Purchasing a property is one of the biggest investments anyone is likely to make, so it makes sense to protect yourself from buying a property which may turn out to be a drain on your finances by arranging for a pre purchase chimney, flue system and appliance inspection before you sign on the dotted line.

Why is a pre purchase ‘Controlled Service’ & ‘Appliance inspection important?

A well-defined, technically competent and professionally authored pre purchase Controlled Service & Appliance inspection report will give you peace of mind when purchasing property by pointing out areas of concern, such as defective materials, components and workmanship, unlawful documentation or missing documents, Party Wall issues and likely neighbour disputes, fire risks, operational and maintenance problems, structural and thermal defects, design and workmanship non-compliances or chimney related roof defects, these are not an exhaustive list of potentially dangerous and lethal circumstances that many property owners may attempt to cover up. It will also help you identify critical safety concerns with regard to CO poisoning and environmental nuisances which will require immediate attention.

A pre purchase ‘Controlled Service & Appliance inspection can help to...

‘Make sound financial decisions about any renovation, removal, reinstatement and/or repair cost’

A Pre purchase Controlled Service & Appliance inspection could also save you thousands of pounds of wasted corrective work if existing chimneys, flues and/or appliances are found to be defective and/or non-compliant.

A pre purchase Controlled Service & Appliance inspection will be written up by an experienced, technically competent, peer recognised professional expert in the field, the finished report will be written in a style which is easy for layman and professional to understand providing both written and photographic evidence of defects, safety and/or fire risk elements, non-compliances as well as audit trail non-conformity.

Inspection reports can be offered as an ‘Aid-Memoir’ or on a more formal basis to ‘CPR35 ruling for potential litigation.

A pre purchase ‘Controlled Service & Appliance inspection will include:

The identification and documentation of potential safety concerns such as, regulatory non-compliances, fire risks, neighbour safety and environmental impact assessment, structural and thermal masonry damage, previous chimney fire evidence, defective workmanship, compulsory certification, flue shaft integrity, party wall dispute and visual defects leading to low/high level remedial repair. The identification of any major structural defect within the flue shaft or to the masonry/metal chimney which need to be rectified immediately.

The identification of minor defects which may need to be rectified to prevent further damage. Photographic and if relevant video evidence of all discovered defects and/or audit trail non-conformity will be provided with the report as well as a description of the work required to fix both major and minor defects.

Offer Subject to Controlled Services & Appliance Inspection

This type of inspection is carried out prior to an agreement to purchase the property. Essentially the prospective buyer will make an offer for the property, but the price will be dependent on the results of the Controlled Service & Appliance inspection. In this instance, the report will highlight any areas which may be potentially expensive for the buyer to rectify or that may represent a risk to them and/or a party wall neighbour.

Subject to Controlled Services & Appliance Inspection Clause

This type of inspection is carried out after an offer has been made and a deposit has changed hands. The Controlled Service & Appliance inspection clause is inserted into the contract so that the buyer can get his deposit returned if the subsequent inspection shows up anything the seller did not disclose during the sales process.

Know the true value of your property before purchasing or selling

For both buyers and sellers, knowing the true value of a property is important to obtaining the most profitable deal for both parties. Buyers need to know they are getting value for money and sellers need to know they are getting a fair price for their property. An independent pre purchase Controlled Service & Appliance inspection educates both parties to the condition of chimneys, flue systems and appliances that can be very expensive to remove and/or change, it will also allow potential buyers to estimate the costs of rectifying any evident defects, risk factors and/or noncompliances before agreeing a price.

As with every property sale and purchase the devil is in the detail, therefore there is no better way of getting the details right beforehand than obtaining a pre purchase, sale, auction or renovation inspection before you agree a price.

For further help, advice and guidance or to arrange an inspection please contact NACE on 01526 322555.