ARE YOU PLANNING TO BUY A HOUSE IN SPAIN?
We know this can be a big step for you.
We are here to help !
“One of the first steps to take before any purchase is to learn in advance about the current condition of your future Home.”
We know that buying a property in another country can be a difficult decision…and one that you should approach with calm and caution. The first step is finding the right people to manage the different stages of renovation. These stages include such things as an unbiased house inspection, the property acquisition process and the management of a safe, cost-effective renovation. Equally as important should be adherence to the regulations in force in the place where you want to invest.
These are some of the reasons why I decided to create “Valencia Surveyor Studio”. I bring over 20 years of Technical and Administrative experience in construction and property investment to buyers seeking to find their dream house or apartment. I have been able to assist many foreign investors, with their investments in Spain with our studio’s fair and transparent services. WE ARE NOT REAL ESTATE AGENTS
One of the first steps after finding a house or apartment to buy is to request a Property and Building Survey Report made by a Surveyor ( =Technical Architects & Building Engineers). A survey highlights specific weak areas of the property and building(s) with special attention to the structure: Property Surveys can be an important friend to help you avoid big mistakes before a purchase.
You should request a Building Survey or Technical Inspection when you consider it necessary, which will probably be the majority of the time. You should make this request, before signing any deposit contract or document related with the property sale or simply when you need to acquire a certain Official Technical Certificate or Survey Report Endorsed by the Official College for an Official Local Entity or at a National Level. inspection reports may also be needed when an Insurance Company considers insuring the property.
Bear in mind that here in Spain, in almost 100% of the cases the following will require Technical Survey Reports Endorsed by an Official Institution: Government Entities, Inhabitation Licensing authorities, House Surface Certifications, Notary documents, Lawyers, Official Institutes, Insurance Companies, Land Registry, Title Deeds,
Sometimes you can also be requested to order a House Technical Inspection accompanied by an Official Certificate endorsed by a Local Official Surveyor, for some other kind of Official Survey Reports related to your House Purchase.
OUR STUDIO
20 years of experience
We are not intermediaries. When you contact Valencia Surveyor Studio, you are in direct contact with Technical Experts in the construction and Project Management fields.
We are a Technical Architecture and Engineering Studio with more than 20 years of experience in the Construction Project Management and Property Acquisition Administration fields. As Technical Architects and Building Engineers we act in the following roles: Builders, Property and Structural Surveyors, Project Managers and Appraisal Surveyors. We manage the financials, Quality Control, , Health and Safety Coordination, Technical Inspections, material purchasing manufacturing, sustainability and energy efficiency assessment, Building Rehabilitation, and adaptation of commercial premises. In addition, we will find qualified experts to address issues outside our core competencies.
You will be able to find more information about our Services on our web site. To summarize below is a summary of the expertise we bring to the tasks that will make buying and/or renovation of your property a safe investment in Spain, before and after your Home Purchase.
- Technical inspections related to Architecture: A technical inspection is used to verify compliance with technical specifications. The inspection can be carried out visually or specific instrumentation may be necessary to determine if the entire structure or part of the house/building complies with the corresponding technical specifications according to the architectural standards of Spanish legislation.
- Property/Building Survey Reports.
- Homebuyer Surveys (also known as a Pre-Purchase Survey).
- Verbal Survey Reports(Online reports): These surveys are not accompanied by a written part. This is a visual inspection made by us with the future buyer and discussion of the building/house issues found during the inspection. This survey can also be completed with an online conversation. This type of survey report is relatively cheaper than the first one, as the written part is not included.
- “Rustic” Land Inspections:If you are buying land or a property in the country, such as a farmhouse or similar, it is essential to determine if it is placed in an area where urbanization is allowed (in this case it is called a “finca urbana”, or “suelo urbano” ) or where urbanization and residential developments are not allowed (“finca rústica” or “suelo rústico”). In both cases there are exceptions that we must know before any purchase.
- Commercial Properties Inspections.
Due to our experience, the Studio can also assist you in the different phases of Project Management and Interior Design including but not limited to the following:
- Design process and detailed plan drawings:
- Preparing detailed drawings and final design plans
- Showing actual sizes and shapes for rooms and other spaces.
- Outlining construction specifications and listing the major materials to be used.
- Upon approval of the design drawings, our Studio will work with you to find contractors to give you cost estimates.
- House Renovation Project Management
- House Renovation Council License Control
- Construction documents: One of the most important elements of Our Studio’s services is construction documents. Our Studio will develop detailed drawings and material specifications. The contractor will use both to estimate construction costs and to build the project.
- Budgeting and cost analysis.
- Hiring a contractor: You have multiple options when it comes to hiring a contractor, including asking Our Studio to make recommendations or choosing a contractor on your own. Our Studio can assist you in selecting contractors by reviewing bids and estimates based on the construction documents.
- Building Renovation process control:
- Scheduling and controlling the different phases of the construction project from design to completion.
- Keeping you informed of new issues that come up and giving you the best solution for each scenario during the entire process.
- Licenses and Project monitoring for commercial activities
OUR LAST GOOGLE's REVIEWS
BUILDING & PROPERTY SURVEY REPORTS
“Please make sure your future Home is out of any future potential risk.“
One of our main and best services are Property & Building Survey Reports, which evaluates the different pathologies, and different construction problems found in a house and its structure, before the purchase. Therefore, this reports, allows you to know which problems has got your future investment, and also, which are their solutions. To conclude, unbiased Survey Reports, are the perfect weapon for future safe investors and also will help to negotiate the future price of your property in order to get a fair and worth value.
When should I request a Property Survey?
You can request a Survey or Technical Inspection when you consider it necessary. Either at the time of buying a house (always before signing any deposit contract or document related with the property sale), or simply when you need to acquire a Technical Certificate or Survey Report Endorsed by the Official College for any official entity at a National Level, or perhaps an Insurance Company that requests it ?
On the other hand bear in mind that here in Spain, in almost 100% of the cases and for Government Entities, Notaries, Lawyers, Official Institutes, Insurance Companies, Land Registry, Title Deeds…etc, your house will be requested with Official Technical Survey Reports, Technical Inspections, Official Energy Efficiency Certificates or some other kind of Survey Reports related with your house purchase.
What is a Property Survey Report?
Property and Building Survey Reports, are considered previous inspection of the property, made by Surveyors (=Technical Architects & Building Engineers). They serve to highlight specific weak areas of the property, building and its structure. Includes all the features of a Condition Report, plus defects that might affect the property, and advice on repairs and maintenance, also including any risks, potential legal issues and urgent defects.
It is an in-depth unbiased, and transparent opinion, of how the property is preserved, in order to protect the future investment interest of the buyer. To sum up, Property and Building Survey Reports, generally summarizes the condition of the property.
Undoubtedly, it also details the structural soundness of the property, by generally detecting hidden defects, that the buyer is obliged to remedy.
Why is it important to order a Survey?
Our building and property survey reports go beyond a description of the condition of the building. Our combined expertise means that we also include thorough structural and technical assessments of your property. Knowing what you are buying can even save you money. Your report can be used to negotiate the price of the property and will help you decide whether to proceed with the purchase
A building survey, which used to be known as a structural survey, is a comprehensive inspection of all accessible elements of your property. The report also provides a detailed evaluation of the condition of your property and will suggest which parts of the property might be a problem. In addition, the report will point out areas of concern that could need further investigation. Property Surveys does not economically value the house.
Do I really need a House Survey in Spain?
No a property survey is optional. But they can help you avoid expensive and unwanted surprises, like an unexpected rewiring job, as well as giving you peace of mind by telling you that those hairline cracks don’t mean the house is falling down, or just checking that a rustic property is 100% legal and you will be able to renew it afterwards without any Council License problems.
Given the hundreds of thousands of euros it costs to buy a property, a few hundred euros on a survey to have the reassurance of an independent, expert surveyor looking over it feels like a good investment.
When you’re already spending a lot of money on buying a house or flat, a survey can feel like an unnecessary expense. But it’s far better to be aware of any problems before you buy a property, so you can make an informed decision about how much you’re willing to pay for it and, if necessary, budget for any repair work that needs doing.
You may also be able to use the information in the survey to negotiate with the seller. For example, if your survey finds that you’ll need to carry out repairs costing 10.000€ you could ask for a 10.000€ reduction on the property price, or ask the seller to make the necessary repairs before you exchange contracts.
House surveys vs mortgage valuations
When you apply for a mortgage, the mortgage lender will carry out a valuation on the property to make sure it’s worth roughly what you’re planning to pay for it. This mortgage valuation is sometimes called a valuation ‘survey’, but this can be misleading.
A mortgage valuation is nowhere near comprehensive enough to take the place of a proper house survey. In fact, it sometimes won’t even involve anyone visiting the property in person. So you should always arrange your own independent survey after you’ve had an offer accepted, to make sure you’re not overpaying for your new home or about to buy a property with significant problems.
A Building / Property Survey will cover basically the following issues:
Internally: Dampness and condensation, ceilings, walls and floors, chimney and joinery, chimney fissures and cracks, windows, insulation, asbestos, electricity and water connections, water and electricity supplies meters, woods, termites, and other particular issues.
Externally: Full inspection of the roof, chimneys, gutters, main walls, windows and doors, drainage and boundaries. Facades.
Other: Garages, BBQ, wells, septic tanks, conservatories, tenure, services, building community issues, land legality, rustic lands…
Surveys are suitable for all properties, but particularly appropriate for:
This kind of Surveys are suitable for Standard properties and relatively new homes in good condition, properties in reasonable condition and for larger or older (50+ years) properties, unusual homes, renovation projects and properties in poor condition.
Old Properties – recommended for properties over 50 years old
Buildings constructed in an unusual way, regardless of age
Buildings that you intend to renovate or change in a future
Buildings that have already been renovated or significantly altered
Properties you are thinking of renovating
DAVID ESTEVE
david@valenciasurveyor.com
Techical Architect & Building Engineer
Official Member Number: 4056
Wellcome, my name is David Esteve and I am a Technical Architect & Building Engineer in Spain. I finished a Technical University Degree endorsed by the Universidad Politécnica de València and completed my Studies with a Final Project Degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Oldenburg.
In Spain, Polytechnic University of València, is the Most Prestigious and Professional Institution, that promotes and enforces the highest national standards in the valuation, technical management and development of Building Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure fields.
In Spain, Building & Property Surveyors Knowledge are one of the areas among many others given by the Spanish Technical Architects & Building Engineer University Degrees at the Universidad Politécnica, which are deeply connected with the Spanish construction way, and strongly protected by the Government through the General Council of Technical Architects & Building Engineers, giving us a high quality label of Technical knowledge practiced in Spain.
Here in our country, in almost 100% of the cases and for Government Entities, Notaries, Lawyers, Official Institutes, Insurance Companies, Land Registry, Title Deeds…etc, your house will be requested with Official Technical Survey Reports, Technical Inspections, Official Energy Efficiency Certificates or some other kind of Survey Reports related with your house purchase.
On the other hand you can also decide to have a private Inspection, for your own safety, by ordering a Property & Building Survey Report of your future Home, which evaluates the different pathologies, and different construction problems found in your future house, before the purchase is done.
This is one of the reasons why I decided to create “Valencia Surveyor Studio”, bringing over 20 years of my Technical experience in the construction field, and able to assist many foreign investors, guaranteeing their investments and expectations in Spain with our fare and transparent services. People from UK, United States, France, Germany & Sweden, are some of our clients.
HOUSE RENOVATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Would you like to make a House into your Home?
Since my beginnings as a Property Surveyor, there have been many Surveys Reports that I have carried out. During all this time, the truth is, that many of my clients asked me to help them by repairing and fixing all the damages that their house needed, before they moved in, and some homebuyers went forward by asking me to manage their House Renovation process. So this is why, I really considered a good idea by expanding my services and offering a House Renovation Project Management Service, when my clients really need them.
This is why “Valencia Surveyor” also offers as a Studio, the possibility of hiring a qualified and transparent House Renovation Project Managements Service. With more than ten years of experience offering these services, I have been able to specialize in what are the main needs and concerns of many of my clients coming from other countries. I am very glad to say at this stage, that they have finally been more than satisfied, with all those improvements that they were asking for, by creating all together a modern designer life experience.
Valencia Surveyor Studio, offers a wide range of samples of modern House renovations, some of them shown below. We can offer you the multiple choices, regarding the different materials, layouts, and different budgets. We basically listen to our clients, providing them with different proposals, according their needs and pockets.
Do you have to contract my services as a House Renovation Manager after you hire my services as a Survey Reporter?
No. They are two completely different services from each other.
My Survey Report services, are totally independent, and they do not necessarily have to be linked to the House Renovation ones.
SOME OF OUR HOUSE RENOVATION PROJECTS IN VALENCIA
I hope you enjoy having a look at some of our projects below, as much as we did by creating them.
