RICS BUILDING SURVEY (LEVEL 3)
What is an RICS Full Building Survey in Wimbledon London?
All accessible areas within the property will be subject to comprehensive internal and external scrutiny by experienced Wimbledon Chartered Surveyors, with an in-depth analysis of the construction and condition undertaken and results delivered in an easy-to-understand traffic light system for condition severity. A Building Survey can be tailored to focus and cover any particular concerns or issues you may have.
The building surveyors will describe significant defects with the property; visible defects that might need attention; what repair tool had been used and what condition was found. They will also provide you with professional advice by telling you what repair is needed and/or who can repair it. As an additional service, the surveyors can also provide a separate estimate of the costs of repairing which will allow you to work out an affordable budget and or negotiate with the vendor.
Do I need a RICS Home Survey Level 3 (Building Survey)?
While many of the homebuyer’s reports can be adapted to fit your specific property, a Full Building Survey is ideally suited for Listed Buildings or properties built before the turn of the 19th Century or unusual properties (e.g. timber framed). Therefore, any period, expensive, unconventional or larger property is worth having a more detailed house survey of this kind commissioned before buying, since the surveyor will spend more time looking at common problems in the relevant type of structure and predicting the most likely future problems with the property.
With older homes, those that have already been modernised, extended or altered in some way shape or form, surveyors will go around the individual areas of the home to find out how the additions to the home are working together. With traditional materials (lime, brickwork etc.) being mixed with modern fittings (e.g. glass, PVC, concrete, etc.) can often become an issue.
If a house has survived decades, why would it need a survey?
Case Study: Wimbledon
The Surveyors recently undertook an RICS Home Survey Level 3 (formerly known as RICS Building Survey) with a reinstatement estimate in Wimbledon. Based locally, they were able to provide advice to homeowners and property purchasers about the particular characteristics of property in and around the Wimbledon area.
Commuter townhouse prices have been given a good boost and have seen healthy growth over the last few years. It is worth bearing in mind that UK-wide national average prices have naturally increased.
The house is around 60 years of age and is a detached 5-bedroom property built approximately in the 1960s. They did not consider the house to have any major defects requiring urgent attention but did feel that there were numerous minor or not-so-minor areas for improvement. That said, some of these areas for improvement included such items as insulating the pipes. That said several areas for improvement encompassed a fairly broad range, such as the installation of uPVC windows and doors.
At this stage, none of these matters affect the functionality of the property, however, they recommend that necessary action is taken now to ensure that the building continues to be adequately comfortable and is kept in good condition. Some of the suggested measures will prevent further damage to the property and others can make both the property more secure, and less susceptible to being damaged and more valuable.