BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RENOVATION Part 3: Surveys

If there’s one thing above all that can determine whether your renovation project ends in success or failure, it’s finding the right property to ‘do up’. You want somewhere that looks worse than it really is, so your budget doesn’t get blown sorting things that buyers take for granted, like functioning drainage systems and structural stability. A property that’s superficially grim but basically sound can also work in your favour when it comes to negotiating the purchase price if competing buyers are deterred by the peeling wallpaper and the limescale-encrusted, mustard-coloured bathroom suite.

So just how can you differentiate between a building that’s merely ‘tired’ and one that needs virtual rebuilding? Opinions dispensed by well-meaning friends and family need to be taken with a generous helping of salt, while estate agents acting for the vendor are unlikely to provide reliably impartial guidance. You also need