sellers surveys
We offer the same high standard of building survey to people who are selling their homes as provided for prospective purchasers.
It details significant defects, puts them into perspective, lists repairs and provides an approximate cost of works.
Home Information Pack
The Government’s Home Information Pack (HIP) provides the legal documents, searches and an energy performance certificate. It goes some way towards providing a 'transparent' house purchase scheme. The HIP does not include a survey and report on the condition of the buildings.
Risk of the sale falling through
Our survey fills the gap in the Home Information Pack scheme. It deals with the risk that the sale of your home will fall through just before exchange of contracts when the purchasers surveyor reports that there are problems.
It provides sufficient information for prospective purchasers to make decisions. On exchange of contracts we extend full responsibility to the purchaser.
Risk of 'gazundering'
Some purchasers use survey reports as a reason to 'gazunder' ie reduce their offer just before exchange of contracts. Our seller’s survey establishes the condition of the property at the beginning of the sales process and reduces risk.
Presenting your home in saleable condition
Many house vendors are confident that their home is in good condition but are aware that potential purchasers will be less confident.
Our seller’s survey overcomes this lack of confidence by presenting the property with a report on its condition.
Some house vendors are not fully aware of the condition of their property and our report either confirms that it is in good condition or advises on any outstanding repairs which may prevent a sale going through.
Our report may be presented to prospective purchasers with receipts for work carried out following our survey to show that the property has been put into good, saleable condition.
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Seller’s survey – the cost
Our seller’s surveys cost no more than the survey that a purchaser would arrange but have the benefit of being available at the beginning of the sale process rather than at the end.
We are aware that vendors face many costs in the home sales process which are often funded from the sale proceeds. For this reason, payment may be made on exchange of contracts or 3 months after our survey whichever is earlier. We take credit card details prior to our inspection.
Discounts for both a seller’s survey and a purchaser’s survey
Where a client wishes to instruct us to carry out both a seller’s survey of their existing home and a survey of their new home we reduce our fees by 5%.
Home condition report
The Government’s original Home Information Pack Scheme included a 'home condition report' to be carried out by 'Home Inspectors' rather than Chartered Surveyors.
Home Inspectors were to be newly trained to an NVQ standard in order to produce the limited, standard report developed for the government scheme. The compulsory home condition report was dropped from the Home Information Pack scheme when it was found that the training scheme only produced a small proportion of the inspectors that would be needed.
Our survey reports are full building surveys. We do not provide home condition reports.
Recovering costs from the purchaser?
Some vendors recover the cost of our survey from the purchaser, who will benefit from its contents. However, this happens in few cases.
James Flynn Chartered Surveyors?
We are an independent firm of chartered surveyors and have been advising clients on all aspects of property value and condition since 1980 from our offices in London, Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent. We mainly cover the London and South East region but travel further afield when this is requested.
To contact us please select from the appropriate area link below:
London | Surrey | Sussex | Hampshire | Kent
