Non traditional building surveys
Choosing the right building Surveyor
Why choose our non traditional building Surveyors?
Buying a non traditional property can be risky
If the property is a non traditional construction this will limit companies who will offer mortgages on these types and styles of buildings and as the vast majority of people buy properties with mortgages it limits the market you can sell into. We would add further that their lending criteria changes from time to time, which does mean they will lend on them some of the time and then not lend on them!
Our Surveyors give independent advice
It is important when getting advice you are given the best independent advice. Independent means that our Surveyors are truly unbiased and uninfluenced by any external considerations.
Being independent it means that banks, building societies, do not own us or any form of mortgage lender and are most certainly not owned by estate agents like many surveying companies and mortgage advisors (sometimes one company will own them all under different names).
Remember the building Surveyor that you employ will be the only person working for you with your interests at heart.
Qualified expert Surveyors
All our Surveyors are qualified to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) standard with some of our Surveyors Fellows (FRICS) and are also members of the Independent Surveyors and Valuers Association (ISVA).
Non traditional building surveys
A survey report or structural building survey as it is also known, is really the best report to open your eyes to all of the potential or actual problems in your property or property you are about to purchase. Our structural survey report is an in depth survey on all areas from minor to major and looks at the property from chimney pot, roof to foundations, internally and externally.
Our clients will be advised on areas of the property that concern the Surveyor, why the Surveyor believes there is a property problem there and in most instances what the independent Surveyor believes you need to do in order to rectify the issue. Our structural survey reports include full colour digital photos, aerial view 360 photos which give an unique bird’s eye view of any issues, technical definitions, exclusively drawn sketches to help to explain terms and issues with the report written in plain English to ensure you are clear on any property matters our reports are 1st class.
We can provide help and advice with regard to building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, independent valuations, property surveys, engineers reports, specific defects report, home buyers reports or any other property matters on any age, type and style of non traditionally constructed property.
Free phone 0800 298 5424 for independent surveying advice.
Meet the building Surveyor at the property
We would always recommend, if you have the time, and can get to the property whilst the survey is being carried out that you meet your independent Surveyor. All our non traditional building Surveyors are more than happy to talk to you about any concerns and possible problems that you think the property may have together with any potential alterations and improvements that you may be looking to carry out to the property. We will, of course, be happy to speak to you about the survey report once it has been completed.
Executive Summaries
Our report gives an Executive Summary. We advise you of what the main priorities are and also use unique sketches, photographs, definitions etc to explain any property problems. Most importantly, we will use plain English.
Our Good, Bad & Ugly Surveys!
In addition we would also like to introduce to you what we call our Good, Bad and Ugly surveys which are building surveys, sometimes known as a structural surveys, and are reports that we have developed over many years, in fact several decades. We have listened to feedback from our clients and amended and altered our surveys to make them easy to read and describe issues clearly. The key factors we reiterate is that we believe our surveys are easy to understand in plain English.
Action Required
Costs. We also have an approximate cost section in the Executive Summary and in the main report, which identifies how much a problem will cost to solve or improve. We often give alternative ways to solve a property problem so you have a choice of different costs depending upon your financial situation.
Our unique sketches help you understand the survey
In our survey reports we include many sketches, which we have commissioned exclusively so that if the photo does not explain the problem or characteristics of a property sufficiently then the sketches will clarify the property problem.
Panels used on the exterior of a non traditional property
Many survey photos and aerial view 360 photos
During the course of our building surveys our Surveyors take hundreds of photos as a record of the building and many of these are then included within our reports. By including many survey photos this helps to aid an understanding of the area being described and any problem within the area. Our Surveyors use the latest digital cameras with x16 zoon lens and also provide aerial view 360 photos which give a unique view of some of the more difficult areas of a property to view.
A large amount of photos are including in our Schedules of Condition, which help to give a reference of the condition of the property when the survey is carried out. If in the future a dilapidations claim is made then these photos are often critical in negotiations over what can be a very costly exercise and frequently help to save large sums of money too.
What do the circles and ovals mean in our reports?
In addition to the sketches the coloured circles and ovals are a system that we use within our structural surveys, building surveys and schedules of condition to highlight problem areas on our sketches and photographs so that you are not left wondering what or where the problem is.
Clear, concise survey reports
Circles and ovals help in highlighting and making a clear
understanding of property characteristics and issues within our surveys
Free phone 0800 298 5424
Examples of our Building Surveys and Structural
Surveys
We have carried out thousands of different of types of Building Surveys and Structural Surveys and because we want you to see how good our surveys are we can provide an example survey of a property similar to yours. If you free phone us on 0800 298 5424 we would be more than happy to have a chat and discussion about the property you are wishing to buy and it is more than likely we would be able to find an example survey that is similar to your property or at the very least from the same era, as we do feel that over the years we have now surveyed nearly every era and most non traditional property types.
Excellent Quality Surveying Equipment
We are also very precise about the quality of surveying equipment that we use not just accepting any equipment and where it is not available in the UK we import into the country if we believe this is required.
Typical equipment that our building Surveyors use is levels, knifes, screwdrivers, saws but we supplement this with other very specialist surveying equipment, which we have available to use on structural surveys and on Specific Defects Reports. This specialist surveying equipment can be anything from specialist resistance meters to surface temperature testers and a number of different relative humidity measurers to anemometers. In addition we use various gauges to measure angles of roofs and thermal imaging cameras.
Our independent Surveyors will not necessarily use all of this surveying equipment when they carry out a survey as it is their expertise that identifies what is needed but it is good to know this surveying equipment is available should it be required.
Surveyors with Thermal Imaging Cameras
Yes, we do have thermal imagers and yes it can be dangerous for Surveyors using thermal imagers if they do not have enough experience of working with them. We have developed knowledge of thermal imaging cameras over the many years we have now worked with them. We have also even given lectures about thermal imaging cameras at Universities.
With ever-increasing energy bills this is an area which is of great concern to home owners as losing heat in the winter months and having a property that is too hot in the summer is not ideal. Our Surveyors can give thermal efficiency advice, which will save you money and ensure your living conditions in the property are better.