Terms of Engagement

(The following are the terms normally employed in our Building Surveys. We recognise that in outlining the limitations of a survey, this document will seem very negative. However, it is simply not possible to inspect all parts of the property as we do not have X-ray eyes and we are not permitted to take the property to pieces, rip up carpets and floor boards, remove all furnishings and insulation materials, dismantle brickwork and casings, dig up the foundations and drains etc. What the surveyor will do is spend as long at the property as is necessary to provide as thorough and detailed a report as is possible from the inspection he is permitted to undertake).

The report of this property will state the opinion of the surveyor as to the defects which are present and can be found in the building at the time of the inspection. The opinion will be based upon the information that the surveyor will be able to obtain following an inspection of all parts of the building that are reasonably accessible and can be seen without causing any damage to the property, its decorations or contents.

A survey report is not a guarantee that all defects that are present, or which may occur in the future, will be discovered by this inspection.

The surveyor will report on those aspects of the condition of the property which are considered likely materially to affect the market value of the property, and/or which the surveyor believes would influence the decision of a prospective purchaser of the property.

The surveyor“s inspection, as outlined below, may have to be amended if the vendor/occupier/owner refuses, or is unable, to provide access to any part of the building, or forbids any test or operation we propose.

The surveyor will take a ladder of at least 3 metres (10feet) in length. He will inspect all parts that can safely be reached with this ladder from ground level, or can be seen from a vantage point within the property or its grounds.

High level elements of the building such as roof surfaces, chimneys and gutters, will be inspected from ground level with the aid of binoculars, or from available vantage points within the curtilage of the property. However, if it is not raining during the inspection, the surveyor may not be able to confirm that such areas are watertight.

The exposed elements of all walls will be inspected externally and internally as far as is practicable, but it will not be possible to carry out any inspection of the foundations. Neither will it be possible to inspect the insides of any cavity walls or their ties.

The surveyor will use a moisture meter to locate unacceptable levels of dampness in accessible parts of the property.

The surveyor will carry a torch, and will inspect within accessible voids, such as roof spaces, provided that no damage will be caused to the building or its decorations in opening access traps.

The surfaces of all timber floors which are carpeted or covered in tiles, linoleum, or similar sheet materials, cannot be inspected. The surveyor will give his opinion of the condition of the floor surfaces based upon the information he is able to gain from the limited inspection that he is able to carry out.

The floors will be tested for their level, and the surveyor will advise if there is any indication of settlement or subsidence therein.

Our examination will not cover those parts of the building that are concealed, unexposed or inaccessible. Unless you specifically so instruct us, and the vendor previously consents, we shall not move any heavy furniture, raise any fitted floor coverings or remove any floor boards.

It will not be possible to indicate the condition of internal chimney flues or the presence of flue liners, and the report will not advise upon whether or not any chimneys can be used.

The building services will be visually inspected, but not tested. However, the surveyor will advise where tests are considered necessary. Neither will the surveyor make a detailed assessment as to the suitability, condition, efficiency or capacity of any central heating system, boiler or other equipment.

A visual inspection will be made of the manholes and drainage connections where covers are intact and able to be removed without special lifting gear.

Outbuildings, such as carports and garages, not integral with the house, will be inspected only briefly, and the report will only comment on those defects that are sufficiently major to affect the value of the property as a whole. Other outbuildings, such as timber sheds and greenhouses, will not be inspected. Specialist inspection of leisure installations, such as swimming pools, will be recommended. These will not be inspected.

We will comment on the fences, paved areas, and grounds.

No investigation will be made as to the use of high alumina cement concrete (HAC), calcium chloride additive, asbestos, or other deleterious matter in the construction of the property.

If the surveyor believes that there is a risk of defect in a part of the property, he will recommend any further steps which you need to take prior to purchase.

No enquiries will be made of the local authority regarding town planning or other similar matters. You should refer to your solicitor or other legal adviser regarding the investigation of title, tenure, covenants, rights of way, building regulations, onerous restrictions, encumbrances, outgoings and other related matters.

The report will not identify the existence of contamination in or from the ground, as this can only be established by other specialists.

The report is provided for the sole use of the named client and is confidential to the client and his/her professional advisers. The practice accepts responsibility to the client alone for the skill, care, and diligence reasonably to be expected of a competent surveyor, but accepts no responsibility whatsoever to any person other than the client himself. The report may not be disclosed to anyone other than the client“s professional advisers without the written permission of the surveyor having first been obtained. No liability will be accepted to third parties.