Grumitt Wade Chartered Surveyor - the right choice for your home
Grumitt Wade undertake residential surveys and valuations and are able to advise you on all matters relating to the care of your home whether it is a purpose built flat or a period timber frame cottage. Unlike many other chartered surveyors we offer a design and project management service for repairs alterations and home extensions.
Interesting reading:
Which.co.uk has published a few interesting articles about house surveys:
- Insepction, Inspection, Inspection - not viewing a property thoroughly could cost £10,000, says Which?. View PDF Visit Which?
- Getting a proper house survey should be mandatory
View PDF Visit Which? Conversations - The RICS leaflet on choosing the right survey View PDF
Our Residential Services in more detail
HomeBuyer Report (HBR) replaces the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation (HSV)
The HomeBuyer Service includes a Survey and a Valuation and is an economy package intended for conventional properties in reasonable order. It replaces the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation (HSV) from April 2010. It addresses only essential urgent and significant items. The HomeBuyer comes in a brief reporting style with condition ratings given to the main elements of the building. Unlike a Building Survey, it provides not only a Survey but also a Valuation and reinstatement cost assessment as an integral part of the service.
Building Survey
A Building Survey (previously a Structural Survey) is the most detailed level of service and it is suitable for all properties. It is recommended for older properties or for example where the property has been altered and adapted. It does not include a Valuation as standard but this can be added on as an additional service.
Principal Service
This is a survey offered by Grumitt Wade to a similar level of a HBR but it does not include a Market Valuation or a valuation of rebuilding costs for insurance purposes. This is popular with clients who are having a mortgage valuation undertaken but want a basic level survey without paying for another valuation.
Market Valuation
We carry out Market Valuations of residential properties for potential purchasers to assist in deciding whether to purchase a property or to secure a loan against their property. We also undertake probate valuations.
Mortgage Valuation
For your information, it is not always appreciated that a Mortgage Valuation is not actually a survey. It is prepared for the lender and not for you the purchaser. It is designed to assess the risk of lending against the property. If the amount you intend to borrow is low compared the value the surveyor may not even be required to go inside! We rarely undertake these because most lenders want to use their own valuers.
Valuation for Insurance Purposes
We undertake valuations of the cost of rebuilding properties to meet insurance requirements. We undertake insurance valuations for flats, houses and commercial properties.
Architectural Services
We can advise upon feasibility for alterations such as extensions, loft conversions or conversion for change of use when we undertake a survey. Please see Architectural Services.
Measured Survey
A Measured Survey involves taking the measurements of a building in order to prepare accurate scale drawings. The level of detail depends on the purpose for which the drawings are intended and their scale and detail needs to be agreed between the parties beforehand.
Subsidence
Subsidence is defined as the downward movement of the ground beneath a property foundation and is covered under normal buildings insurance policies. There are other forms of foundation movement such as settlement, heave and landslip. We provide a professional service to carry out an inspection and report upon structural movement and to distinguish between the different types of movement and can then report on whether movement is likely to be progressive and if it is covered under buildings insurance.
Advice and Repairs & Maintenance
We are able to inspect defects and maintenance issues to both private and commercial properties. This can include general decoration, window replacement, roof renewal, penetrating/rising dampness issues, cracks to walls and wall tie failure. We are able to discuss any building issue, provide advice, write defects reports, and/or carry out contract administration for any essential repairs and maintenance.
Valuing Property for Probate
For the purposes of probate the property’s value is based on the ‘open market value.’
This is defined as the price that the house might reasonably fetch if it was sold on
the open market to a willing buyer at the date of the transfer.The deceased person’s property will usually be the most valuable asset in their estate. It will need to be valued for probate purposes even if the deceased’s family are not proposing to sell it. If the house is straightforward then the Personal Representatives (this term includes both Executors and Administrators) can provide the valuation without seeking professional assistance.
With the problems in the housing market continuing, the Personal Representatives are advised to instruct a Chartered Surveyor to give a professional probate valuation.
The reason for this is to ensure that in current markets the house is not over valued
as this will result in an additional and unnecessary inheritance tax liability. HM Revenue & Customs are more likely to accept a valuation if it is provided by a Chartered Surveyor.
Beach House - Worthing
Tongdean Road - Brighton
Timber frame house
