It is more important than ever for home buyers to commission their own, independent condition survey, according to the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA).
The government has proposed changes to the Estate Agents Act, reducing the level of protection for consumers, which mean that businesses hosting private property sales advertisements will no longer be subject to the Estates Agents Act (EAA).
And Alan Milstein, chairman of the RPSA, said that the move could see thousands of home buyers committing to purchase properties without any statutory protection.
He said: “This could lead to considerable confusion among home buyers, with many entering into a purchase, unaware that if any problems should arise, they will not be eligible for any form of redress.
“With the recent changes in mind, it has never been more important for home buyers to commission their own, independent condition survey on any property they plan to purchase.
“If purchasing a property from a private seller, the intermediary that has been promoting the property will be under no legal obligation to ensure that the property details and specifics provided to the buyer are accurate.
“In effect, people could be led to believe a property is in good condition, only to find once they have purchased and moved into the property that in fact, considerable works are required – a costly mistake, which could run into £1,000s.”
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