We keep the house survey cost down regardless of what property survey you need and tell you how much does a survey cost.
Local Essex
Building Surveyors
Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Witham 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.
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.
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 in a HomeBuyers Report Witham and Building Surveys in Witham.
A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?
A RICS Home Buyers Survey is a visual inspection of the grounds and the internal/external structure of the property and identifies defects such as cracks or damage to the structure of the property, subsidence, damp and infestations.
Some of these defects you may not even see or know what to look for which makes getting a Home Buyers Survey, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, if you're thinking of buying a property in Witham, incredibly important.
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.
Should any issues be flagged up in the HomeBuyers Survey, our surveyor will tell you what you need to do to get more in-depth advice on the extent and seriousness of the issue affecting your property in Witham and what needs to be done to remedy it.
If you are worried about a crack or cracks or indeed any other defects that you think your property has, we strongly recommend you get a Home Buyers Survey as the cost of remedying the problem might snowball into many thousands of pounds further down the line.
You can find a local RICS surveyor by using the search at the bottom RHS of this page.
Witham's architecture is pleasantly varied, with older properties 'rubbing shoulders' with more modern developments up to the present day.
Cressing Temple to the north of the town in Witham Road, for example, has three barns which are timber-framed - they are Grade I listed – and they date back to the 1200s. Newlands Street for has a mix of Georgian, Victorian and modern properties, with Witham Town Hall being a pleasant Georgian-era building and next door, the present Barclays Bank building was constructed in the Victorian era. Lockram Lane similarly has properties dating back to the Victorian era and before it. Witham's Public Hall in Collingwood Road was opened in March 1894, near the very end of the Victorian era.
The three council estates were built from the 1920s/1930s and consist of a mix of terraced and semi-detached houses of relatively standard construction. Newlands Shopping Centre is a typical late 1960s/1970s development with a variety of both large chain and smaller boutique shops, whereas the Grove Centre was built considerably more recently.
If you're considering buying a property in Lancaster's locale, getting a Local Authority Search Report, the main property conveyancing search, is an important way to find out if there are a variety of issues which might affect your enjoyment of the dwelling.
A recent such report, bought for a property in Maldon Road, Bradwell-on-sea, Southminster CM0 7HU revealed that:
the property is subject to a tree preservation order; and
any buyer might have to consider getting indemnity insurance if the seller is unable to produce completion certificates for alterations carried out.
among other matters.
Trees subject to preservation orders cannot be cut down and unauthorised building works can, at the very least, cause issues where selling is concerned – lenders for any potential mortgage buyers might refuse to lend – however at worst, the works might actually be hazardous to the point of being a potential risk to life.
The Plansearch Plus conveyancing property search provides an in-depth account of residential and non-residential planning applications which might have been lodged concerning land within 750m of a property you're considering buying. This information is invaluable for giving you a forecast of potential future developments which might affect your enjoyment of the dwelling.
A recent such report taken out for a property in Blunts Hall Road, Witham CM8 1LY revealed that while there were no such planning applications for residential developments within 750m of the property, in contrast there were variously one application for a small non-residential development within 250 metres of the property, one for a medium-sized development within 500 metres but three applications for large developments within 750 metres.
Parish church claims on parishioners for chancel repair, where these occur, can be fairly costly, with individual households possibly being legally required to pay £1,000s.
Buying a chancel repair indemnity insurance policy for a property you're looking to buy is an easy and efficient way of protecting yourself against this possible eventuality and among many others, one such policy was taken out for a property in Inchbonnie Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5FG. This policy generally costs around £20 to buy and normally covers the policy holder for claims to the limit of £1 million.
Somerset is a county in south-west England and is mainly rural with rolling hills. These include the Mendips, the Quantocks, Exmoor National Park and the Blackdown Hills, all of which are well worth a leisurely visit. Somerset is synonymous with cider and scrumpy, particularly in the Taunton area.
The county is made up from seven districts; South Somerset, Taunton Deane, West Somerset, Sedgemoor, Mendip, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset. The county town is Taunton and the county also contains the beautiful city of Bath (which is its own administrative authority), with its celebrated Roman remains and excellent architecture. Adjacent counties include Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon.
There are 3 universities in the ceremonial county; these are the University of Bath, Bath Spa University and the University of the West of England. The nearest airport is in Bristol and the M5 is the one motorway going through the county.
Other excellent places to visit there include Cheddar Gorge (yes, Cheddar cheese does come from here, invented by accident around 800 years ago!), Wookey Hole Caves and Glastonbury Tor.
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts takes place most years in Pilton, near Shepton Mallet, attracting over 170,000 music and culture lovers from around the world to see world-famous entertainers.
Yeovil Town is in the Football League and Somerset County Cricket Club play at Taunton. The team used to include Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner among other top stars of the cricket world.
Tarr Steps near Winsford in Somerset is thought to date from around 1000 BC and is the oldest bridge in Britain still in use – there is no concrete joining the stones which make up its fabric!
You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting Braintree District Council at Frome Town Hall, Christchurch Street West, Frome BA11 1EB, telephone 01373 465757, or you can check for the most recently stored planning applications online here:
Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Hatfield Peverel, Wickham Bishops, Great Braxted, Rivenhall End, Terling, Fairstead and White Notley.
We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Witham. 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 Witham 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 -
Many mistakenly think that a mortgage valuation is the same as a HomeBuyers Survey and the consequence is that home buyers can subsequently have to shell out money for repairing faults and defects that could well have been part of the bargaining process with the seller on purchase. The surveyor appointed by the lender conducts a mortgage valuation to estimate the value of the property: this survey is not concerned with detailing structural defects.
A HomeBuyers Survey lists and reports on defects and includes a full appraisal and valuation of your property in Witham which is completely independent of the mortgage lender. This knowledge can be used to get quotes for the cost of fixing defects and, most importantly, gives you evidence which can be used to bargain with the seller about sharing any such cost.
HomeBuyers Report in Witham
The HomeBuyers Report is a reasonable 'broad-brush' structural inspection most suited to flats, new properties and bungalows of standard construction. A HomeBuyers Report would suit most leasehold flats in Witham excepting Victorian conversions which may require a Building Survey.
Many houses in Witham are over 50 years old, have been converted or have an unusual style: a Building Survey is best suited to these. It is the highest level of visual inspection that a RICS Surveyor can produce.