If you are buying a home, then we do recommend that have a RICS Homebuyers Report of a RICS Condition Survey. All sorts of hidden problems and issues can lurk around a property and using a professional can save you far more than the cost of the survey.
Damp, wet rot, dry rot, subsidence, poor electrics, unsafe gas, drains, damage to guttering and roofs are just part of a long list of items that you may overlook when you go around a property. For example, have you ever noticed that supermarkets do not generally have ceilings?
On my last two reports, there were a couple of interesting defects; the first one looked like the balcony on the fifth floor apartment was coming away from the wall. Could have been deadly. The other was that the current owner had removed the chimney in the lounge, but not the one above, so the weight of several tons of masonry was sitting on the floor, rather than steel.
A lay person might not have noticed these, as with some professionals too. However, if a professional misses things, then you do have some comeback. Think of it as an insurance policy as well as excellent advice that might help you either renegotiate the price or withdraw from the sale (or even lease in the case of a commercial property).
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