Review on making your final move

Downsizing to a post-war bungalow

 

Independent Building Surveyors

We can help you if you are in the process of purchasing or selling a property whether it is your first or last property can provide help and advice with regard to pre-sale building surveys, structural surveys, home buyers reports, independent valuations, property surveys, engineers reports, structural reports, specific defects report or any other property matters.

Please free phone us on 0800 298 5424 to have a chat with one of our surveyors.

Why have an independent building survey? Caveat Emptor!

We recommend you always have an independent building survey as this will highlight any property problems. Caveat emptor means buyer beware and is why you need to have a building survey to find out if there are any problems within the property; the estate agent certainly will not advise you of any.

Remember the independent building surveyor that you employ will be the only person working for you with your interests at heart. As they are independent surveyors they are not working for an estate agents, bank or building society.

Downsizing to a retirement bungalow

We were pleased to see past clients today who are a young elderly couple who are looking to buy their retirement home. They are cash purchasers so it is very important that the purchase is a good one and right for them and there aren't any problems.

They are also very keen on retiring rather than doing lots of maintenance work. Interestingly enough the person selling was also retiring and moving to the coast.

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Repeat clients

The couple had previously used our services whilst trying to find their retirement property. Upon receiving our survey report they decided not to go ahead with the purchase. They then found another similar property that matched their critera and we were happy that they decided to use our services once again. We were pleased that they had taken a lot on board since we last met them on the previous survey when they found our assistance very helpful. We were happy to see that they were diligently going through a list of requirements on the property when we met them.

bungalow

Bungalow

They told an interesting story about how the estate agent had tried to talk them out of having an independent surveyor and talk them into having a surveyor that he knew. We come across this time and time again. She was quite annoyed that the estate agent thought she was naïve enough to use the surveyor friend that he was recommending.

Your last house move

When you are looking for the house that's going to be the last move when you are retiring or even keeping active it is very important that you find the right property for you.

What do the circles and ovals mean in our building surveys?

In our building surveys and structural surveys the circles and ovals are a system that we used to highlight property problem areas so that you are not left wondering what the property problem is. In addition to this if the survey photographs do not we believe explain the property problem enough together with our survey report we also add in one of our own survey sketches.

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Circle around black mould on walls

Many photographs and surveying sketches

We use throughout our survey reports to make them as clear as possible many photographs and surveying sketches. Whilst the emphasis will always be on encapsulating the Good, Bad and Ugly within our Executive Summary section words are enhanced with photographs from a very powerful optical zoom camera. We also have our own unique set of survey sketches to make the property problem crystal clear. We literally have commissioned hundreds of our own survey sketches developed over many years depicting property issues.

Trickle vents to top of window

Trickle vents on a window

Other surveying articles that may be of interest

The following articles may be of interest to you, but don't forget that we have written articles on many different areas of property:

Downsizing your house and home
What is a building survey
What does a chartered surveyor do on a structural survey?
Adding value to your property
Good design really can save you money

Bungalows are ideal

As independent Surveyors we have carried out many surveys on bungalows, which are very popular when couples or individuals decide to downsize. A property search for bungalow can take some time as with any property to find the ideal property, which meets most of your essential criteria and if lucky some of your desirable criteria.

A two bedroom 1930s semi-detached bungalow in Kent set in an area of similar properties as well as houses with the front garden given over to off road parking and in good internal decorative order after viewing was decided to be an ideal property to downsize to. We were delighted to help with a full structural survey whereby the property in its entirety is scrutinised for any structural issues.

Always meet your Surveyor at the property

When you enlist the help of an independent Surveyor to help you with your decision to buy or not to buy a property we always recommend that you take the time to go along to the property to meet the Surveyor. A meeting with the Surveyor can help as you can talk to them about any property issues as well as pointing out your concerns and aspirations for the property and we felt our clients certainly benefitted from meeting us at the property as they were able to ask many questions relating to the property.

Specialist surveying equipment always used on every building survey

During the survey process we use a number of specialist surveying equipment, such as:

Electronic meter readers for detecting dampness in the property

Earth tester for the electrics

Humidity tester for condensation

Thermal imaging camera to detect any heat loss from the property

x 16 zoom camera

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Satisfactory Earth Test of the electrics

Negotiating to reduce purchase price

AFTER receiving the survey report, which highlighted a number of issues with the property, our clients got their solicitor to negotiate a reduction in the purchase price based on these problems found by the chartered surveyor in the structural survey.

Happy ever after

HAVING agreed to the reduction in the purchase price our clients were happy to continue with the purchase and are looking forward to moving in to It is always good to hear a client's happy ever after retirement property.

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Independent Building Surveyors

We are experienced independent building Surveyors who are knowledgeable in carrying out structural surveys on all types, styles and eras of buildings. If you are looking to buy or sell a bungalow or house or flat it makes sense to have a structural survey carried out by an Independent Surveyor. Phone us for a friendly chat on 0800 298 5424.

Compare our website and compare our surveys

Please feel free to have a look at our website to see for yourself the quality of our website, articles and our Building Survey reports. We pride ourselves on our professional standard and easy to read reports which we have been carrying out for many years on every age, type and style of property across the UK .

We can email you examples of our building surveys

If you are thinking of buying a property and are interested in having a Structural Survey carried out or if you are trying to sell a property and would like a Pre-Sales Survey please call us on free phone us for a friendly chat on 0800 298 5424. We would be happy to email you several examples of our tailor made reports.

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