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What is a Specific Defect Report?
A Specific Defect Report is a partial building survey directed at a particular condition of a property or potentially problematic aspect of its structure.
When a specific defect report is done, it is usually because a certain part of the building has been found to have a significant issue with its integrity, such as cracking, excessive bowing, or something else that obviously indicates a deterioration of condition.
The surveyors who do Specific Defect Reports aren’t really looking at the whole property; they’re concentrated on a certain area of concern and trying to determine whether that area is a source of significant problems. The surveyors who do these reports are usually qualified up to the standards of a Chartered Building Surveyor or a Structural Engineer.
If you’re purchasing a new property, selling, making changes, in negotiations with neighbours, or just want some assurance, this report can help you in a low-cost way to protect your investment.
What is the cost of a Specific Defect Cost Report?
Several factors influence the cost of your defect report in Canterbury. These include the suspected issue you need inspecting, the type and size of the property, its location, and how accessible it is.
Because the defects are looked at in isolation, you should expect to pay less for this report than you would for a Homebuyer Report (Level 2) or a Building Survey (Level 3).
Our experienced and highly trained panel of surveyors should be able to assist you with no more than a single inspection of your property. We would suggest that something in the range of £500 to £900 would be suitable as an average price. If you have any questions, reach out to Specific Defect Report Surveyors Canterbury. We’d be happy to help!
Planning Renovations
Defect reports also give you objective guidance from a professional which can make you feel more confident before you begin with improvements. Perhaps you saw a crack in a wall and tried to fix it on your own, but you’re still uncertain and want someone else to look at it before choosing what to do.
Need a Specific Defect Survey?
If you’re concerned about the condition of your property and want to ensure that it isn’t in need of any major repairs, or if you’re in the process of buying and have had a survey flag something like potential subsidence, it might make sense to bring in an expert to get to the bottom of the problem. Doing so could save you from falling into a condition-related cost issue now or in the future.
What does a Specific Defect Report tell you?
The report is the end product of a systematic visual survey undertaken by a qualified building surveyor. The surveyor checks for a lot of different possible defects, some of which might be superficial or quite common, but others of which could indicate a serious underlying problem that would require a qualified expert to inspect the whole place more thoroughly. These may include the following:
- risky alterations
- weakening structural beam
- leaning chimney stacks
- lintel movement
- cracking
- subsidence
- poor build
- water ingress
- timber rot
- pointing receding
- dampness and condensation in the building
- retaining walls and trees at risk of falling down
Defect reports can offer peace of mind and objective expert advice that allows a person to proceed confidently with a renovation or a redecoration. For instance, you might notice a disturbing change in your home, such as a crack in a wall, and attempt a repair yourself, yet still feel anxious about the condition of your domicile and the adequacy of your remedial actions. In this state of uncertainty, you might consider it worthwhile to obtain a defect report. Contact us about these reports today.
Landlords in Canterbury Should Know about Dilapidations
It is useful to carry out regular inspection of the property during your tenants’ lease to confirm they are following the terms of their agreement and not ignoring necessary maintenance.
According to the lease agreement, the owner or their staff should do inspections of the property at set intervals after getting the tenant’s consent. Any problems discovered should be reported to the tenant and all the repairs needed should be requested from them by written request without delay.
When lasting damage to the property leaves the Landlord’s future contracts or borrowing possibilities at risk, it can be wise to encourage the tenant to fix the damage right away and let your surveyor prepare an Interim Schedule of Dilapidation to help you with this.
Aside from the Interim Schedule of Dilapidation, landlords can also issue the Terminal Schedule of Dilapidation at any moment.
The Terminal Schedule of Dilapidations is called this because it is issued within the last 18 months and is meant to maintain the value of the Landlord’s property as unchanged in light of your breaches.
For example, this could mean repairs, making the premises decent again, removing the tenant’s alterations, repainting or renewing floors and other parts. By doing this, both the tenant and landlord have clear expectations of repairs which helps the tenant finish the job on time without conflict. A potential tenant will be interested in seeing how the property looks before moving in to avoid being required to fix anything that is not their problem.
Failure by the lessee to do repairs will result in a breach of the rental contract according to section 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925. When the lease expires, the landlord will create a Final Schedule of Dilapidations as a form of financial protection because the lessee will not be allowed back in the property.
How long does it take to carry out a Building Survey?
Ordinarily 2-4 hours. This depends on several factors, prominent among them the type of property, its dimensions, and the intricate nature of any problems under consideration. For routine surveys, the “rule of thumb” is that it takes about an hour for each storey of the building. For more surveys, when there are many more things to look at, the surveyor can easily take a long day to get it done.
Contact Canterbury Surveyors for a Dilapidations Survey on your property.
A dilapidations survey report is a document that assists with making sure the tenant is following the lease and giving the property back in good condition. With this information, tenants are able to challenge accusations made against them which protects everyone during disputes.
Talk to our team if you want to lease or deal with issues such as a Schedule of Condition or Dilapidations.
