There are many vital steps in the journey to becoming a home-owner. And one of those important steps in the process is getting a house surveyed.
What is a house survey? Well, I’m glad you asked. A structural survey examines the property’s walls, roof, floors, kitchen fittings, bathroom fittings, doors and other visual aspects.
A surveyor’s aim is to check for any structural issues that may incur extra costs down the line you may not have budgeted for. So, yes, it’s a very important step.
Your surveyor must be registered by a professional body. Surveyors can be architects or engineers, as long as they’re registered with an organisation that will ensure that they’re qualified to carry out a structural survey.
Top Dublin estate agent Owen Reilly explains the importance of being aware of these things:
“We would regularly see buyers underestimating the cost of renovation on properties that require upgrading. I also think the seller would like to see the buyer or bidder doing some of that research on numbers upfront. You don’t want a sale to fall through later on because the buyer has underestimated the cost of what they want to do on the property.”
Your surveyor should also provide a full report on findings. You should familiarise yourself with this report and don’t be afraid to contact them and ask questions. If there’s an issue you don’t understand, the longer you leave it, the worse it will get.
A good surveyor will also be more than happy to share past customer reviews, so make sure to ask for them!
The main point is that structural issues may affect the value of the property you’re looking to buy. Identifying these issues can help you make a better decision when it comes to buying your first home.
Looking for more tips, tricks and advice around the home-buying process. No matter what stage of the journey you’re on, we have loads of useful information and insight from the experts, all housed on our bespoke AIB Livin Dublin hub.
