Chiltern Associates

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Extensions – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

DIY hammer and nails

When it comes to home alterations the biggest thing most people will ever undertake is an extension. Of course, some people really go all out and build another storey on a bungalow or even knock down and rebuild most of a home but these are relatively extreme. For the most part extensions consist of smaller building works and to that end these works can often be done “on the cheap” or even as a DIY project. While a very small extension may seem like a small thing it can have far reaching effects when it comes to selling your home and living safely in it!

The Good

Let’s start with the great things that can be done with extensions. If properly planned, quoted for and undertaken by true professionals and extension can add extra space to a home and increase the value. Some people chose to lose a bit of garden in favour of indoor space and who can blame them after a British winter of not using the garden at all. Done in keeping with planning laws and the original building an extension is unlikely to cause any issues with the neighbours. When it comes to buyers getting a survey before purchasing your home it is also unlikely to cause any issue with the surveyor either.

The Bad

Here is where things get a little less pleasant. For some people the idea of an extension is a very exciting one but the cost perhaps isn’t. So during the quoting phase they may end up speaking to a local builder who can do something a little cheaper for them. Often these quotes omit the correct types of insulation in the roof or flooring or even the walls too. They may even miss out some structural things that are considered critical. For example, turning a garage into an office sounds simple to many people. Remove the garage door and brick it up and put up some stud wall etc. The reality is that any brick wall over around 2-3 ft needs to have a foundation so the builder should dig down into the driveway. This can be expensive and is the kind of thing that gets cut back on cheap quotes from friends and associates. The result? Well at best a poorly done extension can just be a bit cold and damp and look poor which really wont add anything tot he value of a home and would certainly be picked up by the surveyor. At worst it might be dangerous to be in or around, damp, cold, leaking and more!

The Ugly

There are some real extremes that any surveyor will be happy to describe but thankfully they are rare. In some cases people take it completely upon themselves to create an extension. Often these structures have little or no plans drawn up, no footings at all, and the materials used are all wrong. Sometimes plywood walls with no insulation are used, flat roofs with poor weather proofing and more. What this creates are damp, leaking, dangerous places to live in. Often the electrical work laves a great deal to be desired and coupled with poor insulation and weather proofing a perfect storm is just around the corner.

The Right Way

As with most important things in life there are no real shortcuts. The key to adding value, living space and a safe addition to your home is to get professional advice from the outset. Get advice on the type of extension that is best for your home and then get a range of quotes from reputable building companies. With investment comes reward and the assurance your home is safe, worth more and a better place to live in. It also means you should never have to fear the arrival of a buyers’ surveyor!

 

If you are looking at a property with an extension please get in touch to discuss how this may affect the survey and property.

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Invasive Plant Species at the Chelsea Flower Show

Japanese knotweed

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is known for many things but showcasing invasive plant species is perhaps not one of them. The new “Enemy Within” Garden will be unveiled at this years show to highlight the issues around this problem. Plants may not seem very threatening when you are thinking about buying a home but they can cause a lot of problems in terms of the property itself, the garden and they can prove very costly.

What is an Invasive Species?

The standard definition of an invasive species is “a plant, fungus or animal that is not native to a specific location and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.”

There are a number of invasive plant species int he UK and the garden will highlight 14 of them. The most well known is Japanese knotweed which is left unchecked can cause serious problems in and around a property. Some people have even lost mortgages because of it. The idea that a seemingly benign plant can “escape” and start growing in the wild may not seem that threatening but over time and in the right conditions this species can not only grow in huge numbers but can do so at the expense of native flora and fauna which then has more knock on effects to the ecosystem, property and the economy.

The Demand for New Plants

We have over 10,000 species of plant that gardeners in the UK can buy and grow but despite this there is still a very high demand for new and novel species.  Garden Centres are regularly bringing in new species to feed the demand by gardeners for more exciting plants. But there is also another side to this. When an inexperienced gardener, perhaps having just bought a new home, goes to the garden centre to look at plants they will choose what they think looks nice. It is no fault of their own they happen to chose what could become the next big invasive species. The shops should take responsibility for the stock they sell in the long term as well as the short.

Time Bomb

Evidence suggests that invasive species can tale decades to become a problem so the plants growing around the country now could already be about to become a problem in the next 10 years. It is scary to think that there is also another generation potentially being planted right now that could be 30 years away from being a problem. An example of this is the giant rhubarb. It was first seen outside of dedicated gardens in 1908 but it took until around 2000 for it to become a problem. Japanese knotweed took from 1886 until 1940 before it took hold and continued to grow as a problem ever since.

While this garden will no doubt form an interesting part of the show it is doing a great job at highlighting the issue to home owners across the country. It is important to remember that buying a property often includes buying a garden but it is so often forgotten about.

If you have any questions about a property purchase and potentially problematic plants in and around it then get in touch today to discuss how a survey can help or if any specific horticultural advice may be needed in addition to a survey.

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Detailed Explanation of Your Survey Report

House

Getting a survey is, of course, one of the most important factors when buying a house. However, what is the point of a detailed survey if you do not fully understand it’s contents? This is a surprisingly common occurrence and ironically can be just as bad as not getting a survey at all.

Reports, Facts and Understanding

When a detailed survey is carried out it needs to be written up and turned into a detailed survey report. This process can vary greatly between surveyors and it is so important to work with someone who produces reports that are readable, understandable and presentable. But there is so much more to it than that. You can have a wonderful looking report done by a very experienced surveyor which also contains all the correct and pertinent information but it all falls down when the purchaser simply does understand it. It is no slight on the purchaser, of course, they are not expected to understand the details aspects of the structures, materials and other factors. This can be further compounded if the client is looking at a historic or listed building where many common factors in buildings today simply do not apply.

Explanation

It therefore falls to the Surveyor to help present the report in such a way as to convey all of the important information and make sure the purchaser has understood it. It is not just about understanding what is written though, it is also about grasping the implications or certain issues, the potential future costs or re sale issues. It is one thing to appreciate a flat roof may only have 2 years left before leaks become an issue. It is another entirely to know how much a replacement roof may cost and what any surrounding issues could be.

The Chiltern Way

We firmly believe a survey is at its best when it is explained properly. So we make sure we call each client or organise a meeting after they have received the report in order to do just that. We go through all the issues and potential issues that the report shows and we discuss them with the purchaser.  What this does is make sure the client is thoroughly informed and that their decision whether or not to buy a property is based on on greater level of understanding than is perhaps seen elsewhere. Ultimately if this means they may still go ahead with buying a property with problems but they do so knowing the potential costs and can therefore budget accordingly.

If you would like to discuss a potential property then get in touch today and let us guide you through your purchase or property hunt properly.

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Skimping on a survey is foolish

Buyers who are keen to skimp on costs for a survey on their potential purchase could think twice about what the service they are buying. Compared to a ‘cut to the bone’ valuation from a lender or homebuyer report without the extras, they could be letting themselves in for costly risks after their purchase. The contrast is substantial. Mortgage valuers are pressed for time, typically spending 10-30 minutes at the property. A basic homebuyer report will just give you the assessment of whether each element needs any repair, maintenance or more immediate repair. It will not go into the details.

Compared to that a building survey from Chiltern Associates will :

  1. Listen to your concerns and your particular interests long term
  2. Go into the background history of the property
  3. Go into each element of the property, describe condition, explain the repairs needed and give you photographic evidence

Nearly a third of buyers believe that sellers deliberately hid problems  eg painting over mould, moving furniture to cover over problems, and hiding damage behind pictures. They also prevent access to certain rooms, lock garages with no key available and other things.

Purchasers are often in a hurry in a buoyant market to avoid losing the sale.

Kate Faulkner of propertychecklists.co.uk says ‘Scrimping on a survey to save time or money is foolish- and can prove a false economy. Ignore cracks in walls or a suspicious damp patch at your peril’

The Peter Bolton King of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says’ Many inexperienced buyers think their lender’s valuation is a survey. It can be a costly mistake not to get a survey done if you find something sinister when you move in. We are not talking a couple of hundred pounds here. More like a few thousand pounds’.

Older properties need a full survey. Lindsay Cuthill of Savills says ‘ When it comes to period properties there are very few that don’t have something wrong with them here and there.  If there are things that you are particularly concerned with, those are the things that you should ask your surveyor to look out for’

Simon Rose of Strutt and Parker says’ Dont be alarmed when your survey reads like a Domesday book. You are not asking your surveyor to praise your house, youre asking them to pick it apart. The most important thing is to ring the surveyor to chat through any major concerns.’

If there is something unexpected in the survey, you can renegotiate the price to reflect the work required.  Faulkner says ‘ The money spent on a survey could save you thousands of pounds by providing ammunition for negotiating a price reduction-or by making you think twice about buying at all’

Its your choice which surveyor you use for the survey. It is advisable to choose a surveyor separate to the person for the mortgage valuation so that you get two sets of professional opinions on the property and don’t take the risk of the surveyor coming from miles away.

Here at Chiltern Associates we always give a professional opinion to suit the purchasers requirements and not biased by the views of the estate agent.

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Bovis and its houses of so many horrors

Look before you leap into a new-build

The Times has recently been leading on challenges for purchasers of new build  properties who find copious defects after moving in. The Times lists defects such as windows not installed, holes in roofs and ceilings and workmen still in the house. With financial pressures, several builders such as Bovis pressurise purchasers into completing without snags being completed. Its fine to look for certificates, but in the rush to complete, these are of little help to purchasers who often spend months negotiating defects once they are in the house.

chartered surveyors in Woodbridge

Here at Chiltern Associates we can provide the easy answer. Our snagging list format will cover all those defects that might be there and can also talk directly to builders asking about likely progress on site. Most importantly we can provide that support that you might need at this crucial time. The snagging list is a detailed comprehensive list , on a room by room basis, of all those snags that come up such as decorations not finished, windows not finished, poor condition of screed floors, poor jointing on timberwork and even blocked drains

Just ask for Snagging List via our enquiry form and we can help you.