Survey before buying: Gibraltar Property Lawyers

Charles Gomez & Co advise all buyers to commission surveys.

A survey is not be confused with a mortgage valuation. A property can have defects that are important to a home buyer but not to a lender and often do not appear in a simple valuation report. So the work of a valuer is different from that of a surveyor (even though a valuer may be a qualified surveyor).

The standard Homebuyer Survey will include the property’s general condition, significant defects and tests for dampness.

Even so, Home Buyer Surveyors will deal with easily accessible parts only and are not obliged to inspect areas that are difficult to access; they will not move furniture or lift carpets. Nor will surveyors test plumbing or electrical installations.

Pre-contract enquiries which we prepare are aimed at searching for indications of issues which you should take particular care to explore. If there is a possibility of problems that a standard Survey may not pick up, you may have to commission a more comprehensive inspection in the form of a Building Survey to delve into all faults, implications and related costs, and a construction investigation.

Sellers should prepare for inspections by ensuring among other things that any issues affecting their property are addressed and that planning permission has been granted for any works that they may have carried out and their Certificates of Fitness remain valid.

When selecting a surveyor, make sure that they are properly qualified and experienced. Local knowledge is essential and any one of the many long established surveyors in Gibraltar will know where to look and what to look for.

We at Charles Gomez & Co regularly work closely with the best surveyors in this City.

Buying or selling a property? Contact the Charles Gomez & Co conveyancing team now with your property details and we will get back to you with a free quote: