Contact us
Redditch Office:
Round Hill
Stock Green
Redditch
Worcestershire
B96 6TB
Tel: 01386 792508
Fax: 01386 792080
Birmingham Office:
1 Redditch Road
The Green
Kings Norton
Birmingham
B38 8RN
Tel: 0121 458 6801
Fax: 01386 792080
Email:
Regulated by RICS.
Building Surveys (formerly known as Structural Surveys)
These are suitable for all types of residential property but are more usually carried out on older, unusual or dilapidated houses or those that have been extensively altered or extended. Typically we prepare them upon houses built before about 1880, thatched cottages, stone or timber framed houses, and large and rambling buildings, often old farmhouses.
A Building Survey is more detailed than a Homebuyer Survey, will provide a much fuller assessment of the building's construction and condition, will give more information about how to correct defects and will give approximate costings for such. Unlike in a Homebuyer Survey, it is usual, where possible and in appropriate places only, to look under some floors. We normally include an open market valuation and the rebuilding cost for insurance purposes. The services (electricity, central heating, drainage etc.) are visually inspected but not tested, although proper testing can be arranged as an extra. Whilst there is no set format for building surveys, we follow the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Guidance Notes for such surveys.
The report is provided in our own format and two copies are supplied to the Client, although, if requested, one can be sent to their Legal Advisers.
View the Terms of Engagement for Building Surveys.
Fees
Fees obviously vary considerably depending on the type, size, age and construction of the property. They are, however, designed to be competitive. The figures quoted below are intended for guide purposes only but should be approximately right for the house types mentioned. Please contact us to chat through details of the property and your requirements and we can then give you a firm figure.
As we generally carry out such surveys on older houses and/or those of non-standard construction, it seems pointless to give figures for a typical twentieth century three bedroomed semi-detached house! The problem is, however, that non-standard houses tend to vary greatly in size, type and complexity.
For a typical early nineteenth century brick and tile former agricultural worker's cottage or similar, or a two or three bedroomed house of standard construction, our usual fee would be £550.00 inc. VAT.
For a not over-large, three bedroomed, thatched, timber-framed cottage with two reception rooms and only a few small outbuildings we would usually charge £700.00 inc. VAT.
Larger, but similarly aged and constructed houses are proportionately more.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements, we will then be able to give a firm quote.