Home Buyers Survey St Albans

Get an Instant Quote for a RICS Home Buyers Survey St Albans or call us on 0333 344 3234 (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)


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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.

St Albans HomeBuyers Survey

Local Hertfordshire 
Building Surveyors

Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of St Albans 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.

St Albans 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?

Our RICS Surveyor, during a Home Buyers Survey, inspects both the inside and the outside of your property and searches in particular for subsidence, damp, infestations and any cracks or other damage to the property.

The procedure is non-intrusive. It is highly recommended that you get one, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, if you are thinking of buying a property in St Albans.

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

The Home Buyer Survey will report on issues found, however you need to make sure that you choose the right Home Buyer Survey for your property because some defects require further detail and this is best served by booking a Building Survey.

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 St Albans


St Albans has many surviving properties going right back to when it was the Roman Verulamium. Fishpool Street has medieval and Georgian buildings for example.

You find Georgian houses in the central conservation area as well as in villages nearby such as Wheathampstead, Chidwick Bury and Aldenham. St Stephen's has houses from the 1930s onwards.

There are many new build developments in the area, such as Ziggurat House (Grosvenor Road) and those constructed in Summerfield Close, Camp Road and London Road. Some are offered as shared ownership. 


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Properties in St Albans built in promixity to the River Ver - including in Fishpool Street and St Michael's Street - are subject to flood warnings and alerts from time to time.

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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Properties sometimes have issues with ground stability in certain locations in St Albans.

In a recent environmental search, taken out for a property in Lime Tree Court, the report noted that there were natural cavities within 250m of the property.

This should not be taken to mean that the property in question actually suffered/suffers from subsidence however as "active subsidence will be dependent on local conditions, such as the proximity of trees or areas where trees have been removed, which require an inspection of the site to identify the nature of the ground on which the property is built."

Click to find out more about subsidence
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A RICS home buyers survey can raise suspicions about whether extension work has been carried out correctly on properties in St Albans.
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A recent RICS building survey on a property in Watford Road had the following to say about a related matter:

"We would recommend that confirmation of Building Regulations approval for the construction of the extension, and for the conversion of the garage into habitable space, is obtained prior to exchange of contracts, to include a completion certificate. If this is not forthcoming, we would advise that a suitably qualified structural engineer is instructed to survey the property and that any recommendations are instigated."
HertfordshireHertfordshire is commonly abbreviated to the name Herts and is a county located in the south of England. it is bordered by Bedfordshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater London to the south (it is classed as a 'Home County' for this reason). The county town of Hertfordshire is Hertford.

Hertfordshire has 3 motorways running through it - the M1, the M25 and the A1(M). It is particularly associated with new towns as it contains 5 in total: Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Hemel Hempstead, Hatfield and Letchworth. There are two airports just outside Hertfordshire's borders; Luton and Stansted. It also has a university, the University of Hertfordshire, which is in Hatfield. There are a number of independent schools in the area, including, for example, Haileybury (Turnford), St George's Harpenden, Haberdasher's Aske's (Elstree) and Berkhamsted.

For random facts; St Alban, who gave his name to the city in the county, was the earliest British saint - he was reputed to have been beheaded where the cathedral now stands; also Sele Mill near Hertford was the site of the first paper mill in Britain, established about 1488. 

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St Albans Planning Application Search

You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting St Albans City & District Council at Civic Centre St Peters Street St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 3JE, telephone 01727 866 100, 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 St Albans

Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Watford, London Colney, Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Pinner and Harpenden.

We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in St Albans. 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 St Albans 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 St Albans:


  • 2 Buttermere Close, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5TD
  • 2 Buttermere Close, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5TD
  • 69 Normandy Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5PT
  • 2 Cadoxton Place, 29 Avenue Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3PY
  • 8 Westbourne Mews, St Albans, Herts, AL1 1LS

 

Is a Mortgage valuation a defect survey?

When you buy a home with a mortgage your Mortgage Lender requires you to get a mortgage valuation to assess how much your property is actually worth. You have to pay for this survey and often you may think this is also a structural assessment to identify defects.

Sadly the mortgage valuation is just for the mortgage lender which means you need to get your own independent survey of the property that you'd like to buy in St Albans to make sure there aren't any defects.

There is some confusion as the mortgage valuation is often referred to as a survey and so many buyers assume this is what is meant by 'have you done your survey?' It is important that when buying a property in St Albans that you arrange your own HomeBuyers Survey that reports on defects or potential issues with the property.

The two types of HomeBuyers Survey to choose from are the HomeBuyers Report or the Building Survey. Buying without a survey could leave you exposed to any repair costs or defects that you didn't spot. The costs of underpinning a property due to subsidence run into the £10,000s so it is important to get a survey to check for this type of defect. Buy your HomeBuyers Survey - call 0333 344 3234.

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HomeBuyers Survey St Albans

Level 2: HomeBuyer Report with a Valuation

A HomeBuyer Report is a good general inspection for new properties, flats, bungalows and other properties of standard construction. The majority of St Albans's leasehold flats require only a HomeBuyers Report but for any Victorian conversions, a Building Survey may well be required.

Click to see a Level 2: HomeBuyers Report with Valuation example.


HomeBuyers Survey St Albans

Level 3: Building Survey

In the main, houses in St Albans which are over 50 years old, have been developed or have an unusual style justify booking a Building Survey as this is the most comprehensive visual inspection a RICS surveyor can provide.

Click to see a RICS Level 3 Building Survey example.

Read our detailed comparison guide on which RICS Survey to get for your property, or you can speak to one of our survey specialists on 0333 344 3234.

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