We fall in love with a property, agree a price and then go to the lending institutions to see if they will then lend us the money. We often rely on the mortgage valuation to tell you whether you are making the right choice. That can often be a big mistake. The mortgage Valuation is a report undertaken to tell the lender whether their funds are safe. It doesn’t
generally tell you whether you are paying too much in the first place. This information normally costs considerably more money.

It is essential to establish whether you are paying the right price?
Does the property have any defects?
Are we expert enough to know whether there are any problems?
Or do we buy on the basis of what we fall  in love with?

Would you buy a car without looking under the bonnet, in the boot, underneath, or for that matter, without checking the car’s history?  The same goes with a property, if you do, then you know that you are adding to the risk, which in the current climate is already very high.

Once you have decided that you have found the right property for you, then this is the time to establish the correct value. A professional pre-acquisition condition report will provide you with the information to make an informed decision on probably the biggest purchase of your life.

You can check the Energy Performance Certificate to see how it costs much to run, but is the heating system running right or efficiently. Do the windows and doors look good – a fresh coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins. What problems are lurking under ground – that well established garden may not be as big a selling point as you first thought. When was the electrical wiring last tested? Are the boundaries clearly marked? Have you seen a title plan and does it match what you are trying to buy?

When you own a property it needs maintaining. It is fact, that if you just run it into the ground, then you will be eroding its value, often significantly.

There are various forms of survey which can be tailored to your needs and your budget. A Standard Condition Report will give you the basics to help you to ascertain whether there are any defects to off-set against an agreed purchase price.