Standard Terms & Conditions of Engagement
The service – the surveyor provides the standard RICS Home Surveys ('the service') described in the 'Description of the RICS Home Survey Service', unless you and the surveyor agree in writing before the inspection that the surveyor will provide extra services. Any extra service will require separate terms of engagement to be entered into with the surveyor.
Examples of extra services include:
• costing of repairs;
• schedules of works;
• supervision of works;
• re-inspection;
• detailed specific issue reports; and
• market valuation (after repairs).
1. The surveyor – the service is to be provided by an AssocRICS, MRICS or FRICS member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, who has the skills, knowledge and experience to survey, value and report on the property.
2. Before the inspection – you tell the surveyor if there is already an agreed or proposed price for the property, and if you have any particular concerns (such as plans for extension) about the property.
3. Terms of payment – you agree to pay the surveyor's fee and any other charges agreed in writing. Our fees will be payable in full before we undertake and submit our Report.
4. Cancelling this contract – you are entitled to cancel this contract by giving notice to the surveyor's office at any time before the day of the inspection. The surveyor does not provide the service (and reports this to you as soon as possible) if, after arriving at the property, the surveyor decides that:
(a) he or she lacks enough specialist knowledge of the method of construction used to build the property; or
(b) it would be in your best interests to have a building survey and a valuation, rather than the RICS HomeBuyer Service.
If you cancel this contract, the surveyor will refund any money you have paid for the service, except for any reasonable expenses. If the surveyor cancels this contract, he or she will explain the reason to you.
When you authorise the surveyor to proceed with the identified services prior to the end of the cooling off period (14 days) you expressly acknowledge that once those services have been completed, that your right to cancel during the cooling off period will be lost.
5. Liability – The report is for your private and confidential use. You must not reproduce it completely or in part. Third parties (with the exception of your professional advisers) cannot use it without our express written authority. Any other persons relying on the report do so at their own risk.
For a breach of contract or a duty of care relating to a defect: an amount equivalent to twenty times the fee you have paid for this service.
For example, if you paid £400, our maximum compensation that we are obliged to pay you would be limited to £8,000.
Please note that it is a requirement of the RICS that we have your consent to these terms of engagement before we undertake and release our report.
This report is for use in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.