The process of building a new house starts long before the foundation is constructed.
Making sure the land you are planning to build your new property on is suitable for your construction project is one of the first jobs to undertake.
When it comes to making plans for building your own home, there are several surveys that are worth getting in order to not only ensure you are protected against potential future problems with the property, but also to ensure you are not unknowingly breaking the law, for example, by disturbing the natural habitat of protected species such as bats.
If you are thinking about the possibility of building your own home, then it’s worth getting a few different surveys carried out on the area beforehand.
Some of the main surveys that you might be required to get, or are highly recommended include:
Tree Survey
If there are lots of trees in the area where you are planning to build, then a tree survey is going to be a good investment.
The last thing that you will want is to build your property too close to trees and have issues later down the line with the roots taking moisture from the soil around your foundation, which can lead to serious structural damage.
A tree surveyor is the best professional to carry out a thorough tree survey giving you more information about the trees in the area, and how you must consider them when building your new home.
A survey from Arbtech will provide you with more information about how any trees on the land where you are planning to build could have an impact on your plans.
Arbtech are one of the most reputable companies in the UK for tree surveys, and they offer impact assessments, tree protection plans, method statements and more along with standard tree surveys.
Bat Survey
If you are planning to build in an area where there may be bats, for example, if you’re demolishing a derelict building first to free up room for the new build, then a bat survey is highly recommended.
This is because bats are a protected species in the UK so disturbing them or their natural habitat, even unknowingly, is against the law.
If you are found to have harmed or disturbed bats in their natural habitat, you could be fined or even face a custodial sentence.
A bat survey carried out by a professional will provide you with more information regarding the presence of bats on the land or any properties that you will be destroying before starting the project.
A good bat surveyor will also be able to provide you with more information on the best way forward when it comes to working around the bats and ensuring that their natural habitat is protected while still being able to go ahead with your building plans.
Other Wildlife Surveys
Bats are not the only protected species in the UK – badgers, for example, are protected by law along with their setts.
If you are building on land where there may be any kind of protected wildlife species living in the area, then it is a wise idea to have a thorough survey carried out to find out more about which wildlife species are there, how your project might affect them, and if there are any measures that you can take to ensure that the local wildlife is protected and left undisturbed throughout the duration of the project.
Having this survey carried out early in the process will help you avoid problems later down the line if you were to come across protected species inhabiting the area mid-way through your project, as this could hold up progress and, in some cases, stop work altogether and force you to restart to accommodate them.
Soil Survey
Tipped areas, running sand, or boggy land are all indicators of poor ground conditions that might require you to pay more for additional site investigation or specialist foundations.
Before you start building, it’s a wise idea to have a survey carried out on the land itself to find out more about what is lying underneath the topsoil, how easy it is going to be to build on, and if you need to conduct any additional work beforehand to prepare it for your project and make sure that it is safe.
This may be available as part of a land survey, which can include obstacles, odd-shaped sites, and more to save you time and money further down the line.
Structural Survey
If rather than building from scratch you’re planning to renovate or convert a derelict property, then a structural survey will be necessary beforehand to help you get a clearer idea of the building’s condition and whether it is possible, and safe, to do the work that you are planning.
A full structural survey is an in-depth look into the condition of the building to ensure that you go into the planned works fully aware of everything that you are going to be facing throughout the process.
It can also flag up anything that might be hidden or that you have not noticed previously, which can provide you with a more accurate figure in terms of the potential costs of the renovation work that you have planned.
While it may not always be possible to know everything that there is to know with 100% certainty until work has started, a full structural survey can certainly help you gather more information and make more accurate plans and budgets.
A chartered surveyor will be able to conduct this survey for you.
If you are planning on building your own home or are going to be converting a derelict building to a more habitable property, then making sure that you have all the information you need before you start is important.
There are various surveys that are definitely worth having carried out before you start the process, leaving you more informed and better able to make accurate plans for timeframes, hiring contractors, your budget and more.
Recent Comments