Key Reasons Building Surveyors are a Big Deal
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spotting defects early on and the risk thats associated with them
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giving buyers all the information they need to make an informed purchasing decision - and make sure they dont get caught out with an unpleasant surprise
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helping with maintenance and planning for the long haul
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providing expert advice on how to go about a refurb and what needs to be done
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making sure you stay on the right side of compliance and do your duty of care
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helping you to avoid unnecessary costs by spotting trouble early on
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providing expert project management and administration services
What on earth Do Building Surveyors Actually Do?
Day to day, a building surveyors main job is to go out and inspect buildings, and then report back to clients on what theyve found. They visit sites to take a look at how the building is constructed and what materials have been used. They then translate what theyve seen into clear, practical advice that clients can understand - usually in a detailed report that explains what was found, and what the risks are, along with some recommended actions that need to be taken - in order of priority, of course.
When Do Building Surveyors get Brought on Board?
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When property is being sold - because buyers need an independent assessment to understand the condition of the property
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When you want to refurbish or extend a building - because you need to know what you're getting yourself into before you start spending any money
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For ongoing building surveying to help with maintenance and planning for the future
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When there are problems that need to be sorted out - like water ingress, or unexpected deterioration of materials
What Do Surveyors Look for when theyre Inspecting?
When they go out to inspect, surveyors are not looking for perfection - theyre looking for the things that could potentially cause problems, and how urgent they are. They consider how serious things are, how quickly they need to be fixed, and what impact they could have on the building if they arent dealt with. Typical areas to look out for include roofs, walls, floors, and visible services - looking for signs of damp, movement, material failure or just poorly done detailing.
Residential vs Commercial - Whats the Difference?
Residential property surveys tend to be focused on getting the property habitable - making sure it can be fixed up and made safe to live in, for example. It's all about reassuring buyers that they can fix things up and make the property safe to live in. In a commercial context, its about the impact on the business. The scale is bigger, the impact on the business is bigger - things like operational impact, compliance and future maintenance are all major considerations. But fundamentally, the core function is the same.
Making Sense of the Survey Report
If you get a survey report, try to use it as a decision-making tool. Generally speaking, a good survey will categorise the findings by how urgent they are, so you can plan and budget accordingly. The earlier you take action, the less disruption and long-term cost you'll have to deal with.
Debunking a Few Myths
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Building surveyors dont just work on homes before theyre sold - they work on buildings all the way through their lifecycle.
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They dont duplicate what engineers do - they identify and assess the problems, while the engineers come up with the solutions.
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Building surveyors only work on old buildings - despite what you might think, newer buildings can also have problems, like design issues, or premature failure