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Survey Spain - Services

Building Survey

A building survey involves inspection of all accessible areas of a property, plus research into available papers, etc. The report contains notes of all defects found that are likely to affect enjoyment of the property, though these may not have an effect upon the Value.

Valuation Survey

A valuation survey involves a brief visit to a property to confirm the location, style, accommodation and floor areas. Only major defects that will have an effect on the value are noted. Comparing the property to others with known sale and/or asking prices forms the opinion of value. It is normally required by security holders such as banks or building societies, or by owners/buyers already familiar with a property.

'Snagging' Survey

Buyers have 15 days after signing the acceptance of a new property to report differences between what they thought they were buying 'off plan' and what they find when they receive the keys. If 'discovered later, it can be more difficult to get things replaced. Especially if the final signing is being carried out by someone else with the power of attorney, its always best to have the property inspected in detail by an independent professional and faults and omissions formally recorded.

Structural Survey

We rarely carry out a structural survey, as that would involve breaking into and testing the structural elements. It is normally only required to find the cause of a defect for which evidence has been found in a Building Survey.

Our Services include:

  • Building Condition Survey - A full report resulting from a detailed survey of the property.
  • Market Valuations- (For Sale or Rent) - A letter confirming our opinion of the market value.
  • Homebuyers Reports in the style of UK RICS
  • 'Off-Plan' Construction Progress Reports - Initial opinion of the market value and comment on expectations for the future. Thereafter we can provide monthly reports of building progress.
  • Snagging Report - Inspection immediately prior to you taking ownership and/or occupation. Can include further follow-up and negotiation with the developer on your behalf.
  • End of lease Damage reports - Inspection immediately prior to the occupier leaving a rented property. A snagging list acting for either the owner or occupier. May include further follow-up and negotiation with the landlord/tenant on your behalf.
  • Accurate Measurement to the RICS Codes - Measurement to a consistent standard, that can also be related to the Spanish legal measurement norms.
  • Full Building Surveys - A full survey of the structure of the building and services, which can include taking apart parts of the building and fully testing services. This usually involves building trades specialists e.g. plumbers, electricians, engineers and laboratory analysis.
  • Project Co-ordination - Where work is required on a building, we can organise the making of plans and obtaining permissions and quotes.
  • Minor Works Management ­ Co-ordination and Supervision of minor building works.
  • Construction Valuation - In larger contracts we organise estimation of % completion and valuation for progress payments.
  • Search and Find ­ We carry out searches for Commercial property (offices, shops, leisure, etc) including negotiating lease or purchase terms.
  • Development Appraisal ­ We carry out searches for Development land and then prepare full development appraisals.

Home Sellers' Packs - it can pay to be prepared!

The facts of a property! How many times have agents and sellers worked hard building relationships with buyers, only to find these dashed by suspicion when its found that the property they are praising has major physical, legal or administrative flaws? Everything goes 'down the drain' - or not if that's what is the problem! What a waste of time for all concerned. It has to be assumed these days that most buyers and their professional advisors will carry out due diligence. They will check who are the owners; what liabilities there are in the title; what are the costs and outstanding debts against the property; and so on. Once a client has decided to buy, everyone wants it to go through as quickly as possible, but very often problems only surface when the paper gathering is being carried out. Here we have to speak in defence of lawyers! Their job is to ensure that everything that should be, is legally transferred and anything that shouldn't be, is avoided. Owners and agents can brush problems under the carpet, put heads in the sand and hope that they find a buyer daft enough to pay their money without any checks - and depressingly we know that there are some out there! But these problems will inevitably surface at some time and will cause hassle, anger, grief, worry and much wasted time.

Isn't it better to get them identified and cleared if possible, prior to or during the marketing period? We are referring to the preparation of a Home Sellers' Pack. This is just a simple matter of getting all the essential papers together - the escritura, the last five IBI and community receipts, the minutes of the last community AGM, electricity, water and telephone receipts. A sensible buyer should request all that stuff. If any problems are found, they can be dealt with or at least known as being there, before time and expense is wasted on marketing. And of course included within that should be a building survey report. Again, if problems are found they can either be dealt with by the seller or accepted as being there and the price modified accordingly. It's likely to happen anyway during the purchase negotiations. Having all that available to pass to potential buyers is a great reassurance for them and will certainly mark out that property and the people associated with it, as being above the mass in a market where information comes in dribs and drabs and may not be given at all. Packs such as these are common in many countries. By providing them you take away some of the barriers that can be created by the strangeness of different conventions in a foreign land.

Recent trials of them in Scotland and in Bristol in SW England , agents reported a 50% reduction in sales falling through. 50%! They were found to reduce the price renegotiations and speed up the transactions. Especially important when you have a keen buyer and you don't want them to go off looking elsewhere whilst sellers take weeks finding 'lost' papers or getting quotes for work. Yes, there have been reports of seller's being reluctant to cover the cost of these packs, but all the work is going to have to be done at some time anyway and its just that it comes up front rather than being a scurry around and panic at the end.