A FREE Property survey may cost more but it is undoubtedly an excellent marketing ploy to attract new clients.
However, as with any company offering a free service, there is more often than not a catch!
Many companies offering a free property survey will conduct it on the basis that you will have any recommended remedial works carried out by the company conducting the survey, or a named contractor.
In either situation, the surveying company will be receiving financial reward from the recommended building works required. (if they didn’t, it would mean they are literally working for nothing).
Don’t get caught out
That might sound rather groovy but remember, the survey may become chargeable if you don’t agree to instruct that company to carry out the work. (it always pays to read the small print, or ask!)
Furthermore, the surveyor may be under pressure to secure remedial works on your property in order to recover his costs, such as: time, fuel, equipment, overhead costs etc.
It may be that the surveyor is working on commission and in such cases, may misdiagnose the source of the issue in order increase his/her pay check.
This can therefore at times produce an unbiased report, in order to qualify the free survey for additional costs and those costs will need to factor in the time and effort taken to complete the original survey.
Alpine Surveys are all too often called to properties to conduct a survey whereby the above has caught our clients out and they have sadly fallen foul of this unscrupulous method.
Our surveys (which are completely independent) often determine that the remedial works recommended and carried out, were completely unnecessary and in some cases, have only exacerbated the problem.
More often than not, the root cause of a damp or structural property issue, can be resolved without unnecessary construction work, or heavy financial costs, this is because our surveyors have no financial interests in providing remedial works.
In fact, we don’t recommend ANY company, if building work is required, following our report, we leave that up to you to decide, by using a reputable builder, or specialist that can be found on websites such as Checkatrade.