The government is aiming to build 300,000 new homes per year to tackle the chronic under-supply of housing in the UK. With residential developments sprouting up throughout Greater London and beyond, there is now more choice than ever for homebuyers who are seeking the lifestyle offered by new-build properties.

Brand-new homes have a wealth of appeal. As the owner of a newly built property, you’ll be the first person benefitting from its pristine facilities, while repairs and maintenance costs should remain minimal in the first years of occupation. For your peace of mind, the housebuilder will provide a NHBC or similar warranty on the property, plus a snagging service to make sure the building’s condition is as it should be.

If you were buying a resale home, you would be commissioning a property survey for reassurance that there are no building defects or problems. But with a new-build home, there’s no need, right?

Well, not necessarily.

Here at Able Surveyors, we have 25+ years’ experience of residential and commercial property surveying in London and Essex. Our Chartered Surveyors deliver valuable professional insights to our clients, with independent property surveys that enable you to understand the condition of the building you are about to invest in. We would advise all homebuyers to get a home survey before purchase, regardless of whether you’re buying a brand-new or an older building.

Are you paying the right price?

It is no secret that many brand-new homes carry a ‘new build premium’, which effectively makes them more expensive to buy than comparable older properties. The sales appeal of a newly built home is simply so strong that higher prices can be commanded. While this allows developers to maximise profits, homebuyers may in fact be paying over the odds.

According to a recent report by Property Industry Eye, the average new build price premium in the UK is 29% (26% for England).

Paying a higher price could be a problem if your mortgage lender refuses to approve the loan. Even if you succeed in obtaining a mortgage (or can proceed without one), you may struggle to sell the property on in years to come without a loss.

At Able Surveyors, we carry out independent RICS Valuation Reports and RICS HomeBuyer Reports where we verify the market value of the property in question, potentially saving you a lot of time, money and heartache. What’s more, if the survey findings detect any issues with the building, you may even be able to request a reduction in the price.

Are there issues with the building?

Your new build may look perfect but without an independent inspection there’s just no way of knowing. New homes have been known to suffer from a wealth of unexpected problems, and housebuilders are not always forthcoming with prompt remedial action. Poor plastering, bad brickwork pointing and damaged windows among the most commonly reported ‘snags’.

With an investment decision that may well be the biggest you will ever make, can you afford to take the risk?

Fortunately, there are different types of property surveys available that can offer peace of mind, both in terms of the market value and the building’s physical state. Our RICS HomeBuyer Report is a mid-level investigation designed to flag up serious defects and urgent repairs including structural problems such as damp, timber decay and subsidence. For ease of use, a templated traffic light condition ratings system is used to indicate the severity of any issues detected.

Having an experienced Chartered Surveyor take an expert look at the property before you buy can protect you against unforeseen and potentially expensive repairs later on. Say the survey identifies an issue with the damp proof course – our advice will include recommendations for repair and maintenance. Cost estimates can be a useful bargain chip to motivate the developer to rectify the issue before exchange or discount the sale price accordingly.

Get in touch for expert advice

There is no doubt in our professional minds that an independent property survey is your best chance to obtain all the necessary facts about your prospective new home, enabling you to make the right decision.

Whether you are considering the purchase of a new-build in Brent, Bromley or Brentwood,  or anywhere in London or Essex, please feel free to contact the Able Surveyors team to discuss your new home purchase and your survey requirements. We’ll be delighted to talk you through all the options, recommend the best course of action and provide you with a free quote.

Getting onto the property ladder is a big achievement and an exciting time. However, in your search for the perfect first home, it is essential that you use your head to help you decide whether the property you are about to invest in is good value for money. The financial commitment of a mortgage is a huge long-term decision, so it needs to be the right one for you. And just as you wouldn’t buy a car without getting it checked over first, you shouldn’t buy your first flat or house without a survey.

At Able Surveyors, we have more than 25 years’ professional experience of residential properties in London and the Home Counties. Our independent property surveys are designed to uncover any building defects and potential issues that may not be obvious to the layperson. Without the benefit of a surveyor’s report, these could end up costing you thousands to fix after you move in.

What exactly is a home survey?

Able Surveyors are an independent firm of RICS accredited Chartered Surveyors helping our clients to get the most from their property purchases. As such, we offer the full suite of home surveys endorsed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, our professional body:

RICS Property Valuations

RICS HomeBuyer Report (Level 2)

RICS Building Survey (Level 3)

While each of the above surveys has a different level of detail, they are all designed with the client at the core. The aim is to provide you with all the relevant factual information you need to make an intelligent decision about the property you are thinking of buying.

Whichever survey you choose, our surveyor will arrange for a site visit of the property in order to inspect the condition of both the interior and exterior of the building, looking for defects or signs of underlying issues. Our findings are then compiled into a user-friendly client report.

Which is the right survey for your needs?

As a first-time buyer with little property experience, you may need guidance to choose the right survey for your property purchase. The team at Able Surveyors would be more than happy to talk you through all the options and guide you in the right direction.

The RICS HomeBuyer Report (Level 2) is a mid-level building investigation, most suitable for conventional modern homes in reasonable condition. The most comprehensive level of reporting is provided through an RICS Building Survey (Level 3). This is the best choice for older buildings, non-standard constructions, larger properties and those that have been substantially altered or are in need of refurbishment. The report includes a detailed analysis of our findings for each building feature and also gives expert recommendations for repair and maintenance.

Is it really worth getting a survey for your first home?

If the flat or house you have your heart set on looks to be in good condition and the budget is already stretched, you may be tempted not to bother with a property survey. However, we think this would be a very risky decision to take.

Sadly, the issues that can easily go unnoticed by an untrained eye are often the most expensive problems to put right. This includes major structural issues, roof and guttering defects, persistent damp, wet and dry rot, faulty electrics and much more. An RICS home survey may cost a few hundred pounds but the potential savings can run into the thousands. The survey report will provide you with the facts you need to know to make an informed decision, be it to proceed with the purchase as planned, renegotiate the asking price, or walk away from the property.

Get in touch

If you’re about to buy your first home and are looking for friendly, professional advice from a reliable property surveyor in London, Essex or the Home Counties, please get in touch with Able Surveyors. We would be delighted to discuss your surveying needs and help you choose the most suitable home survey, putting you in the best possible position to make a confident decision about your very first home. Call us on 0207 164 6628 or obtain an instant quote here.

If you are thinking of making home improvements to your property, the issue of planning permission may weigh heavily on your mind. But did you know that, in many cases, you won’t need to obtain planning consent? Under ‘permitted development rights’, homeowners are able to make certain alterations without the need to apply for planning permission. This may include loft extensions, garage conversions and home extensions.

At Able Surveyors, our team of experienced Chartered Surveyors provides a wide range of surveying services and property-related services to help our clients get the most from their property asset. Let’s take a deep dive into the subject of Permitted Development and find out what it’s all about, and how the provisions can make your life easier when it comes to upgrading your property.

What is Permitted Development?

According to the government website, “permitted development rights are a national grant of planning permission which allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without having to make a planning application”. For homeowners wanting to improve their dwelling, this can be of major benefit to anyone wanting to add value to their property or maximise the potential of a new property investment.

Permitted development rights apply to the building as it was built or, for older properties, as it stood on 1^st July 1948. There is a limit to the number of alterations that can be made to a building under permitted development. If you purchase a property that has already been altered including any additions made by previous owners since 1948, it is possible that some or all of the property’s permitted development allocation may have already been used up.

Permitted development is regulated through local planning authorities, in the same way as planning consent. Before you start your build, you need to ensure that your plans are compliant and obtain written confirmation from your local planning officer that the proposed works are indeed classed as permitted development. Visit the Planning Portal to review the rules and ask your local planning authority for guidance, if you’re not sure.

What are you allowed to do under Permitted Development?

Permitted development rights for households fall into different categories, depending on the proposed improvements for internal or external works. Each category stipulates criteria that must be fulfilled for permitted development rights to apply, otherwise planning consent must be obtained. Here’s a list of home improvements that generally fall under permitted development rights:

• Erection of front porch
• Garage conversion
• Side extension
• Rear building extension
• Loft conversion
• Installation of rooflights and dormer windows
• Internal alterations to the building
• External solar roof panel installation
• Erection of antennae and satellite dishes

What are you NOT allowed to do under Permitted Development?

If your building plans involve a new-build house or the formation of new dwellings by subdividing an existing property, permitted development rights are unlikely to apply. The list below includes other types of work that also fall outside the scope of permitted development:

• Building a front extension
• Verandas and balconies
• Raised platforms
• Extensions that are larger than half of the original land around the original house
• Extensions that are in excess of 4 metres high or larger than half the width of the original house

It is important to note that permitted development rights do not apply to leasehold properties, including flats and maisonettes, nor to listed buildings.

Can Permitted Development rights be withdrawn?

It would be unwise to assume that permitted development rights will always apply, since it is possible for permitted development rights to be restricted or withdrawn. As already mentioned above, leasehold properties do not have any permitted development rights. Check the lease to see what alterations are permitted and obtain the landlord’s written consent for any alterations you wish to make. For structural alterations to a flat or maisonette, you will also need to obtain planning consent.

If your house already is already affected by planning restrictions, for example if it is located in a Conservation Area, an AONB, National Park or World Heritage Site, there may be an Article 4 Direction in place to remove or restrict your permitted development rights. In this case, priority is given to the preservation of the specific character of the local area. The same applies if the property in question is a listed building, requiring Listed Building Consent or improvements or alterations to any of the ‘listed’ architectural features.

What to do next?

If you wish to carry out home improvements or structural alterations to your property, your first port of call should be the Planning Portal and your local planning authority. Here you will find useful guidance and obtain written confirmation that your building project falls under permitted development. If the proposed works fall outside the scope for permitted development for whatever reason, planning consent will have to be sought.

Improving your property to make it more comfortable to live in while adding value is high on the agenda for many homebuyers and owners. For professional advice and guidance regarding your permitted development rights and any planning issues you could be facing, contact Able Surveyors for an initial consultation.

If you are in the process of buying your next home, you know how long and arduous the journey can be. Once your offer price has been accepted and solicitors have been instructed, there’s still plenty that can go wrong before contracts are exchanged – and that includes gazumping.

Research carried out by finance provider MFS in 2020 showed that 31% of UK homebuyers (47% in London) over the last 10 years had experienced gazumping and lost out on a home purchase as a result, and the trend is set to continue as the market grows.

Let’s take a closer look at the dreaded practice and how you can protect yourself.

What is gazumping?

Gazumping happens when another buyer makes a higher offer for the property on which you have agreed the purchase. If the seller accepts the higher offer, you lose the property and any money already spent on it, which could include legal, surveyor and mortgage fees.

Reasons for gazumping can vary. Perhaps the seller has realised they can get a better sale price elsewhere, or you are taking too long to commission a home survey thus denting your credibility as a buyer, or perhaps your solicitor is slow to communicate and the seller has found a buyer who can move more quickly.

Is gazumping legal?

While gazumping may well be considered sharp practice, it is indeed perfectly legal. When your offer is accepted, the property is ‘sold subject to contract’ (SSTC). The property transaction does not become legally binding until contracts have been exchanged. As a buyer, you are vulnerable to gazumping at any time before that date.

Since exchanging contracts comes fairly late in the home buying process, and only takes place after the mortgage has been agreed, survey findings have been digested and local searches have been carried out, gazumping can be both hugely frustrating as well as financially painful.

How can you guard against gazumping?

Estate agents have a legal duty to pass on any offer they receive, so the first and most important thing you must do is to get the property taken off the market. Make it a condition of your offer that all marketing and advertising of the property ceases with immediate effect. If no-one else views the property, chances of a higher offer being made and you being gazumped are greatly reduced.

Once an offer has been accepted, it is assumed that both parties want to get on with the conveyancing process as soon as is reasonably possible. As a buyer, it is therefore in your best interest to be prepared and ready to proceed. This means having a mortgage in principle in place, a solicitor on stand-by ready to start the conveyancing, and all the necessary documents at your fingertips to avoid any unnecessary delays that could have the potential to derail the sale.

Appointing a surveyor and arranging for an inspection visit is usually the next step in the process. As RICS accredited Chartered Surveyors offering the full range of RICS endorsed home surveys, Able Surveyors are ideally placed to help you get the insights you need so you can make an informed purchase decision. Our surveyors are knowledgeable and highly experienced in property markets in London and Essex. Contact us here to arrange for a free no-obligation quote. London homebuyers can obtain an instant online quote here.

Keep the momentum going and do whatever you can to move the process towards exchange of contracts swiftly. You want to get contracts exchanged as soon as possible to have the legal certainty that your purchase is going ahead. Make sure that you are in regular contact with your mortgage provider and your conveyancing solicitor so that requests for information can be responded to quickly. Also, keep the estate agent in the loop; it’s in their interest to keep up the pressure on the seller.

It’s also worth building up a rapport with the seller. While the formal sale will be in the hands of the solicitors, and the estate agent serves as a go-between, there’s no harm in having a direct line of communication to the seller. That way, you can keep them informed of where you are in the conveyancing process and show that you are actively moving things along. If you get on well and they can see that you are a serious buyer who genuinely loves their home, they will feel more inclined to honour the deal in hand.

Finally, did you know that you can get home buyer protection insurance to protect yourself against a house sale falling through? While there may be nothing much you can do about a seller changing his mind or accepting another offer, at least you can mitigate the financial loss by claiming back some of your conveyancing fees, survey fees or any other expenses incurred on an abortive sale.

At Able Surveyors, we have over 25 years’ experience in helping home buyers in London, Essex and the Home Counties get the most out of their property purchase, and we would be delighted to do the same for you. For further information please get in touch.

If you are the owner of a leasehold property and the number of years remaining on the lease is approaching 90 years, you may want to think about a lease extension. Under the provisions of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (the Act), residential leaseholders have a statutory right to extend their lease. However, the process is often long-winded and potentially expensive, so it should come as no surprise that many leaseholders are eager to explore alternative routes.

At Able Surveyors, we have over 25 years’ experience in all aspects of building surveying and associated property services. Our team offers valuable professional advice including lease extension surveys and valuations and can help you increase the value of your leasehold asset. As trusted building surveyors in London and Essex, please feel free to discuss your property with us.

What are the differences between a formal and informal lease extension?

Briefly, a formal lease extension follows the statutory process set out under the Act. This must be initiated by the leaseholder serving a Section 42 Notice on the freeholder, and putting in an offer to extend the lease by 90 years with no future ground rent. The offer will be based on a professional leasehold valuation carried out by a surveyor, while negotiations will involve lawyers for both parties. After much to-ing and fro-ing, an agreement is eventually reached on the premium to be paid. Visit our recent blog for more information about statutory lease extensions.

The advantages for leaseholders taking the statutory route include:

• You will receive a guaranteed lease extension of 90 years which will be added to the number of years currently remaining.
• The term remaining on the lease is ‘frozen’ once formal proceedings have started, so there is no danger of the premium increasing as the term decreases.
• Once you lease is extended, your future ground rent obligations will be reduced to zero.
• The premium payable for your lease extension is usually better value for money than can be achieved by informal agreement with the landlord.

Informal lease extensions don’t need to follow the same process. A leaseholder will normally approach the landlord in writing with a request for a lease extension on terms to be agreed. These terms can differ widely: the number of years added to the lease will typically be less than the statutory 90 years, and ground rent clauses will remain or may even increase. The advantages of choosing an informal route include:

• To qualify for a statutory lease extension, you must have owned the property for at least 2 years. No such eligibility criteria apply for informal lease extensions.
• The cost of serving a Section 42 Notice is around £220, which constitutes a small cost saving if you conclude an informal agreement instead.
• There is tremendous scope for flexibility in negotiations. If, for instance, the premium is unaffordable, a lower additional term and keeping the ground rent in place could be a palatable alternative solution.

Are there any disadvantages of extending your lease informally?

The main issue with an informal lease extension is that these private agreements, though perfectly valid in law, are not bound by the provisions of the 1993 Act, meaning that all of the terms of the new lease may be open for renegotiation.

This creates a situation that could be exploited by unscrupulous freeholders, particularly if the leaseholder has insufficient access to professional advice. It is sadly not uncommon for landlords to take advantage of the power imbalance, with many lease extensions negotiated on the basis of a shorter extension and with some ground rent retained.

When approaching a freeholder on an informal basis, you should expect a request for payment to cover the landlord’s administrative and valuation costs. It is also likely that the freeholder’s offered premium will be significantly inflated, compared to the amount calculated as part of the statutory process. This can leave the leaseholder with little option but to accept the landlord’s onerous terms, or break off negotiations and commence the formal route from scratch.

Which is the best route to take?

While both lease extension routes have their pros and cons, the advice on which is more suitable really depends on your individual situation. If you have owned the property for two or more years, it makes sense to commence matters through the formal route, with the benefit of the full protection offered through statutory process.

We strongly recommend that you always instruct a professional surveyor to carry out a lease extension valuation and serve the Notice on your behalf. Even if you start going down the formal route, there is nothing to stop you from reaching an informal agreement at any stage of the process – effectively giving you the best of both worlds.

If, however, you have not owned the property for the required two years, and the remaining lease term is less than 82 years, it may make more sense to approach the freeholder informally to negotiate a quick deal.

Contact Able Surveyors – London and Essex

For any questions regarding lease extensions in London, or to discuss your particular property needs in Battersea, Bromley, Brentwood and beyond, please feel free to contact the Able Surveyors team.