Home Buyers Survey Bicester

Get an Instant Quote for a RICS Home Buyers Survey Bicester or call us on 01865 922 089 (Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 11-1)

 
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"First Class Service. We are more than impressed with the quick, professional service we have received from this company, very clear report with good Photograph, of areas of interest, also the Team followed up the report with a phone call to make sure we understood the information that we had received. EXCELLENT. Thank you"

Val Edwards, Trustpilot review in November 2018.

* Competitive Prices - Local Surveyors - Same Week Availability - Terms Apply

What Types of House Survey Do We Offer?


SAM is one of the UK’s largest network of Surveyors with local surveyors throughout England. Our most popular property surveys are HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys and these inspections are completed by local RICS surveyors who have years of experience.

We handle all of the booking so you just need to call us for a quote and then we'll handle all of the access for you.
We offer many types of house survey including:
  • Level 2: HomeBuyers Report
  • Level 3: Building Survey
  • Damp & Timber Survey
  • Load Bearing Wall Survey
  • Chimney Breast Removal Survey
  • Snagging Survey
  • Removal of load bearing wall Survey
  • Property Valuation Survey
  • Probate Valuation Survey
  • Leasehold Valuation Survey
  • Structural Engineer Survey

If you are unsure which house survey to book click here or call us and we’ll advise you.

Not sure whether you need a Level 2: HomeBuyers Report or a Level 3: Building Survey? Find out by clicking here and seeing example reports
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Local Building Surveyors (throughout England)


House Survey 

Fast Availability and Delivery of Reports


RICS Surveyors

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

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FREE Online Conveyancing Process for Buyers

Includes online checklists, videos, downloads and tips - plus it is free to use and remembers your progress.



House Survey Cost

Love our Competitive
House Survey Costs

We keep the house survey cost down regardless of what property survey you need and tell you how much does a survey cost.

Bicester HomeBuyers Survey

Local Oxfordshire 
Building Surveyors

Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Bicester to ensure they deliver a detailed homebuyers report to help you decide whether you should move forward with your home move or if you should pull out.

Homebuyers Report

Fast Availability and
Delivery of Reports

We normally have availability within days of you booking and our turnaround for homebuyers survey reports is within 5 working days.

Bicester HomeBuyers Survey

Panel of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

All of our chartered RICS Surveyors are registered with and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and have indemnity insurance that covers all of the work they undertake for you.

A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?

A Home Buyers Survey is completed by a qualified RICS surveyor and delivers a visual inspection of the property in Bicester and the surrounding garden. The aim of the survey, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, is to identify potential risks or defects that you may not know are there such as cracks or damage to the structure of the property, subsidence, damp and infestations.

NB If you're a first time buyer, you might wish to click on What is a House Survey to find out more, including what happens during the inspection.

Click to find out how much does a house survey cost (free, no obligation quote)
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Subsidence Inspection

The surveyor will look for signs of subsidence during the structural survey within the property paying special attention to signs of cracking internally and to the external walls. As a rule, if you can fit the width of a 50p into a crack in a wall, it could be a sign of subsidence. Our surveyors will flag in their reports if they feel you need to instruct a structural engineer to review a crack further.


Read more about subsidence

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Damp Testing

There are numerous reasons why a property can be affected by damp. The Surveyor will take samples in the property using a damp meter and assess the condition of the property to provide a report on whether they feel the property is affected by damp. Further investigations maybe suggested including getting a damp and timber specialist. 


Read more about damp testing and repairs

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Identify Infestations

Woodworm, mice, rats and ants are infestations that your don't want in your home. Your surveyor will look for visible signs of mouse droppings, damage to floor boards (when visible) and damage to wiring, carpets or skirting boards


Read more about infestations

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Asbestos

Prior to its banned use, asbestos was a commonly used building material, particularly as part of cement products, floor tiles and roofing shingles. Asbestos was used for its durability and resistance to heat and is commonly found in artex ceilings, garage roofing and chimney stacks. Your surveyor will confirm if they suspect any materials in the property have asbestos and if so, suggest getting an asbestos surveyor to intrusively taking samples of the asbestos to confirm the type.


Read more about asbestos

If your survey highlights concerns relating to any of these defects your surveyor explains what the issue is in detail and provides a recommendation as to what you should do to further investigate. An example of this is if your surveyor spots signs of damp within the property. Over 5,000 properties a week in the UK have damp proofing laid to combat the issue of rising damp and home buyers fear seeing mould, peeling wall paper and sodden floors as these are all tell-tale signs of rising damp.

If your property is showing these signs and your surveyor notes using their damp monitor that there is damp internally they'll advise you to get a damp specialist to attend the property, confirm the issue advising whether it is rising damp and quote for the costs in repairing with damp proofing.

If you're looking at buying a home in Bicester which is showing signs of damp, or any other defects then you MUST get a Home Buyers Survey. The costs for repairing the defects can run into thousands of pounds; however, If you can identify the problem before you purchase then you can get quotes for fixing it and either share the costs with the seller, or, in worst case examples, choose not to proceed.

You can find a local RICS surveyor by using the search at the bottom RHS of this page.
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Survey tips for properties in Bicester


The oldest building in Bicester are the medieval church of St. Edburg and two post Dissolutions houses that were constructed by medieval material. These buildings are mainly built from grey limestone and some ginger ironstone. In the 19th century transport within the town’s transport connections were enhanced with the bringing about of the railway line and imports from the canal.

There are many Victorian houses within the town including semi-detached properties on Chapel Street, and detached properties on Coopers Green. New builds are in the Kingsmere Development, Perth Road, and the Hawkswood Development, Whitelands Way. These are contemporary homes of varying sizes and styles.

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Langford Brook and other tributaries runs through Bicester which means some properties may be subject to flood warnings. In the west of the town this includes Laurence Way and Kennedy Road, in the centre it affects Bucknell Road and Hunt Close, and in the east, Chaffinch Road and Pipits Croft.

If you are concerned that a property you are looking to buy is in a flood risk area, you should consider getting a flood risk report (click for more details).
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The M40 causes noise pollution for the town, as well as the A4421/A4095 that act as a ring road. The southern part is the most affected such as Sandown Road and Whitelands Way. Residential roads in between two main roads may also be affect by raised levels of noise pollution including Kestrel Way and The Parade.
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According to the UK Government's Public Health England, majority of Bicester, including roads such as George Street and Buckingham Road, is in a raised radon area, with properties built there having a higher probability than average of experiencing ground Radon emissions.

The raised Radon area has a maximum radon potential of 3-5% with some areas having a potential of 1-3% (the percentage is the chance of a property being built where Radon emissions might measure above the action level).

If you are concerned that a property you are buying is in an area of raised Radon, please click to visit Public Health England's UK Radon Map. Click also to find out more about Radon, Radon property searches and much more.
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county located in the south east of England and can be known by the abbreviated name of Oxon. It's the most rural county in the South East. Although it's reputed to be the furthest location from the sea, it has numerous canals and rivers for boating. King Alfred burnt the cakes in Wantage. Blenheim Palace, built between 1705 and 1722, a Baroque masterpiece, was the birthplace of Winston Churchill and has a landscape garden fashioned by 'Capability' Brown.

Undoubtedly the county is most well-known for the collegiate university town of Oxford itself, with its dreaming spires dating back to the 13th century but there are so many other attractions such as the Cotswolds (from where the River Thames springs from) and even the family-friendly Didcot Railway Centre. The county borders Warwickshire to the north/north-west, Northamptonshire to the north/north-east, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, Wiltshire to the south-west and Gloucestershire to the west. 

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Bicester Planning Application Search

You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting Cherwell District Council at 38 Market Square, Bicester OX26 6AL, telephone 01295 227001, or you can check for the most recently stored planning applications online here:


Read the following article if you are thinking about building an extension.

RICS Find a surveyor in Bicester

Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Caversfield, Launton, Chesterton, Bucknell, Bainton, Stratton Audley and Ambrosden.

We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Bicester. Whether you are buying an old run down 'doer upper' or standard construction freehold house, our RICS surveyors have seen them all.

With a vast number of years of experience completing surveys on properties in Bicester we'll be able to give you the detailed report you need to know what defects there are with your property.

You can see some of our expert surveyors by clicking here - 


Recently completed Home Buyers Survey in Bicester:


  • Dove Court, Old Place Yard, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6NS
  • East Street, Fritwell, Bicester, OX27 7QF
  • Chesterton Court, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1UP
  • Sandpiper Close, Langford Village, Bicester, OX26 6UX
  • Sheep St, Bicester OX26 6TB

 

Is a Mortgage valuation a defect survey?

Any number of people have been understandably confused between a mortgage valuation and a HomeBuyers Survey.

Your lender conducts its own valuation on the property in Bicester you intend to buy to check that it is lending you the right sum of money in relation to the property's value. It is not intended to examine any defects the property may have.

When you book a HomeBuyers Survey from us, as well as receiving an independent valuation of the property you wish to buy, the primary focus is to establish whether the property has any defects which you should know about, for example rising damp or subsidence, which might, particularly as time passes, end up requiring even tens of thousands of pounds to put right.

This knowledge is naturally of great use to you, given how much you are intending to spend. You might, on the strength of the information, provided, negotiate with the seller to contribute towards the costs of repairing the defects or even pull out buying the property entirely.


Most importantly, any HomeBuyers Survey is squarely for your benefit and is independent of both your lender - if you are buying with a mortgage - and your vendor. Call 01865 922 089 to get yours and to help your peace of mind.

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Does your property look like this?

Georgian Properties in Bicester
Georgian properties should only have a Level 3: Building Survey (formally called the full structural survey) completed by a competent RICS surveyor as the age of the property will command a more in-depth assessment of the property's build and structure. It is often common to have extensions to the property that need the keen eye of the surveyor to inspect the build quality. A HomeBuyer Report is not suited as it is only advisable to be used on flats bungalows and standard construction properties.

Does your property look different to this? Then read our guide on which survey suits your property type.

Which survey suits your style of property in Bicester
Choose which survey based on its type, style and age
Get a competitively priced RICS quote
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