Typically, a survey report will be available within 3-5 days including our inspection. For valuations and lease extensions, please allow five to seven working days. We will issue the report by email; hard copies are available upon request.

All our surveys and valuations are produced by experienced Chartered Surveyors. As members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, we must abide by strict ethical and technical guidelines. All our surveyors are experienced, have local knowledge in their practice areas and offer impartial, honest and independent advice.

The cost is dependent on various factors including the location of the property. We are happy to provide you with a no obligation quote for our services.

We will carry out a visual inspection and attempt to operate the services; i.e., firing up the heating, turning lights on and off, etc. However, we are not qualified electricians, gas engineers or plumbers and therefore we cannot undertake tests of the services.

We would always recommend instructing a qualified contractor to carry out a safety test. We can recommend experienced contractors we have used on previous surveys.

Generally, in order to qualify for a lease extension under the 1993 Act, the lease must have been longer than 21 years when it was first granted and you must have owned the flat for more than two years. If you are buying a flat with a short lease, the current owner may be able to assign the lease extension during the sale.

There are other rules such as if the property is under a Shared Ownership lease, you must have staircased to 100% and the freeholders cannot be the Crown or National Trust.

You can find out whether you're a qualifying tenant by contacting your solicitor or visiting the Leasehold Advisory Service website.

As the time left on a lease diminishes, the value of your property also decreases. This process accelerates when the time left on the lease drops below 80 years. The cost for a lease extension rises as the number of years left on the lease decreases.

You are also likely to find that properties with shorter leases are much more difficult to sell due to many lenders refusing to raise loans against them. This can lead to the sales process being drawn out and increases the potential of the sale falling through.

Many common building projects may come under the Party Wall etc Act 1996. These can generally fall into three areas:

• Building along a boundary line
• Building works directly affecting the party wall (such as removing chimneys, cutting into the party wall, etc.)
• Excavating within three or six metres of the neighbouring property

For more information on when you may need a Party Wall Agreement/Notice please visit our Party Wall page.