The SAVA Home Condition Survey
This is the original Home Condition Survey. Since its launch in 2007, the SAVA Home Condition Survey (HCS) has proved to be an excellent product for members and their home buying clients.
The SAVA Home Condition Survey can only be produced by approved Home Inspectors.
Putting you in the know
Buying a house is a major investment. One that you really need to make an informed decision about. That’s exactly what the Home Condition Survey allows you to do.
It’s a striking fact that around 70% of homebuyers do not commission any form of independent survey on the property they purchase.Which?, the consumer agency, estimates that undertaking a condition survey could save homeowners thousands of pounds–in some cases, as much as £10,000.
The Home Condition Survey is delivered by specially trained and fully-accredited residential property surveyors. It gives you a plain English, jargon-free report on the condition of the property using a simple 1-2-3 rating guide. You will understand any risks or unforeseen expenditure that could crop up when you are settled in.
Your Home Condition Survey means you will know all you need to know about the house you’re about to buy.
Advice you can rely on
To produce a Home Condition Survey, the surveyor must be a member of SAVA, our accreditation scheme which trains and audits the work of surveyors. SAVA members specialise in providing information for buyers and sellers of residential properties.
Your Home Condition Survey will:
- Identify any major problems with the home you are buying
- Highlight any hidden areas of possible concern that need further investigation
- Give you a simple 1-2-3 condition rating of all key aspects of the property
- Deliver a comprehensive and jargon-free report
- Help you plan for future expenditure
- Be carried out by accredited and comprehensively trained surveyors
Your Home Condition Survey will tell you about:
- Building condition and defects
- Any structural movement
- Damp, rot and woodworm
- Heating and electrical services
- Alterations
- Drains
- Environmental issues
- The reinstatement cost you need for building services
The more information you have, the more informed a decision you can make
Your Home Condition Survey tells you all you need to know, in a comprehensive and easily understood way. The surveyor gives each part of the structure of the main building a condition rating:
Condition Rating 1
No repair is currently needed. Normal maintenance must be carried out.
Condition Rating 2
Repairs or replacements are needed but the surveyor does not consider these to be serious or urgent.
Condition Rating 3
These are the defects which are either serious and/or require urgent repairs or replacement, or the surveyor feels that further investigation is required. You may wish to obtain quotes for additional work where a condition rating 3 is given, prior to exchange of contract.
Putting the buyer in control
Buying a house is stressful and it is not always in the seller’s best interests to be fully open about its quirks and shortcomings. That is where the SAVA surveyor comes in.
Your Home Condition Survey offers a thorough, comprehensive and easy to follow report for a fraction of the cost of a full structural survey–putting you in a stronger position to negotiate with the seller.
The RICS Homebuyer Report has been a popular home survey report format for many years. It is suitable for property of conventional construction and up to about 150 years old. The survey report provides a clear and concise picture of the condition of the property and also a market valuation.
This survey report is our most popular product and will give a purchaser a detailed assessment of the property together with advice on future maintenance. Although slightly more expensive than the RICS Condition Report, the Homebuyer Report is still very affordable survey and ideal for the vast majority of homebuyers. Importantly it includes a market valuation and a buildings insurance calculation.
The report is written in plain English using easy to understand “traffic light” ratings to reflect the seriousness of defects. The report also has a section on advice for your legal adviser.
The benefits of a RICS Homebuyer Report Include:
- A concise description of construction and condition of the property.
- The identification of problems which are serious or require urgent attention.
- Information on items requiring further investigation.
- Information on problems which may be dangerous or pose a risk to the building.
- Advice on future maintenance.
- A market valuation.
• A building insurance reinstatement calculation.