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WHY SHOULD I HAVE A SURVEY?
We appreciate you visiting our Web Site and
hope you have found the content to be interesting and enlightening. We
have taken care to provide you, in advance, with comprehensive details of the service we
offer but there is always that most frequently asked of questions “Why should I have a survey?”,
and the answer can probably be summed up in a single word – Prudence.
It’s a curious fact that whilst prospective purchasers in the UK
usually consider a survey in one form or another to be a prerequisite of buying a house, R-PS, who specialise in carrying out surveys throughout France, have found that once those same purchasers cross the channel, a surprising number adopt the
more relaxed French philosophy of simply assuming all will be well,
and so it might be.
To answer a question with a question however “Why is it sensible to have a survey in the UK, where one speaks the language and is on hand to deal with problems, yet question the reality of a survey on a property, possibly hundreds of miles away?” In reality, the secret is
surely to know where you stand in advance and be able to confidently
budget and plan appropriately.
It is also acknowledged by most surveyors, acting on behalf of UK Clients,
that many French estate agents are unenthusiastic about surveys, presumably anxious that an otherwise straightforward transaction will be disrupted by a “nitpicking” English surveyor,
both unfamiliar with the language and the forms of building
construction. They genuinely seem to believe buyers should rely solely on specialist reports covering
lead paint, asbestos and possibly termites. Similarly their volunteering
advice on "clauses suspensives" being written into a
"compromis de vente" to allow more time for pre-purchase
surveys etc, can prove a rare event
Vendors, on the other hand, are frequently bemused at the level of investigation carried out on their homes,
for example, one elderly lady was in a towering rage on my arrival, appalled
that anyone would think to investigate the farmhouse which had been her family home for over
250 years. After gently explaining my role to her pointing out that
it was constructive rather than destructive and assuring her that no one was
seeking to criticise her delightful home, I only had to get around the problem of preferring coffee to Calvados at 10.00 in the
morning, which happily confirmed her suspicions about "Les
Anglais"!
Sadly, a percentage of the work carried out by R-PS on behalf of UK Clients
involves advising on problems arising as a direct result of not seeking professional advice prior to
committing to their purchase. This can be irrespective, in some
cases, of having relied on local builders, and, once, on the
"verbal" advice of an architect, given in French. Such
problems can range from relatively minor matters, where R-PS are able to
quickly put minds at rest, to more extreme cases involving structural defects and, worse still,
sadly inadequate budgeting, all of which should have come to light in a traditional
form of pre-purchase survey.
R-PS (Chartered Surveyors) are at pains to stress that they do not see it as
their role to frighten prospective purchasers with seemingly insurmountable problems,
but simply to ensure their Clients have balanced advice, sensibly
presented; with supporting photographs. This advice, detailing the actual condition of their
proposed investment, thereby enabling a realistic approach coupled with
sensible planning for what will possibly be their management of any
remedial work at long range - our stated philosophy has always been
to help Clients “avoid their milestone becoming a millstone!”
Once again our thanks for visiting this site and may we extend to
you our best wishes for a successful conclusion to your plans for a
home in France.
Ian Graham
Ian Graham FRICS
R-PS (Chartered Surveyors)
Ian
Graham entered the profession some 40 years ago, joining a firm of
international land agents, specialising in agricultural and landed
properties before starting his own practice as a Building Surveyor,
having first gained a wide experience, particularly in older
property. This, he has since put to good use on behalf of clients
seeking homes in both France and Spain, now concentrating on the
former where he has also acted as Consultant Surveyor in property
based television programmes. |
