The new RICS HomeBuyer Report (HBR) replaces the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation (HSV) and follows a redesigned format which includes a helpful ‘traffic light’ system of categorising the urgency of repairs.

Now typically a 28 page report but including a lot of explanation about the Survey, it is a useful tool for the Purchase to understand what they are buying, and what they have to consider in putting the property into full repair, as well as providing a sound negotiating tool.

At Cowley Chartered Surveyors, we have always believed in giving our clients the best possible value for money. The HBR is priced very competitively yet we always endeavour to provide our Clients with much more information, which is based upon vast practical experience.

We will happily email and post a copy of the finished report to you and email it to your Solicitor.

Once the report is completed (usually within 3 days, subject to access), the Chartered Surveyor carrying out the inspection will be happy to discuss any aspects of the report with you in cases where you may be unsure about something.

If there are any points you specifically wish us to comment upon which may or may not be automatically covered by the Survey, then please let us know when instructing and we will endeavour to provide you with the answers.

Why not e-mail us for a competitive fee quotation?

Tell us a bit about the property –where it is, what it is and any specific things that you would like to see covered in the report, and we will come back to you very quickly with a Quotation.

On occasions we are asked if our Clients can accompany us on the Survey. We prefer to be allowed to carry out the Survey unaccompanied as it can upset the concentration, but where the Vendor is agreeable and if required, our Client can arrive when the Survey is finished, and we can then ‘walk you round’ the property and point out items of concern. We do levy a small additional charge based upon time spent, but it sometimes helps to put the report into context. If you may require this facility, we will happily quote you for this as part of the fee quotation for the HBR.

The Building Survey sometimes referred to as a 'Structural' or 'Full Structural Survey' is the most comprehensive and detailed survey on offer. The term ‘Building Survey’ has superseded the other terms due to confusion arising about what exactly would/could be covered by the Surveyor whilst undertaking this type of very detailed survey.

In the course of a Building Survey inspection the Surveyor will inspect all aspects and component parts of the property in as much detail as reasonable access allows. Internally and externally the Surveyor will meticulously inspect all components of the building and note the method of and materials used in its construction. The report will then be set out under specific headings relating to each of the buildings component parts and detailed description will be given on how the walls/roof/ceilings/floors etc, are constructed and comment will be given on their condition along with recommendations made regarding works of repair or maintenance that is either required now or may be in the near future.

Detailed description will also be given on the site on which the property sits and also on any garages or outbuildings that may exist. There will however always be limitations on the inspection such as a locked garage with no key provided or a certain elevation of the building that cannot be fully inspected due to it forming the boundary with another property for example. If such limitations exist then they will be clearly stated towards the beginning of the report.

In essence, the Building Survey service we provide will give the prospective purchaser all the information they will require about the property they intend to buy. You should bear in mind however that this service comes at a price and survey reports will take a little time to produce. In most cases a Building Survey is not necessary and our Homebuyer Survey and Valuation will probably be sufficient.

The Concise Survey has been designed in-house and in terms of content and report format sits between the basic letter-form/mortgage valuation type survey and the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation (HSV).

Whilst the HSV report is a very comprehensive document, it is a fact that to get the most out of it, it needs to be read in detail as the majority of the description on defect items is in the headed sections such as walls/roof/floors/ceilings etc, along with the description of how the walls/roof/floors/ceilings are constructed. With the Concise Survey, we have listened to feedback from customers and taken a slightly different approach to the way the report is laid. We have found that whilst everybody wants to know exactly what is wrong with the property they are looking to buy, not everybody particularly wants to know how every single part of it has been put together.

For this reason, in the Concise Survey report we provide a brief description of what the property is and how it has been constructed at the start. We then deal with important specific items such as Legal Matters and Environmental Factors. We describe the property’s accommodation and comment on potentially significant defects such as Structural Movement, Dampness and Timber Defects. We include specific headed sections on the Services and comment on the likely thermal performance of the property. We highlight any obvious works that may have required Building Regulations and/or Planning Permission and finally we provide two numbered lists of defect items under the headings ‘Essential Repairs’ and 'General Repairs'. The report is then summarised in a short Overall Opinion. This is followed by our opinion of the Market Value and an Insurance Reinstatement Cost Valuation.

In terms of inspection, the Concise Survey and HSV are identical. We carry out dampness tests, inspect roof voids and lift drain covers where possible regardless of which report format is chosen. However, we can offer the Concise Survey at a significant cost saving over the HSV as its report format is easier to work with and a report physically takes less time to produce. For this reason, we believe it is fantastic value for money and perfectly suited to the purchaser on a budget or who simply doesn’t feel they want to read all of the description provided in the HSV.

We can provide valuation reports for almost any purpose. This includes in cases where there is a Deceased Estate whereby the property needs to be valued to determine the amount of equity that can be transferred to any beneficiaries. Also, should you be going through divorce proceedings and need to determine the value of a marital home so that that value can be split between both parties, we can accept instructions from either party or from the Solicitor dealing with the case.

If you need to know the value of your home or business premises for accounting purposes we can provide brief letter-form valuations that are a cost effective alternative to a full valuation report. This type of report is particularly useful if you only really need to know the valuation figure and are not interested in detailed description of the property's construction type or condition.

We can tailor the reports contents to your individual needs. If you need copies sending to Solicitors, Accountants or to any other party involved then this can be arranged. Should you wish to receive your report electronically via email this is also possible.

As well as providing detailed Surveys on Residential Property, we also act on behalf of several major Mortgage Lenders and produce hundreds of Mortgage Valuation reports every year. We receive instructions directly from a number of Lenders who choose to operate in this way but we also have links with a number of Panel Managers who act on behalf of a wide range of other Mortgage Lenders who choose to go through an Intermediary.

If you are considering purchasing a property and would like us to carry out a Concise, Homebuyers or Building Survey, in some cases it is possible to request that we carry out the Mortgage Valuation Survey at the same time. This saves the customer money and time and also benefits the environment as only one journey is made to the property rather than two if both inspections are commissioned separately.

Schedule of Dilapidations and Condition

As a specialist Chartered Surveyors with an expert eye for details, we really can help you with our very thorough Schedules of Condition and Dilapidations.

If you are a Landlord, and your Tenant is not keeping your property in the state of repair they should, then we can inspect, provide a Schedule of Dilapidation and serve that upon the tenant for their action. The Schedule will detail fully the works required under the terms of the Lease.

If you are a Tenant, and have been or are about to be served with a Schedule of Dilapidations, we can help. We can inspect the property and produce a Schedule of Condition which we can compare with the Landlords schedule and establish how fair it is. We can often negotiate a reduced liability with the Landlord’s Surveyor.

On the other hand why wait?
If your Landlord is looking to serve a schedule upon you, let us come and assess your likely liability and give you advice as to what to do to mitigate your position. If you can put your house in order before being served notice by your landlord, you can avoid the costs that a Tenant falls liable for under the terms of the Lease.

Cowley Chartered Surveyors are Panel Valuers for a number of Commercial Lenders and produce comprehensive valuation reports to suit the lenders requirements. All reports are accompanied by photographs and an Ordnance Survey plan, and deal with issues of condition, marketability, state of the market. The construction and accommodation is also detailed fully and clearly and the report provides an accurate reflection of the Open Market Value of the property. This allows the purchaser to make an informed decision as to the matters to consider and the Lender in making a sound lending judgement.

In addition to Lender's valuations, we are able to produce professional valuations for partnership buy-ins, inclusion in company accounts, and pension funds.

If you are looking to take a new Lease of premises where you are required to keep them in repair, then it is essential that you have a Schedule of Condition. This detailed report identifies areas where repair of decoration is needed and can be used to protect you from future claims for Dilapidations from your Landlord.

The number of times we have spoken to Tenants who protest that the property was in a certain state when they took it on, but cannot prove it, is heartbreaking. We undertake such schedules on shops, factories, offices and public houses, and have saved many clients significant future expense.

As detailed Schedule of Condition starts at a cost of about £200 plus VAT.We are happy to quote you for your individual requirements.

If you are a Landlord or Tenant, and have either a rent review or lease renewal coming up, but do not necessarily want to appoint Agents to negotiate, we have a low-cost answer. A rental valuation can be prepared for one or both of the parties and it may mean that agreement can be reached without resorting to costly Arbitration proceedings. Our knowledge of local markets and market forces is excellent and we will guarantee to provide you with fair, balanced advice at a very realistic price.

In addition to providing detailed Schedule of Condition for Tenants and Landlords, we can also assist purchasers with Schedules of refurbishment works including quantities and costings which can give useful guidance in making a decision on a property. Having works costed on an itemised basis, or on a total basis per repair item, a very clear programme of works can be put together, and by giving consideration to all issues, a more informed decision can be made in full knowledge of the facts.

If putting works out to Tender, it is likely to be easier to get Contractors to quote as it will be done on the same basis which is fair to all. Quotations are likely to be more competitive as Contractors will not need to build-in large contingencies to cover themselves.

With a background in Landlord and Tenant matters we can advise either party as to their liabilities and duties under the terms of a Lease, including repairing covenants, Rent Review and Alienation, as well as compensation for failure to renew a Lease. Our advice is sound, fair and balanced and based upon common sense. You should always seek independent legal advice in addition.

With a combined experience of over 70 years, our Three Chartered Surveyors are highly experienced and very capable and credible Expert Witnesses. We are able to provide Expert advice to one party in a dispute, or as a Jointly appointed Expert on matters such as Valuation (Residential or Commercial) Dilapidations, Building and Boundary Matters and Survey issues. We currently receive instructions from numerous firms of Solicitors, either on a sole, or Joint basis and we offer a very competitive fee structure.

Our knowledge, professionalism and expertise means that a fair impartial judgement can be made which minimises costs to all parties in what are, after all disputes that are simple to resolve.