Commercial Building Surveys

As in buying a home, you need to get a full building survey for new premises which you are considering purchasing.

It is vital if you are taking a lease too. You need to know what costs you might face. And it would be good evidence later if your landlord tries to make you pay for work you don't think is justified.

Whether you are buying or leasing you need to know the condition of the building and the likely repair or maintenance costs before you commit yourself.

A lease (See also Landlord & Tenant) will normally require you to maintain the property in good repair and possibly put it in good repair. This could be a major expense at the end of the lease, and it is vital that you know about it before-hand. Occasionally the lease may say you do not have to return the premises to the landlord at the end of the lease in better condition than they were at the beginning. In all cases, you need clear evidence of the condition of the building when you took it on, and a Schedule of Condition is usually prepared and appended to the lease at its commencement.

You need to tell your surveyor the reason for the survey and its scope. A surveyor would not report in detail on the heating, electrics or the underground drains, for example. If you want these items covered tell your surveyor, who can arrange to bring in the appropriate experts. Other items normally excluded, but where sampling and testing may be included if needed, would be the presence of damaging (technically, deleterious) materials such as high-alumina cement. Specialist surveys are available to cover asbestos and the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act (see Disabled Access)