Rendered speechless: the importance of a survey

One of the major issues for a homebuyer, other than the budget and associated finances, is understanding the condition of the property they like the look of before they put in a reasonable offer to the seller.

The clearest and most obvious way of achieving that is to organise a property survey with a RICS-accredited chartered surveyor, such as those we have at Surveyor Local. They will use their vast knowledge and experience to examine the property thoroughly, writing up a report with their findings and recommendations.

But what a significant number of potential buyers conclude is that, since obtaining a survey is not a legal requirement in the homebuying process, it's a good way of saving a few hundred pounds, especially if the budget is particularly tight. Or they might think that, as they have a relative or friend in the construction business, that person could have a look at it and give their opinion on the condition.

There are several other ways of circumventing the survey, only for you to experience buyer's remorse once you're committed and legally obliged to complete the purchase as the condition problems start to show up.

This is why most property professionals recommend taking out a survey with a reputable firm, like Surveyor Local, so that you can be assured of the quality of their assessment and the details held in their final report.

It's very easy to think that there are only a small set of problems likely to be found: subsidence, poor electrics, sagging roof, potential woodworm and other familiar terms which would be easy to spot. But the chartered surveyor will be very thorough in the  Level 2 and Level 3 surveys, and you can guarantee they will find less common issues if they exist, even if the property is a new-build or was constructed very recently.

For example, what about render? It's a term that might be familiar to some, while others will just be aware it's something to do with how the property was constructed. And what about stucco? And what issues might be found with either the render or stucco if it's present at the property?

Render is the common term used to describe the coating of lime, cement or other mix of materials that covers the exterior walls of a property, rather like plaster within the interior.

Stucco is a specific type of render, most commonly associated with Georgian and Regency period property exteriors, and is usually much smoother than render, providing a decorative finish to the properties it's applied to. Stucco is also the term other countries, especially the US, use to describe the exterior coating.

All so attractive so far, so why should a survey be concerned with what is more often than not a decorative addition to the exterior of a property?

As with all construction materials and methods, stucco and render are susceptible to significant problems, especially where there's little or no maintenance planned by the homeowner.

Water ingress: the coating can crack, particularly in our current climate of very wet periods followed by very hot heatwaves. Once a crack has formed, water will make its way through the material using capillary action. This will often result in the render pulling away from the wall and eventually beginning to crumble and fall away.

Damp: with water being trapped between the render and the wall, it's quite likely it will travel through the wall and show up as mould and staining or damp patches on the internal walls. The build-up of damp will also cause the render material to become friable and be a good source for algae and other damp-loving plants to flourish.

Wood rot: inevitably, if water can travel through the render to an internal structure constructed from wood, without remedy, the wood can start to rot, causing potential structural issues.

Poor installation: the bottom of the rendered wall needs to be free and not touching the ground to prevent water travelling upwards. Where there are flashings, the joints between different parts of the structure designed to prevent water ingress, these might not have been installed correctly, or they've worn or are cracked, and this too can allow water to travel into the rendered system.

So, a survey is not just for the obvious problems. It's an essential guide to everything that might be a potential issue, and with the Level 3 survey, an estimate of the likely remedial costs too. It's a false economy to think you should avoid taking out a survey.

Booking a survey with a RICS-accredited surveyor like Surveyor Local means understanding a property's condition and structural integrity before you commit, giving you the peace of mind to move ahead with confidence. Our nationwide panel of chartered surveyors are all RICS members, and they'll identify issues ranging from render defects to the impact of prior flooding on a property's structure.

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