There is a moment when buying a house in which it all becomes real: that is when you sit in the office of your solicitor to sign the exchange of contracts. That is the point when you are making a legal commitment to proceed with the purchase at the agreed price. So, what do I need to know before buying a house? You need a survey, carried out by a Chartered Surveyor, who is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and you need legal advice from a solicitor registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Property Surveys
The main points of having a survey are:
To give you confidence to proceed based on professional knowledge and advice on what you are buying.
To understand any defects, and their implications.
To pick up any legal issues that your solicitor should investigate in addition to their standard searches.
To use this knowledge to renegotiate the price, if needed.
What are the red flags in a survey?
All of these problems can be solved, they just require confirmation of how much they will cost to deal with and any ongoing risks.
Ongoing structural movement: Most cracks or bulges are not a serious concern. The skill of a surveyor is to spot any cracks or bulges, explain what is causing them and decide whether or not you should be concerned. If so, we recommend a structural engineer to carry out further investigation and specify remedial works.
Major damp and timber problems: Dampness to walls, and decay to structural timbers form part of our investigation. If we find problems, we will explain the likely cause or causes, recommend remedial works such as clearing gutters, repairing drains, improving ventilation, etc and suggest a timber and damp contractor to specify remedial works in line with our findings. Most dampness has an obvious cause such as leaking gutters, poor render or pointing, roof leaks, high ground levels, blocked wall cavities, or condensation. Once these problems have been fixed, dampness will generally be controlled.
Asbestos: Asbestos was used in construction until its use was banned in 1999. It may be present from original construction or from later DIY works. A surveyor will tell you whether it is likely to be present and will recommend sampling and either removal or encapsulation by a licensed asbestos contractor.
Japanese Knotweed: This is an invasive plant that can cause structural defects if it is too close to the building. If found, it requires a plan for treatment and removal.
Legal issues: These will be flagged by your surveyor and investigated by your solicitor. Examples include unclear boundaries, extensions or alterations carried out without planning permission or building regulations approvals, chancel repair liabilities (having to contribute to repair of a local church),
Standard legal searches
The solicitor will have carried out standard searches. These include:
Land registry search: This checks the legal title, that the vendor is the true owner and is able to sell it, any restrictions in the lease, and any charges on the property.
Local authority search: This checks for planning permission and building regulations approval, checks for listed buildings and conservation areas, checks for any major infrastructure works such as road or rail.
Water and drainage search: This checks mains water and sewer connections and whether there is a water meter.
Environmental search: This will check for environmental issues such as flood risk, contaminated land, and Radon gas.
What documents do I need to have seen before buying?
The title plan and title extract – this shows what you are buying and how you will own it (freehold or leasehold).
Gas or Oil safety certificates – these are needed to show that the installations are safe
Boiler or heat pump installation and service records – to show they are correctly installed and maintained.
Inspection and service records for private drainage systems – any private drainage system will need inspection by a specialist to make sure they are compliant.
Guarantees for previous works such as cavity wall insulation, damp proofing, cavity wall tie replacement, etc.
FENSA certificates for replacement windows and doors
Building regulation approval and planning permission for alterations and extensions.
Where applicable, listed building consent or conservation area consent for alterations or extensions.
This is not a complete list, but it does cover most situations.