Buying a home is one of the most important economic decisions made in life and the Technical Building Inspection (ITE) certificate plays a fundamental role in making the right decision.
All buildings must have proper maintenance , so from time to time tasks must be carried out to correct damage to roofs, facades, common facilities, etc. Initially, these tasks are the responsibility of their builders, but once time passes, maintenance is the responsibility of the owners.
Not only the good condition and conservation of the building depends on these maintenance tasks, but also the safety of those who live or work in it, and even those who pass by its surroundings. For this reason, the Technical Building Inspection (ITE) was created.
If you have never heard of it, in today’s article Gilmar consultants are going to tell you everything you need to know about the ITE and how it affects the sale of a property.
What is the Technical Inspection of Buildings ?
This is a mandatory review that must be carried out periodically in all buildings that are a certain age, to verify that the state of conservation of its different common elements does not affect the safety and quality of life of its inhabitants. In this inspection, the general condition of the building is reviewed and the deficiencies that could cause risk situations are determined.
How often should a building pass the ITE?
According to Law 8/2013, of June 26 , on Urban Rehabilitation, Regeneration and Renovation, any type of construction that is between 30 and 50 years old, depending on the municipality in which it is located, must undergo a Technical Inspection of Buildings and depending on the results of this, the following inspections should be done every 3, 6 or 10 years.
How is a Technical Inspection of Buildings carried out ?
This inspection must be requested by the owner , in the case of private homes, or by the community of owners if it is a building with several homes, and it will be carried out by an architect, an expert building engineer or a technical architect.
The technician will make a visual inspection at different points of the common elements of the building. In principle, it is not necessary to access any particular home, although if the technician detects something that may be relevant and affect the stability of the entire building, it is mandatory to allow access to any home.
In addition, the expert may request documentation from the owners such as the IEE (Building Evaluation Report) , the CEE (Energy Efficiency Certificate) , data about the reforms undertaken or previous reports from the ITE, among other information.
Once the exam is over, if the result is favorable and the building has no deficiencies to fix, the technician will issue a report that will be delivered to the competent administration so that it can issue the certificate of aptitude.
What is valued in a Technical Inspection of Buildings?
The inspector will carry out a general evaluation of the state of conservation of the building, therefore, he will review:
- All interior and exterior facades, as well as party walls.
- The structure and condition of the foundation.
- Roofs and rooftops.
- The elements of access to the building.
- The cornices, the projections, the flights and all the ornamental elements.
- Sealing, plumbing networks and sanitation.
- Aspects related to the energy rating of the building.
Results of the Technical Inspection of Buildings
The results of the ITE depend on the deficiencies found in the building, so they can be:
- Very serious or serious. In this case, a certificate of “precautionary fit” is issued and the owners are given a period of 3 years to rehabilitate the deficiencies in the building and pass the next inspection.
- A certificate of “provisional fit” is delivered and the term to carry out the rehabilitation works of the building is 6 years.
- Mild or no deficiencies. A “fit” certificate is then issued and the next inspection will take place in 10 years.
How long does the inspection take?
Although this is a visual check, it is quite comprehensive . Whether ITE lasts more or less over time depends, in our experience, on two factors:
- The size of the building. When the object of the inspection is a neighborhood community of two or three houses, it will be ready in a few days. Whereas, if it is a large community of neighbors or an office building, the inspector will take more time to complete the review.
- If the technician begins to detect problems, he will have to be even more exhaustive to assess how serious the deficiencies are. Therefore, the inspection can last up to more than a week.
How much does the ITE cost and who pays it?
It is always the owner of the property or the community of owners who must pay the ITE to the technician who performs it, since they are the ones who hire him.
The ITE is not a free service and its price may vary depending on the technician’s fees, the size of the building to be inspected and the state in which it is located.
Today there are many low-cost options to carry out the ITE, but they are services that usually offer a less rigorous analysis. The average price of a Technical Building Inspection ranges between €500 and €4,000 .
Can I sell a property without the ITE ?
The selling party is always obliged to inform the buyer and provide him with all the documentation that he requires to verify that the state of conservation of the property is correct.
In the case of the ITE, if the property is required to pass it, before signing the public deed of sale before a notary, the seller must deliver the following documentation to the buyer:
- Copy of the report of the last inspection.
- The certificate of aptitude of the competent administration.
However, there are some exceptions:
- When the aptitude certificate cannot be obtained because, according to the inspection, the building has serious or very serious deficiencies, the house can be sold with a copy of the ITE report with the date of presentation to the administration.
- If the seller justifies that he cannot obtain any of these documents, the buyer may release the seller from his obligation.
In any case, the lack of ITE does not invalidate a sale, but the notary must certify in the deed that the building has all the required documentation, that the certificate of aptitude is provisional and that it needs rehabilitation works.
