SURVEYS & REPORTS

Building Survey Report

The purchase of a building whether as a home, office or factory is a major investment. The condition of the building is a significant consideration in the value of the building and your potential liability thereafter. We therefore always recommend that purchasers’ of buildings should have a survey undertaken with a report to advise them as to the current and potential problems.

This would include purchasers of leasehold interests in buildings. The liability of a leaseholder is often as onerous as purchasing a freehold building and you need to be properly advised as to your potential liability. (See "Your Choice of Survey")

Homebuyers Report

We undertake the RICS Homebuyers Survey and Valuation Reports for prospective purchasers of dwellings. These are a cost effective way of gaining an independent professional report on the condition of the property you are intending to purchase. More detailed guidance on the nature of this report is available from the RICS. (See "Your Choice of Survey")

Dilapidations Schedule

The law of dilapidations applies to leasehold properties and is usually applied when the lease is coming to an end. We can act for Landlords or Tenants in dilapidations work.

For the Landlord we would prepare the schedule, cost it, negotiate a settlement and arrange for the works to be undertaken on his instruction.

For the Tenant we can advise on the potential liability before a schedule is served, advise on the liability on receipt of a schedule of dilapidations, and negotiate a settlement or arrange for the works to be undertaken if applicable.

Dilapidations is a very complex area of law with many potential benefits and pitfalls depending on your level of knowledge. It is vitally important that you obtain proper professional guidance with regards to your liability or potential liability (see Schedules of Condition).

Schedules of Condition

As the name suggests, these are reports in the form of a schedule which describe the condition of a building at the time of inspection. They can be used for many purposes, but the two most common are to record condition prior to commencement of a lease or to record condition prior to commencement of works within neighbouring properties.

Schedules of Condition to be appended to a lease are intended to limit the liability of the tenant under any future claim for dilapidations.

Schedules of Condition prior to works, form part of a Party Wall Award, or possibly some other agreement between neighbours, for example under the Access to Neighbouring Land Act. They are often prepared for statutory bodies when undertaking engineering works in the vicinity of other buildings.

We can prepare schedules for any of the above reasons and others you may have in mind or we can be appointed to check schedules that may have been prepared by others and served on you which require some independent advice.

Snagging Inspection

Purchasers of new buildings, residential or commercial, may feel they do not need a full building survey, but do require a professional person to prepare a snagging schedule when the builder offers the property as completed. Snagging inspections will identify the cosmetic problems as well as some of the potential defects particularly with regard to weatherproofing.

A snagging schedule is a detailed list of all the minor snags noted during the inspection, but not as deep as a full building survey in that no explanation for the defects will be given. They are pointed out merely as problems that the builder needs to resolve.

As well as preparing the snagging schedule, we can also undertake subsequent negotiations or discussions with the builder as to the extent of any remedial works that may be appropriate.

We would always recommend that a building survey be undertaken on all property purchases, supplemented by a snagging inspection for new build.