Surveyor costs

carnagesri

I'm in the process of buying a house and I'm now at the stage where I'm looking for someone to survey the house. Basically It's a 2 bedroom bungalow which is only 750sq feet. It's built on an acre. The house was built in the 1970's. What would be a rough guideline for what I should pay and what are the essential things I should want included in the survey. Thanks in advance.

carnagesri

Anybody any ideas for me?

Peter Sweeney

Important questions to ask before engaging a professional to survey your property.

1. What exactly does the survey cover?

A typical survey should cover settlement or movement in house foundations, movement or cracks in the houses exterior structural walls, condition of roof timbers, roof coverings including flashings, chimneys and gutters, interior attic space, floors, interior walls and ceilings, stairs, windows, doors, ventilation, dampness, insulation, drainage and an overview of plumbing, electrics and heating systems.
If you have any particular concerns bring them to the attention of the professional.

2. Is the professional specifically experienced in surveying residential buildings, is it their core business and how many surveys have they completed?

This is probably the most important question to ask. The professional should be able to provide information about their company and should have referrals from previous clients. Related professional experience is helpful, but is no substitute for training and experience in surveying residential properties.

3. How long will the survey take?

The average on-site survey time is one and a half to two hours for a house, anything significantly less may not be enough time to perform a thorough survey.
Times will vary and are subject to varying factors like the age of the property, is it old or new, the size of the property and whether there has been significant alterations or extensions carried out.

4. How much will the survey cost?

Prices vary, depending on the location, size, age of the house and the services within the property. A typical range would be €300-€500. The cost of the survey does not necessarily reflect added quality.

5. What type of survey report is provided and how long will it take to receive the report?

Far to many reports are awash with technical terms. It is important that the report is easy to understand by the buyer who in most cases has no technical training. Most professionals will provide a verbal assessment of the property after the survey and a written report within a matter of days.

6. Can I attend the survey?

If you (and your partner) can make time to attend the survey, it is very worthwhile. You will get a greater understanding of the condition of the property. It should also be of benefit if you are considering making any structural alterations or thinking about building an extension. For insurance reasons in particular it is important to let the estate agent know in advance that you will be attending the survey. Most estate agents will not have any issues with the buyer attending the survey as long as they are advised when a survey is scheduled.

7. Is the professional a member of an association whose members are qualified and trained in surveying properties?

8. Is the professional covered by professional indemnity insurance?


Finally, after engaging the professional make sure you read and understand the contents the report. In particular pay attention to any defects noted in the report and if there are areas of the property or any services that where not examined during the course of the survey.

Problems or concerns mentioned in your professionals report won’t go away and may cost you significant expenditure in the future to remedy.

Your negotiating position disappears after closing, so make sure everything is taken care of before then.

dpjobrien

Just remember that a house is probably the most amount of money that you will ever spend in your life make sure that you have everything looked at before you sign contracts. Check the condition of the property, this should include an estimate of necessary and desireable repairs. Also you should have the boundaries of the property surveyed and checked to ensure the extents of the property that you are purchasing are correct and match the title deeds. You do not need to be caught in the middle of a boundary dispute.

If you are buying a car off someone you will get a mechanic to check it out first and you'll pay him 150-200 euro so why not engage a surveyor to ensure your purchase is the correct one.

Check out www.scs.ie to find a qualified chartered surveyor in your area.

muffler

dpjobrien wrote: »

Just remember that a house is probably the most amount of money that you will ever spend in your life

Im glad you used the word "probably" because we all know that marrying a woman will cost you a lot more

beemaja

I paid 100 Euro for a surveyor on a 3 bed semi new who did an excellent job, and paid 200 Euro on a top engineer surveyor on a 3 bed detached second hand home who did an absoluteley terrible job as he did not include surroundings in the survey and his report was very vague.

Second one was allegedly THE one to go to... wish I had stuck with the first one second time around, it is not always the pricing that counts...