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When it comes to buying, selling, or leasing commercial real estate, enlisting the expertise of a Notting Hill commercial property surveyor could well be one of the smartest decisions you ever make.
This team of surveyors possesses all the necessary skills and knowledge regarding commercial property in Notting Hill and other regions in the United Kingdom. They hold registration with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or other professional qualifications and accreditations pertaining to land, property and construction. As the surveyors work independently, you can be confident that their advice is impartial and reliable.
Professionals who work as commercial property surveyors serve a highly specialized role in the world of real estate. Most commercial property surveyors work for a tenant, landlord, buyer, or seller of a property and do the surveying work in the best interest of that person or group, on a range of tasks such as:
They are usually retained because the property in question is going to change hands—be it leased, bought, or sold. The work they do is crucial for informing the parties involved about the condition of the property and any potential problem areas. They also work a lot with UK law to inform their clients about any legal issues that might affect the property.
Many commercial property surveyors have a focus area that aligns with their interests, whether that be land management; buying, selling, and leasing; or property design. The team that undertakes commercial work delivers a range of property surveys to satisfy the various requirements of their clients. Surveys may include the following:
An extensive report can delineate and outline the individual physical elements of a commercial building. It can highlight any defects in the building and can establish what types of materials were used in its construction. Approaching a survey of a commercial building in this way is certainly different than how one might go about surveying a residential building, especially since the majority of commercial buildings are constructed of reinforced concrete, steel, and cladding, which are not found in most residential houses.
This details the property condition and supports claims for price reductions. The Schedule of Condition describes a property at a certain point in time, usually with photographs as part of its supporting evidence. It is often drawn up for the property owner and the new tenant and can provide clear direction as to who is responsible for any damage when the lease comes to an end. This document saves the tenant and the landlord a lot of potential hassle and expense after the fact.
The Schedule of Condition lets you determine whether you are liable for any damage to the property that was there before party wall related works took place next door or before you signed the lease.
If you are a landlord, the Schedule of Condition avoids a very nasty bit of litigation at the end of the lease; you have clear evidence showing the property condition when tenants took possession. Saving money is the aim here and this may be several thousand pounds’ worth.
The Schedule of Dilapidations usually occurs at the end of a lease. It lays out the repairs the tenant must undertake to make the property whole. When the tenant and landlord can’t come to terms, the landlord’s surveyor can help by indicating what the tenant would need to do to satisfy the Schedule of Dilapidations. If you are entering into a commercial property deal as a buyer, seller, or tenant, you need the advice of a commercial property surveyor to keep your interests safe.
A property surveyor can help you understand your legal responsibilities and ensure your interests are looked after in relation to your lease. They can help resolve potential problems before they turn into real disputes requiring litigation. These disputes might involve any number of things: trying to get your tenant to make repairs to your building, facing a boundary dispute with a neighbour, or dealing with a buyer who has concerns about the land they’re trying to buy. Having the help of the experts at the property survey stage means you’re much less likely to run into trouble, and much more able to resolve issues that might come up.
Some examples are presented here:
When you need assistance with lease renewals, rent reviews, purchases, sales, or any other matters related to commercial properties in Notting Hill, your CIOB, RPSA or RICS surveyor will be there to support you.
The Full Building Survey report includes the following:
When it comes to the detail that the surveyor will go into concerning defects, repairs, and maintenance, the Homebuyer Survey is fairly standard. Full Building Surveys, however, are more refined and go into more detail about possible and likely defects. Repairs and maintenance are covered in more detail. The Survey cost depends on the age, size, and value of the property.
The analysis they undertake is a visual inspection. This means that, for the most part, the building components that can be seen will be looked at and assessed in accordance with the surveyor’s remit. The Home Survey Report will show you the visible defects and then go on to discuss the kinds of partially hidden or totally hidden defects that the surveyor thinks you should be aware of. It will also try to clarify what kinds of repair work need to be done and the nature of the repairs. The survey is effectively a way to consider “defects” and their potential impact on the building.
A Building Survey Report contains the most important information for understanding the condition of a property. The surveyors that undertake the work follow a set procedure. The first part of the report contains a general overview of the property and its surroundings. The second part details the major and minor problems with the property’s components, inside and out. These problems range from serious structural defects to issues with doors or windows that don’t close properly, and everything in between. The report is written in clear English, complemented by diagrams and photographs. If any of the problems found are what a surveyor might consider important, that’s what the report indicates—using clear and unambiguous language.
Surveyors usually use a tick box to indicate methods of repair when drafting a building survey report. They are also required to comment on the timescale of any repairs. A condition rating is typically included: what needs to be addressed immediately, what is in the process of deteriorating but is in reasonable condition, and what has not deteriorated at all.
A building surveyor is responsible for a variety of checks and tests during a building inspection. These could be checks or tests for damp and woodworm, or they could be visual inspections of the building’s structure. In building surveying, there are visual inspections of roofs – checking for tiles and slates (if applicable) and also checking for leadwork (if applicable) and looking at the junctions between roof and wall. If the wall structure has brick in it, the surveyor will visually check for any “spalling” (brick breaking apart visibly) and any bulging (brick failing to hold its place visibly), for example.
If defects need fixing immediately, then the options recommended for this survey specify what to repair and give some idea of how long the problem has existed. For the most part, this survey describes recommended repair approaches that are standard in the industry and that do not require excessive expenditure. Future maintenance is also discussed, including what to expect when the problem being surveyed is not repaired and what to expect with repairs that are made but with questionable methodology.
Your surveyor will explain some of the legal aspects of purchasing the building, covering—in as much or as little detail as you desire, and their implications, but this is subject to your solicitor verifying.
You might consider having a separate market valuation done to determine whether the property’s asking price is warranted. You’ll also need a reinstatement cost valuation for insurance reasons.
RICS’s industry guidelines suggest building surveys for properties that are large, very old, in some disrepair, or have unusual features. Building surveys are also recommended if you plan to do any significant renovations or extensions.
If you’re purchasing a relatively modern home that’s in decent shape and built to ordinary standards, then a Home Buyer Survey is an acceptable choice. If you want the assurance of an inspection and report that are pretty much guaranteed to turn up any issues that might be hidden or just hard to see, then you should go for a Full Building Survey instead.
The Full Building Survey is more detailed; it is more specifically tailored to the property your surveyor would be inspecting. It also comes with more advice on the visible defects found and on the potential hidden defects that they suspect may be present. Your surveyor will illustrate reports with photographs so that you can clearly see what has been discovered. Both the Home Buyer and Full Building Surveys describe the repairs needed, the order in which the repairs should be done, and the kind of “maintenance measures” that will be required to keep the property in good condition.
A HomeBuyer Report does include a market valuation as well as reinstatement costs. However, a Full Building Survey does not. The main reason for the differences in what is and isn’t included in the two types of reports is how focused the reports are on the condition of the property. The Full Building Survey is the most in-depth and comprehensive survey of a property that you can have done.
All the professionals on our panel, whether Building Surveyors or Structural Engineers, are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or hold equivalent accreditation from an industry-standard body (e.g. RPSA or CIOB). This ensures that you can be completely confident in the thoroughness and comprehensiveness of your Building Survey Report or Valuation. Your surveyor will be independent and will provide you with expert advice based on their judgment and without any bias.
Looking for a Chartered Surveyor? If you are buying a property, contact us for a building survey. Our panel of CIOB, RPSA and RICS surveyors will help you with the Level 2 or Level 3 property survey you need in Notting Hill. We can also assist you in Red Book Valuations, Party Wall Awards and other services. Reach out to us today for building surveyors, valuers and party wall surveyors in London!
