Home Seller Surveys

Most home buyers know they should get a survey to make informed decisions and protect their investment, but sellers often forget that transparency and preparedness are vital for a successful transaction.  This is where a home seller survey becomes an invaluable tool, helping sellers stand on firm ground throughout the sales process.

The Basics of Home Seller Surveys

A Home Seller survey is a comprehensive assessment of a property’s condition before it goes on the market, equivalent to a RICS L3 Home Survey (formerly known as a Building Survey or Full Structural Survey).  It encompasses an in-depth evaluation of the structure and exterior and interior potential risks, enabling sellers to identify and address issues, enhance transparency, streamline the selling process, and potentially increase the property’s value. While Home Seller surveys and buyer-initiated survey inspections both aim to reveal the property’s strengths and risks, the key difference lies in who initiates and controls the process.  In a Home Seller survey, the seller commissions the inspection and can use the findings to make any necessary repairs before putting the property on the market.  In contrast, a buyer-initiated home survey often happens after an offer is made and can lead to negotiations or even cause the deal to fall through if significant problems are discovered.

Who pays for a home survey, the buyer or the seller?

The buyer pays for a RICS L2 or L3 home survey, and the seller pays for a Home Seller survey (RICS L3 equivalent).

Advantages of Conducting a Home Seller Survey

Sellers are not obligated to book a survey before marketing their home, but this is highly recommended and makes common sense for several reasons:

• Identify and address potential issues: A Home Seller survey allows you to find and address problems before buyers become aware of them.  This helps prevent unpleasant surprises during the negotiation phase and keeps the selling process on track.
• Enhance transparency and trust: Conducting a survey and disclosing the results demonstrates transparency, fostering trust and confidence among potential buyers.
• Streamline the selling process: Having a survey report in hand helps expedite the selling process.  Buyers may even be willing to skip their own survey, speeding up the transaction.
• Increase the market value: Addressing defects before marketing can increase your property’s market value.  Plus, a home in excellent condition justifies a higher asking price.

Key Components Covered in Home Seller Surveys

Expect your surveyor to assess these areas of your property:

• Structure: The survey thoroughly assesses the building’s structural soundness, detecting risks of structural issues in roofs and walls, etc.
• Roof and chimney: Potential roof leaks, faulty gutters, and chimney defects are identified, and potential repairs are recommended as part of the survey.
• Assess the condition of key components: Chimneys, roofs and walls are carefully inspected during a home seller survey, ensuring any issues are brought to light.
• Highlight potential hidden defects and risks: Unseen issues like dampness, timber decay or pest infestations or mould often lurk beneath the surface.  A home seller survey assesses the risks of these, allowing you to address them if necessary.
• Recommends further specialist investigations where these are thought appropriate and necessary.
• Services inspection: the surveyor will give an opinion on the age and compliance of the heating and electrical systems.  However, surveyors are not specialist engineers and often recommend further specialist inspection.
• Inspection of the visible components of the foul and stormwater drainage system where access allows.  However, surveyors are not drainage engineers and occasionally will recommend further specialist investigations.
• The surveyor will comment on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating and other relevant sustainability matters.

Understanding the Process of Home Seller Surveys

Having your home surveyed is fairly straightforward.  Here’s what the process entails if you book your Home Seller survey with ECL Chartered Surveyors:

• Your surveyor will already have discussed your property in some detail with you, to highlight any areas of concern or observations you may have.
• You will then receive ECL’s terms and conditions by Adobe E-Sign.  You will be asked to read them carefully and sign and return them to confirm your instruction.
• Confirmation with you of the survey date.
• As part of our survey preparation, ECL will conduct desktop research to inform our inspection.
• Site visit and inspection: The surveyor visits your property and carries out a detailed assessment.
• Within 24 hours of the survey, you will receive an email containing a link to the photographs taken during the survey.
• An offer of an early verbal de-brief subject to conditions.
• Surveyor’s report: The surveyor produces a report detailing their findings and recommendations for repairs or further investigations, usually between 7 and 10 working days following the survey.
• You will receive the home seller survey report by email link which allows you to download it as many times as you wish.

Post-survey recommendations: Informed by the surveyor’s report, you can decide on the next steps, be it arranging further specialist investigations, putting together a maintenance/ repair plan, or calling in the agents to begin marketing your property with a transparent and honest view of its highlights and potential pitfalls to inform the sale price.

Hiring a Qualified Surveyor for a Home Seller Survey

Engaging a knowledgeable, certified professional surveyor is crucial for a reliable and detailed Home Seller survey.  A qualified and experienced surveyor draws from years of industry experience, offering objective advice about the property’s condition. When selecting a surveyor, consider their:

• Certification: The main professional accrediting body for home surveys in the UK is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
• The surveyor you hire should have MRICS qualification as a minimum.
• Experience: It’s helpful to work with a surveyor who has specific expertise in assessing your property type.
• Local knowledge: The surveyor should know what to look for in homes located in your region.

Questions to ask potential surveyors include:

• How long have you been in practice?
• What is your connection to and knowledge of my local area?
• What professional development have you undertaken in the last 12 months?
• What types of properties do you specialise in?
• Can you provide a sample survey report?

Cost Considerations and Return on Investment

While a Home Seller survey costs a few hundred pounds, it’s important to view it as an investment rather than an expense.  Knowing the condition of your property and making necessary repairs can enhance its value, potentially exceeding the survey cost.  What’s more, preventing last-minute renegotiations saves time and promotes a smooth sale.

Tips for Home Sellers During the Survey Process

If you are convinced that a Home Seller survey is the right choice for you, make the most of it with these tips:

• Prepare the property for the survey: Ensure all areas are accessible and that the necessary keys are available or doors unlocked.
• Understand the surveyor’s role and objectives: The surveyor is there to objectively assess your property’s condition.  They don’t have any ulterior motives, so it’s important to be open to their findings.
• Address identified issues and repairs: Make efforts to repair any significant problems.  If this isn’t possible, be prepared to disclose them to potential buyers.
• Communicate survey findings:  Transparency about the property’s condition instills confidence in potential buyers and reduces the chance of time-consuming renegotiations.

Common FAQs About Home Seller Surveys

When should I conduct a home seller survey?

It’s best to book the survey before listing your property for sale, which allows time to address any findings requiring attention.

How long does a home seller survey typically take?

Depending on the property’s size, complexity and condition, the survey may take anywhere from a few hours to the entire day.

Can a home seller survey impact the property’s sale price?

Absolutely.  Addressing any issues can increase the property’s value, whilst unresolved problems could lead to lower offers or potential buyers backing out.

Should I disclose the survey results to potential buyers?

That’s your choice, but generally, we would recommend this. Transparency about the property’s condition builds trust and speeds up the selling process.

What if the home buyer and seller’s surveys conflict?

Both parties should review their independent surveys carefully, consulting with their respective surveyors for clarity and involving a third surveyor or other specialist e.g., a structural engineer, if needed.  The buyer and seller can negotiate based on these findings.

Book a Home Seller Survey

ECL Chartered Surveyors is your trusted partner for Home Seller surveys in Cirencester, the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Warwickshire.  Our RICS-accredited professional surveyors conduct comprehensive assessments, provide detailed reports and ensure you understand how the results may affect your property value and the sales process. Our unparalleled service alongside our local knowledge of Cotswold buildings makes your property-selling journey as seamless as possible. Contact us at 01367 248 933 today to book a thorough and reliable Home Seller survey.