Aston James Associates

Buying or selling a home is the biggest transaction most of us will make. So a valuation based on local knowledge of location, what similar houses are selling for, planning applications lurking in the shadows and local government plans for future development is an essential weapon in what can be a real battle to negotiate the right price. But first and foremost a valuation should be based on a detailed examination of the building’s age, size and general wear and tear. What about the room layout and number of bedrooms, the heating system, storage, built-in cupboards? Has the owner made structural or other improvements?

You should also ask if you using the right kind of residential property valuation? Don’t rely on a mortgage valuation report – this is produced by a surveyor hired by a mortgage lender purely to ascertain if they will get their loan back on the house if it has to be sold suddenly for any reason. There is no full inspection, valuations are often based on drive-by surveys or even done remotely and derived from market trends and other statistics – fine for the lender, not for the borrower.

The safe, thorough and cost-effective route for buyers is through professional surveyors, such as Aston James Associates, specialists in south-east London property and a RICS member. Our membership shows we are properly qualified surveyors who will guarantee a high standard of service to all our clients.

But qualifications are just the first step. Before hiring, you need to ask if a surveyor is local to where you want to live and thus knows the market. Does s/he have experience of valuing similar houses?

For the wise buyer, the popular choice is often a RICS homebuyer survey and valuation. Besides a full survey, including maintenance needs, necessary repairs and legal issues before buying, it provides a professional opinion of “market value” and insurance for the client against any rare mistakes in valuation.

(A property valuation is a very limited inspection that merely advises on market value, does not include advice on maintenance or remedial needs, and is normally undertaken to support tax and legal arguments linked to matters such as probate and matrimonial.)

For more unusual buildings, such as those converted, with big extensions or listed, you can order a full structural survey but you need to specifically request a valuation at the same time.

Buying a home is a stressful exercise at the best of times and a personal touch can do a lot to reassure people that they are making the right, life-changing decisions. Aston James Associates is a small practice that offers a tailor-made service you don’t get when using a larger company. No waiting to get through to the right department here – at AJA you go straight through to the valuer/surveyor who can sort out your query in days rather than weeks. And if you put in a special request to pay attention to, say, the roof in a valuation, it won’t get lost in administration and forgotten about.