The Homebuyer Survey and Valuation is designed specifically as an economy service. It is only intended for certain types of home :- houses, flats & bungalows which are conventional in type & construction and appear in reasonable condition.

It concentrates on essentials, e.g. defects which are urgent or significant and may affect the value of the property. It also includes a lot of other valuable information.

The surveyor's main objective in providing this Service is to assist the prospective homebuyer to:

1. make a reasoned and informed judgement on whether or not to proceed with the purchase
2. assess whether or not the property is a reasonable purchase at the agreed price
3. be clear what decisions and actions should be taken before contracts are exchanged

The surveyor will give his professional opinion on the particular features of the property which affect its present value and may affect its future resale.

The concise report covers the building inside and outside, the services and the site. It focuses on the defects and other problems which in the judgement of the surveyor are urgent or significant, but is also covers:

• the general condition and particular features of the property
• points which should be referred to the client's legal advisers
• other relevant considerations concerning. For example, safety, the location, the environment, or perhaps, insurance.

Matters which are judged to be not urgent or not significant are in general not included in the report, but the surveyor will mention matters judged to be both helpful and constructive.

Where the client has a particular concern - perhaps whether the property is suitable for a disabled person - the surveyor will keep this in mind during the inspection.

Or, a specific addition to the service may be agreed between client and surveyor.

Where necessary, the surveyor may also be able to provide some extra service which is outside the scope of the standard package - perhaps providing a schedule of minor defects (for later discussion with a contractor), or arranging for testing of mains services by suitably qualified specialists.

Where the client should take some action before deciding to purchase, this is signalled clearly in the text or the report and included in the summary of action and other key considerations.