Black Cat Building Surveys

We are qualified, RICS Regulated independent building surveyors based in Redhill, Surrey.

We cover Surrey, Sussex, Kent, South London and surrounding areas and specialise in Home Buyer Reports and Full Building Surveys.

Home Buyer & Building Survey Reports

Recent research shows that 1 in 4 home buyers have to spend an average of £2500 correcting defects in their new home that would have been identified if they’d had a survey carried out.

Which survey is for you?

Your Property

Is the property new or recently built (i.e. within the last year)?

Was the property built prior to 1850?

Is the property a non-traditional form of construction?

Has the property been altered substantially?

Any other property type?

Standard Mortgage Valutation:

Yes

Homebuyer:

Yes

Full Building Survey:

Yes

MOVING HOME?

Are You Moving Home?

Did you know that the majority of property transactions in the UK are completed without the benefit of a survey despite the fact that buying a property is the largest expenditure that most people will make during their lives?

Did you know that a mortgage valuation is only commissioned to satisfy a lender as to the financial viability of the transaction and does not provide adequate advice and reassurance to a purchaser?

Did you know that by commissioning a survey not only are you able to make an informed decision about a purchase, thus potentially avoiding unpleasant and expensive surprises, but you may also be able to negotiate a price reduction?

So what is available??

There are 3 residential survey products available:

Home Condition Report: A survey designed for buyers looking to purchase young simple properties.

Homebuyers’s Report: A survey designed for buyers looking to purchase most property types combining a detailed report with user friendly information on the market value and general condition, identifying any areas of concern.

Full Building Survey Report: A more in depth analysis designed for those looking to buy an older or more unusual property culminating in a comprehensive report which assesses each aspect of the property, tailored to your individual needs.

So what is your next step?

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Standard Mortgage Valuation (SMV)

Homebuyers Report (Homebuyer)

More detailed report of some 8-10 pages.

Carried out on behalf of the purchaser and includes a market valuation.

Purchaser should consider this report as a minimum for the majority of property types.

Carried out by a RICS qualified surveyor with suitable professional indemnity, on behalf of the purchaser.

The purchaser has the right to seek compensation in cases of omission or error.

Book a survey

Full Building Survey

Your Lender’s mortgage valuation is NOT a survey

In 2008, Which? found that for those home buyers that did not get a survey, on average one in four had to spend over £2,500 to put serious defects right which would have been uncovered in a survey report. For one in ten people it was over £10,000. By contrast, those that did get a proper survey were able to negotiate a reduction in the asking price of the property that averaged £2,000.

Those buyers that did not commission a survey were often under the mistaken belief that their lenders valuation would provide them with condition related information. In fact the valuation is carried out by the lenders appointed valuer and is only intended to provide the lender with an assurance that they can recover their loan. The Council of Mortgage Lenders requires solicitors to advise their clients (i.e. you, the buyer) to obtain an independent building survey on the property that they are intending to buy.

Black Cat Building Surveyors are truly independent of the lender and the sales agent. Our survey reports aim to give an honest, unbiased and objective appraisal to the condition and functionality of the building, fabric and all its components without any associated conflict of interest.

Call 01737 217165 or click here to contact us by email.

More...

If you are applying for a mortgage, your lender will charge you, often many hundreds of £’s, to conduct a valuation of the property you plan to buy. Unfortunately you cannot avoid paying this under any circumstance. The valuation inspection can take as little as 15-30 minutes and the valuer’s sole purpose is to establish the security of the loan. It is NOT a survey of the condition of the property. Black Cat Surveys can provide you with a truly independent HomeBuyer Building Survey that answers YOUR questions about the property. Structural issues, subsidence, damp, wood rot, woodworm, floors, walls, roofs, electrics, heating, drains are all covered by our completely comprehensive survey. Normally it takes no more than a week from receiving your instructions to delivering your individually tailored report to your inbox. It’ll be 30-40 pages long, with plenty of photographs and written in plain English. Clear, comprehensive and complete. Armed with a Black Cat Surveys HomeBuyers Building Survey buyers can often renegotiate the price of their prospective purchase down by between 5-10 times the cost of the survey. A typical survey costs between 0.1% and 0.2% of the purchase price. For a completely FREE consultation about your need for a Black Cat HomeBuyers Building Survey, and an individual no-obligation quotation, contact us now.

Your Lender’s mortgage valuation is NOT a survey

Download RICS flyer: A Valuation is Not a Survey

Black Cat Building Surveys

Home Buyer & Building Survey Reports

Which survey is for you?

Your Lender’s mortgage valuation is NOT a survey

The importance of getting a survey: