Property has an architects certificate - do I still need a survey?

Question

Answer

Buying a house for most of us is the single biggest acquisition in life that many of us ever make. The Council of Mortgage Lenders, Which? and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors all recommend that, as a buyer, you commission an independent survey of the property.  
 
There is a common misconception that if a property is modern, it doesn’t need to be surveyed. This is not the case -  we find generally that modern build properties can be far worse in terms of build quality than many older properties. Newer properties tend to have different issues than older traditional houses, but these issues can nonetheless be equally as serious and as expensive to put right.
 
For the type of property you are purchasing, you could either opt for a RICS Homebuyers Survey & Valuation report or an RICS Building Survey – on balance an RICS HomeBuyer Report should be satisfactory based on the limited information you have provided here.

If you have any specific concerns about the property you should discuss these with the Chartered Surveyor you appoint prior to the inspection taking place and they would be able to advise you on the most appropriate type of survey report to meet your needs and requirements.


reallymoving comment:

You can get quotes for HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys through reallymoving.com. If you're not sure which survey would be most appropriate for you, your surveyor will be able to advise you about the survey types and which would be more suitable for the property you are purchasing.
 

• Share this article
• Print

Gavin Scott-Brooker

Brooker & Co

Ask a question