Cosey Homes are a professional practice of structural engineers and Chartered Surveyors in Newcastle and across the North of England, dedicated to providing a complete range of property surveying and consultancy services.
We have 10+ years’ industry experience and are accredited by some of the most respected professional bodies in the UK, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE). If you need a property survey for your next purchase in Newcastle, or any kind of building related advice, please contact us.
Buying a property is often one of the most expensive purchases of a lifetime, involving countless important decisions that can affect your enjoyment of your home for years to come. That is why it is essential that you are fully informed at the outset about the condition of the property that you are about to buy.
At Cosey Homes, we offer our professional expertise and local property experience to provide valuable information regarding the building’s physical condition and maintenance requirements to enable you to make a considered decision based on facts.
You can request a RICS Homebuyers Survey quote by completing a simple form.
A must for anyone buying a new home
For older or altered buildings
For a highly accurate valuation
As one of Newcastle’s leading teams of Chartered Surveyors, we have helped thousands of clients all over northern England with impartial professional advice, quality building survey and residential property valuations.
We operate independently from mortgage advisers and estate agents, tailoring our guidance to your best interests. We use RICS standard report formatting to present our findings in an easy-to-understand ‘traffic light’ system that highlights any serious issues found according to their urgency and severity.
RICS Building Survey (Level 3) offer the greatest level of detail and are the most comprehensive type of building survey carried out by Cosey Homes.
Formerly known as a full structural survey, this Level 3 investigation is based on a visual inspection of all accessible building elements to give a thorough understanding of the building’s condition. It is ideal for homes constructed using unusual methods or materials, historic buildings or properties that have previously undergone major alterations or are now in need of substantial renovation.
We would recommend a Building Survey (Level 3) for all older properties built more than 70 years ago. The report will contain a comprehensive analysis of defects, including major structural problems, damp and timber decay, and also provides maintenance recommendations and repair cost estimates.
RICS HomeBuyer Survey (Level 2) are designed to provide a reasonable amount of detail about a property, laid out in an easy-to-follow format. Defects will be addressed using a traffic light system to indicate severity, and will highlight features that do not currently meet building regulations.
This mid-level investigation is based on a site inspection that is non-invasive and covers visible, accessible building elements. It is recommended for typical properties that are less than 70 years old, that are built using conventional methods and materials and that have been kept in a reasonable state of repair. With a RICS HomeBuyer Report (Level 2), you will have all the salient facts at your disposal, enabling you to make an informed decision on how to proceed with your purchase.
RICS Condition Report (Level 1) are the most basic type of home survey that Cosey Homes’ surveyors conduct. A brief site inspection is designed to provide an overview report of the property’s ‘as is’ condition and highlight any areas of concern, but won’t include any recommendations for remedial action.
We would advise that a Condition Report is the appropriate level of survey for new-build homes and recently constructed buildings where no defects are anticipated. For more information and advice on choosing the best property survey for your needs, please get in touch.
We highly recommend that every buyer commissions a survey before they proceed with a property purchase. Whether you are looking to move into a beautiful listed cottage or a newly-built modern apartment, a survey can help you determine whether the property is as good as it looks, or whether there are hidden defects and substantial repairs needed. The results of a building survey (Level 3) often save buyers thousands of pounds in remedial work later down the line, and equip them with reasons to re-negotiate the purchase price. Even if no substantial defects are discovered, home buyers are usually quite pleased with the peace of mind a survey returns.
It would be nice to think that a newly-built property is sold in perfect condition. Unfortunately, it’s fairly common for new homes to feature a whole host of problems. A professional snagging list can capture smaller jobs, however, a RICS Condition Report (Level 1) or HomeBuyer Report (Level 2) can reassure buyers that there are no significant problems with the construction or materials. Even if you have no specific concerns about a property, it is still important to have it surveyed professionally. Many structural issues are not immediately apparent and it often takes specialist analysis to identify a defect, determine the cause and make accurate recommendations about how to repair it.
A survey can tell you about urgent remedial work that needs doing, as well as how much it is likely to cost. Many buyers use this information to negotiate the same amount of money off the asking price for the property, although others prefer that the seller gets the work done as part of their sale agreement.
The most appropriate survey for a listed building or a period home located in a Conservation Area is the RICS Building Survey (Level 3). As a comprehensive Level 3 investigation, the survey will go into the depth necessary to cover the unique features and requirements of a historic character home.
The main difference between a Building Survey (Level 3) and a HomeBuyer Survey (Level 2) is the depth of investigation. A HomeBuyer survey (Level 2) is non-invasive, meaning that only the visible and easily-accessible parts of a building are inspected. On the other hand, a Building Survey (Level 3) will take every reasonable measure to check the condition of ‘hidden’ areas, such as under floorboards and inside attics, and will also made informed speculations about the state of any completely inaccessible areas of the property.
There are many kinds of report available, and different surveying companies may not follow the same industry body guidelines. At Cosey Homes, our work is approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Contact our team to talk through all your options including the pros and cons of different types of survey, so that you can make a confident decision about which survey is right for your property.
