO LOOK OUT FOR?
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It is very difficult to know where to draw the line in a survey of an apartment. All that is for sale is the apartment itself, whereas most of the important information regarding the apartment depends on the structure of...Read More
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STRUCTURAL AND CONDITION SURVEY?
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The word "survey" is applied loosely to all types of surveyors’ reports. Other words used to describe the same type of report are appraisals, assessments, or investigations. The expression "structural survey" is normally used to refer to the report on...Read More
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DOES INTENDED MAJOR REFURBISHMENT IN AN EXISTING HOUSE REQUIRE EXTRA SURVEYING ATTENTION?
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In a way, intended major refurbishment makes the survey easier because the surveyor just must concentrate on the basic structural fabric of the house assuming that most other material matters will be completely replaced. The right surveyor should have a...Read More
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WHY ARE ALTERATIONS TO HOUSES A CAUSE OF PROBLEMS?
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A great many extensions and conversions to houses are carried out without professional help. We suspect that builders carrying on business in this area actively discourage people from concerning themselves with details such as planning or building regulations, with the...Read More
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WHY ARE ‘ONCE-OFF’ HOUSES A CAUSE OF PROBLEMS?
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Once-off houses tend to be built in rural areas by the owners by direct labour who usually employ tradesmen with specialist expertise to deal with different elements. The expertise of the persons who help in the constructions of these houses...Read More
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HOW DO PROBLEMS WITH CERTIFICATES OF COMPLIANCE FOR ALTERATIONS TO HOUSES ARISE?
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Where extensions are built without professional help, it is not unusual to find that they are not constructed in accordance with best building practice. If the owner extending his or her home is not getting a loan from a lender,...Read More
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IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR I NEED TO GET THE SURVEYOR TO ADVISE ON IN RELATION TO RADON GAS?
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Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. The gas seeps up through the earth and through the subfloor of homes. It cannot be detected by humans in the house because it has no smell or colour. It can however...Read More
