Qualitel launches Alex, a service to assess the condition of a property, from all angles, before buying it

Objective: to have the condition of the house or apartment you are considering precisely assessed by an independent and impartial expert. The latter visits the property, analyzes it from every angle and delivers a complete report within 48 hours listing its strengths and weaknesses, the work to be planned, etc.

ALEX is also very useful for owners who wish to renovate their accommodation based on a complete and detailed inventory of the improvements to be made, or for sellers who wish to be transparent about the condition of their property.

For everyone, ALEX is now available throughout mainland France.

Why ALEX – Buy a Home with a QUALITEL EXPert?

Buying a new home is an important decision, often representing a substantial investment. It is therefore essential to choose it carefully: assess the real condition of the property, identify its qualities and defects to avoid unpleasant surprises and plan for it with peace of mind.

However, buyers must decide quickly, sometimes after only one or two visits. In this context, defects can escape their vigilance as "non-experts", or become apparent later. A frequent disappointment, as revealed by the 2022 Qualitel Barometer: 68% of owners had at least one unpleasant surprise in their new home and 52% of them identified, after the purchase, essential work to be carried out. While the information provided by owners, real estate agents, regulatory diagnostics and reports are useful for this, they do not guarantee an exhaustive and impartial view of the condition of the property.

This is precisely where ALEX comes in, a new service designed by the QUALITEL Association to help buyers make an informed decision, based on a clear and objective assessment of the condition of the property and any work that may need to be done, in order to make a confident commitment. This practice is also systematic in other countries, particularly in the English-speaking world.

How does it work ?

QUALITEL has developed a specific analysis grid, based on its expertise in housing quality. Its numerous studies and research conducted over 50 years, combined with its certification standards developed for collective housing and individual homes in a multi-criteria approach, have in fact made it possible to define around a hundred items to assess the condition:

• Enclosed and covered: facades, roofing/waterproofing, exterior joinery, landing door, etc.
• Performance of installations: heating system, hot water production, ventilation, sanitary equipment, etc.
• From each room: floors, walls and ceilings, door, presence of humidity, etc.
• Comfort of use of the property: layout, security, brightness, etc.
• From the external environment: identification of potential surrounding risks (natural, technological, etc.), water quality, sunshine, noise pollution, etc.

As part of the ALEX service, the neutral and independent QUALITEL expert carries out the evaluation of the accommodation on the basis of this analysis grid, during a dedicated visit or counter-visit, with the buyer and/or the owner. He then delivers, within 48 working hours, a complete report, easily readable and understandable, including:

• A summary listing the strengths and weaknesses of the accommodation; the work to be planned, the estimate of their cost (available at the end of the year), the rooms or equipment concerned, their importance and level of urgency;
• A score out of 100, indicating an overall level of quality;
• A detailed report of findings by equipment and/or by part with the positive and negative points;
• An explanatory appendix allowing future buyers or sellers to understand the meaning of the more technical elements of the report.

ALEX experts are building professionals, specialists in all types of construction pathologies with several years of experience in assessing the quality of buildings and analyzing the cause of damage.

Who is this new service for?

For individuals who wish to acquire real estate (main residence, secondary residence, rental investment), sell or renovate their home. Some have already been able to test this new service:

"I found the visit very comprehensive [...] I had not seen any of the defects noted by the expert! Now I feel well informed about the property I am about to buy and I have a clear vision of the work to be carried out if my purchase offer is accepted" - Catherine - visit carried out on 27/08/2024

How much does it cost ?

• From €279 including tax for the evaluation of an apartment;
• From 469 including tax for the evaluation of a house;
• For example, 0,1% of the purchase or sale price, for a property of 70m², listed for sale at €300.000