ByeMould, the independent UK dehumidifier review website, is delighted to bring you an insightful interview with Chloe Woodhouse from Right Surveyors.
Check out Right Surveyors new look website here.
Right Surveyors are a group of surveying companies operating across England and Wales. They help people moving house or investing in property to find defects in the building, as well as advising on value and investment potential. Below, we’ve asked them a few questions we think might interest our readers:
1) Could you tell us a little about yourself and your role at Right Surveyors?
I’m Chloe, I manage our social media presence and customer relations here at Right Surveyors. I’ve worked here for almost 4 years and been lucky enough to see the company grow into a really vibrant, customer orientated organisation with almost unbroken coverage across England and Wales.
2) Do you cover all 3 major areas of surveying which are lender’s valuation, a homebuyer’s report and a full structural survey?
Two out of three ain’t bad – as Meat Loaf once said! Valuations for lending purposes (like a mortgage valuation) don’t allow the surveyor to spend the time at the property they need to properly analyse the defects which are there. That means the information they provide is not thorough and exhaustive, nor is it tailored to the buyer – as the client in that case is the bank.
As a result, we avoid them but we do undertake the RICS HomeBuyer survey and RICS Building Survey (previously called a full structural survey), along with a number of our own bespoke reports. The idea is to make sure anyone can get a survey, even if they couldn’t usually afford a lengthy written document.
3) When would you recommend that people have a full structural survey done?
In most cases, something like the HomeBuyer report or our own House Purchase Survey is more than sufficient. Both give a good overview of the property and its outbuildings; inside and out, top to bottom.
The situations when you might need something even more in-depth can be broken down into a few categories:
- Old buildings, usually over 150 years old
- Complex buildings, which have been updated and extended at various times
- Where you’re planning extensions or alterations
Apart from that, you might simply consider a full building survey if you have room in the budget. The information you will receive at the end is unrivalled in its comprehensiveness, so it’s likely that you’ll save the extra money on maintenance costs and the purchase price.
All that being said, I’m not a surveyor myself and I would always recommend a new client speaks directly to their Chartered Surveyor for advice on what might be suitable.
4) Are damp problems a large part of survey work and if so what are the main damp problems encountered?
Very much so. Typically we come across condensation and rising damp related issues. Condensation is often relatively simple to diagnose, but rising damp can be symptomatic of fundamental structural issues and can be expensive to rectify.
That said, most properties – particularly those built before the 20th century without a cavity or damp-proof course (DPC) – experience some rising damp and almost everyone has to live with a certain level of damp. It is manageable, given the right advice.
5) How fast are the three types of surveys typically carried out?
We can usually book in an appointment within a working week of a new client contacting us and we aim to get all of our surveys back within 5-7 working days, though we can often be much faster. It depends on time of year and current demand.
6) Since ByeMould is a dehumidifier website I have to ask you if you have used a dehumidifier yourself, and if so what Brand/Model was it?
I have, but only a chemical based ‘non-mechanical’ one – where the crystals sit in their box in the corner of the room and absorb the moisture. I have friends who have used more ‘industrial’ units like those produced by Unibond and Probreeze and had good experiences though.
A note from the interviewee:
The Right Surveyors are a national group of surveying practices, providing local Chartered Surveyors from Bristol to Brighton, Stoke to Chelmsford. If you are looking to invest, the impartial advice of one of our professionals can be invaluable.
0800 880 6024 | byemould@rightsurveyors.co.uk
