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Surveys – should one be obtained?
Surveys are not
common practice in France. Even when it comes to financing a purchase with
a mortgage, many banks will not commission a survey of the type that many
people are familiar with. A bank has even been known to be satisfied with
surveying a property by looking at a photograph of it!
However, few of us are building experts and some may wish to have
the peace of mind it is believed that a survey provides. To follow are
some key points to help you decide whether you should obtain a survey or
not:
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If you wish to obtain
a survey, it is advisable to have it commissioned before you sign the
first contract or so that you can withdraw during the seven day
cooling off period, unless you can ensure that there will be an
adequate condition in the contract.
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You should consider
carefully who drafts the survey and what it should contain. There are
several UK surveyors who are based in France who may be located in
proximity to the property and thus able to provide you with a full
structural survey in English. Alternatively, there are ‘experts
immobiliers’ who can provide surveys and valuations but you should
ensure that the survey they will undertake corresponds to what you are
expecting. Some people suggest using a local builder to go in and have
a look at the property. This is fine for some but do not expect the
type of survey that a surveyor or ‘expert immobilier’ would
provide.
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Essentially,
you should ask yourself what you are seeking to achieve from the
survey so as to decide whether it is necessary, when and who should
draw it up. You should address these questions at the very outset
before committing yourself to any contractual documents.
13/01/2003
- Issue of the week
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