Guide to choosing a surveyor when buying a house
Choosing the right surveyor when you’re buying a house can be a daunting experience. You need someone you have confidence in for expert advice and to provide you with an accurate picture of the condition of the house you’re thinking of buying – all useful stuff to help with your decision-making. Findings from the surveyor can help you draw out a budget after taking into account the potential maintenance costs you could be up against, or it could give you some gusto to negotiate the purchase price.
As a homebuyer, it’s usually up to you to choose a surveyor and arrange the house survey. But what do you need to take into consideration when choosing your surveyor? To make this process as easy as possible, here are the main things you should look out for:
Qualifications
A reputable surveyor should be a member of a professional body for recognition of their quality and standards. You should have confidence in anyone who is a member of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – a globally recognised professional body for the built environment. It regulates and provides training to all its members and shares information openly, including how long a surveyor has been qualified.
Local knowledge
If you choose a surveyor who has lived in the local area for a significant chunk of time they’ll know that place like the back of their hand. They’ll know local environmental conditions, local property valuations, and the typical condition and building work of local properties. Basically, they’re in a much better position to give you the important insights you need, rather than someone who doesn’t know the area.
Future Home Surveys specialises in the areas around the Shropshire/mid-Wales border – from Wrexham to Ludlow, Welshpool to Telford – so we’re well-positioned to survey any property within this catchment.
Experience
What type of building are you looking at? What type of property is the surveyor experienced in? There are different surveys available, depending on the age and size of the house and your surveyor should help you choose which is most appropriate. If it’s an older building you may want someone who is experienced in Level 3 Building Surveys. You may want to seek specialist advice for period or listed buildings.
Reputation
Personal recommendation is often the best way to find a surveyor. You can find someone you trust through friends and family, or read reviews from previous customers.
Failing that, local directories, online research, and estate agents are useful sources. It’s worth bearing in mind though that estate agents don’t necessarily recommend the best surveyors and it’s definitely worth doing your own research.
It’s good to shop around but it’s often better to go off recommendations and quality over price when you’re looking for a surveyor. Get a few quotes but remember the cheapest isn’t always the best and if someone is charging more than someone else, weigh up the additional benefits choosing them might bring.
Communication
How will your surveyor communicate findings to you? Are there any photographs included? If not, can you request some? Is the language clear and easy to follow?
It’s worthwhile asking to see an example of a survey report so you know what to expect. A surveyor should be happy to answer any questions you might have before the survey, explain which survey is right for you, go through results with you after the survey, and answer any further questions. They should be clear on cost too.
The report should be jargon-free and easy to understand. For each aspect of the property, a traffic light system is used, with red to highlight urgent defects and repairs needed, amber to highlight issues with less urgency but still of importance, and green for no issues found.
Availability
Typically, you will seek out a surveyor after you’ve had an offer accepted. The results from the survey will inform your decision whether or not to go ahead with the purchase.
So now it’s time to ask yourself how soon do you need the survey doing and does the surveyor have the availability you need. It’s best to give yourself plenty of time to prepare so you end up with the surveyor you want and not the only surveyor that’s available under a short notice period. Likewise, ask how long it takes them to issue the report after the survey as this can take weeks or even months with some surveyors.
Future Home Surveys usually issues the report around a week after completing the Home or Building survey so you’re not stuck waiting around too long!
Remember, you can choose whichever surveyor you like – the power is in your hands. Make sure you get what you need from the inspection and don’t be afraid to ask questions!
We are completely transparent with the entire surveying process at Future Home Surveys, giving you all the information you need to make a decision that’s right for you. Find out more on what we’re about and get in touch if you think we’re a good fit.
Photo credits: header image by Jon Tyson, location map off Google maps, handshake by Constantin Wenning, hourglass by Alexandar Todov.