Top Tips for Preparing Your Property for a Building Survey

Preparing Property for a Building Survey

A building survey is an important step when buying or selling a property. This comprehensive examination finds any possible problems that might affect the sale and guarantees the property’s structural soundness. You must prepare your property for a building survey. In this article, we’ll go over the best practices for staging your home to avoid unpleasant surprises and show it off in the best light.

Why Is It Important to Prepare for a Building Survey?

Making sure your property is ready for a building survey not only speeds up the process but also helps you avoid problems or delays that could happen. While surveys aim to identify deeper structural issues, you can mitigate these by addressing minor issues before the survey. Being well-prepared can:

  • Improve your chances of a positive report.
  • Avoid potential price renegotiations.
  • Ensure that minor repairs don’t become red flags.
  • Help the surveyor access all areas without difficulty.

Whether you’re selling a home or just ensuring its long-term health, preparation is key. Let’s dive into the different ways to help you get your property ready.

Tips for Preparing Your Property

  1. Declutter Key Areas:
    The first and easiest thing to do is to clean up your home. Surveyors need to be able to get to all parts of your property, especially the parts that support the building, like the walls, floors, windows, and foundations. If your house is full of furniture and personal items, it might make it harder for them to see these important areas. Make sure that important areas like garages, attics, basements, and lofts are clean and simple to get to.
  2. Repair Minor Issues:
    A survey may overlook important problems because of small ones like leaky faucets, cracked tiles, or broken light fixtures. Despite their seemingly insignificant nature, these issues could prompt the surveyor to question the property’s level of maintenance. Fixing small problems ahead of time is a beneficial idea so that people don’t question the overall condition of your home.
  3. Check for Dampness:
    Issues with moisture and dampness are frequent worries that come up during building surveys. It’s advisable to take care of any wet areas, stains, or mould growth before the survey. Resolving leaks, opening up spaces, and employing dehumidifiers can reduce the accumulation of moisture and provide the surveyor with a more positive view.
  4. Provide Easy Access to Key Areas:
    The roof, crawl spaces and plumbing and electrical systems are just a few of the particular sections of the property that surveyors must inspect. Verify that accessible locations, such as basements, loft hatches, and any locked rooms, are easily accessible. Blocking access could cause delays or incomplete surveys, which would make the process more difficult.
  5. Inspect Your Roof:
    The roof is one of the most common problems found in building surveys. Take the time to look over your roof for missing tiles, damaged shingles, or signs of leaks before the surveyor comes. Professionals may need to conduct a full roof inspection, but performing basic maintenance or addressing visible damage can enhance the survey experience.

Special Considerations for Older Properties

To prepare an older or listed home, you may need to do more work. Older homes typically exhibit more damage, necessitating special inspections due to their construction methods. You can do the following:

  • Check for Structural Movement: Check for cracks in the walls or floors that could mean the foundation or building is moving. Check and fix these before the surveyor arrives.
  • Assess Windows and Doors: Older doors and windows may warp over time, letting air flow through or not insulating well enough. Ensure their functionality to avoid their mention in the survey report.
  • Update Electrical Systems: If the residence’s electrical wiring is old, you might want to have a qualified electrician look at it and update it. The survey can identify any broken or outdated wiring. This could require expensive repairs in the future.

 Key Documents and Information to Prepare for the Survey

  1. Have Your Paperwork Ready:
    Do not forget to bring all the necessary paperwork for the surveyor. Bring building permits, warranties, certificates for electrical or gas installations, and any other related paperwork from previous repairs or maintenance. If they are conveniently located, these papers can speed up the survey and provide the surveyor with important details about the property’s history.
  2. Inform the Surveyor of Any Known Issues:
    It’s important to be honest about any problems the house might have. If you inform the surveyor ahead of time about any past problems, such as sinking or water leaks, they can make sure to pay extra attention to those areas during their inspection. Additionally, being completely honest can prevent any negative results from catching you off guard later in the process.

 Outdoor Preparations for a Building Survey

  1. Tidy Up the Exterior:
    Clean the outside of your house as you clean the inside. Surveyors will look at the outside of the building and check the condition of the walls, gutters, fences, and driveways. Make sure the outdoor areas are clean and well-kept so that there aren’t any bad comments in the report.
  2. Check for Drainage Issues:
    Poor drainage can cause serious long-term damage to a property, and surveyors are trained to identify water-related issues. Ensure that all drainage systems, including downspouts and gutters, are free of blockages and functioning properly. Address any standing water spots in the garden or near the house foundations.
  3. Inspect boundaries and fencing:
    Inspecting officers will check the state of the walls and fences that surround properties. Before the surveyor’s visit, fix any broken parts of your boundary. In addition, this will help give a more complete picture of the overall condition of your property.

Final Steps Before the Surveyor Arrives

Verify the property’s cleanliness, ventilation, and accessibility on the day of the survey. Surveyors value property accessibility and it can influence their reports. It’s also a good idea to tell the surveyor about any peculiarities or unique aspects of the property that they might otherwise miss.

Final Thoughts on Preparing Your Property for a Building Survey

Getting your house ready for a building survey calls for more than just standard housekeeping. It calls for meticulousness, small repairs, and making sure the surveyor has complete access to every inch of the house. Following this top advice will help you to straighten the road for any future property transactions and raise your chances of getting a favourable survey result.