Building Survey in London reveals weathering

RICS Surveyor finds weathering to the decking of this flat’s balcony

The RICS Surveyor who undertook this Home Buyers Survey in London for a top-floor flat highlighted a risk to its balcony decking. This issue, along with some minor decorative cracking, were the only aspects worthy of comment, leading this Surveyor to affirm that the 2-bedroom home was in a ‘satisfactory’ condition.

This property was constructed in 2007, and located on the 3th floor of a 4-storey concrete-built block of apartments. During this Home Buyers Survey in London, the Residential Surveyor noted that the building also featured an underground car park, accessible from the main road, as was secure pedestrian access to the ground floor lobby.

The London HomeBuyer Report’s local area assessment

Situated in South-West London, Hammersmith and Ealing lie in easy reach of the property, with the Chartered Surveyor noting that Chiswick Park on the District line was the nearest Underground station on foot.

Following the HomeBuyer Report’s standard ‘red, amber, green’ ratings, absolutely no elements were identified as ‘red’ or serious defects requiring urgent attention. This was obviously of considerable relief to the residence’s potential buyers.

Minor Defects found during Home Buyers Survey in London

The defects raised as ‘amber’ - or needing repair or replacement at some stage, but are neither serious nor urgent - were as follows:

• E7 Conservatory and porches - “Timber decking to the floor of the balcony requires treatment with a good quality timber preservative.”
• F3 Walls and Partitions – “There is a decorational crack above the doors into the reception room.  This partition would benefit from having cracking cut out and made good prior to redecoration.”
• F8 Bathroom Fittings – “Appliances were in working order, with the exception of the dial closing the plug to the en suite bath, which is loose and requires to be properly secured.”

As rudimentary and readily repaired issues, none of these defects reported in the London Home Buyers Survey presented any concern to the purchaser. Satisfied that the flat was sound, the buyer was able to safely proceed and make an offer on the property.

Home Buyers Surveys in London often do not reveal any costly issues, but in order to mitigate the risk that their are severe defects lying in wait for a buyer when they move in, getting a HomeBuyer Report or Building Survey for a property which you intend to buy is strongly recommended.

If you discover a serious problem after contracts have been exchanged, it is simply too late to either pull out, or require the seller to make necessary repairs.