Why you should get a RICS Home Survey

Your home is likely to be one of the most expensive purchases you ever make – so you understandably want to know as much as you can about the property before you buy it. This is where a RICS Home Survey can help.

What is a home survey?

A home survey, sometime referred to as a home buyers survey, is a health check for the building.  It will let you know if there are any issues with the property that you should be aware of before you purchase.  This expert advice is crucial to make sure you are comfortable with the decisions you make around your property and help to identify any issues.

Knowing about these issues allows the buyer to try to renegotiate the sales price to reflect the cost of necessary repairs.   Alternatively, you may decide not to buy the property if the issues uncovered are serious enough.  It’s always better to know about any issues before you sign on the dotted line.

In the majority of cases, it’s the buyer who will commission the home survey, but it’s not always the case.  If you’re selling a home, a survey could be helpful to identify any issues in advance. 

In Scotland, the law requires you to obtain a Home Report which is commissioned by the seller and available to potential purchasers which includes a survey, valuation, EPC and property questionnaire.

Why you should get a RICS Home Survey

A RICS Home Survey will almost always find some issues with a property, especially for older homes. It can identify crucial safety, environmental and structural issues to be aware of. Some issues could be significant and expensive to put right. Others may be less significant but are still matters to be mindful of.

A RICS Home Survey is also useful if you are thinking about making alterations to your home, or you think there may be issues such as movement, damp or timber decay.  

Whether you are buying, selling, maintaining, or extending your property a RICS Home Survey will help you make a more informed decision and could save you money, time, and worry

Using the services of RICS members benefits you because:

• they give you clear, impartial and expert advice
• they are regulated and have strict rules of conduct to protect you, as well as holding appropriate professional indemnity insurance
• they have to update their skills and knowledge throughout their careers, so you can rely on their expertise
• you are further protected by RICS’ complaints service and access to independent redress.

Look out for firms that are ‘Regulated by RICS’. These estate agents and surveying firms are easy to spot as they use ‘Regulated by RICS’ on their stationery and promotional material.

To learn more about the specific levels of Home Surveys check out the RICS Home Survey guide.