What kind of survey should I get when buying a house?

The difference between a mortgage valuation and a survey, the survey levels available, and how to match the level to the age and condition of the property.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 40 min
Read: 3 min

Short answer

A lender's valuation is not a survey and tells you nothing about condition. Surveys come in levels — a basic condition report, a mid-level homebuyer survey, and a full building survey. Older, altered or unusual properties justify the higher level; a modern, conventional house often does not.

The most expensive misunderstanding in house buying is treating the lender's valuation as a survey. It is an assessment of whether the property is adequate security for the loan, produced for the lender. It does not tell you whether the roof is failing. A survey is a separate thing that you commission for yourself.

Step by step

Separate the valuation from the survey.The lender's valuation protects the lender. A survey is commissioned by you, reports to you, and is the only document that tells you about condition.
Understand the levels.The industry uses a tiered structure — a basic condition report, a mid-level survey with more detail and usually a valuation, and a full building survey with detailed analysis of construction and defects.
Match the level to the property.A modern conventional house in visibly good order suits a lower level. Anything old, extended, converted, thatched, timber-framed, listed or visibly neglected justifies a building survey.
Use a surveyor independent of the estate agent.Agents recommend surveyors and sometimes receive referral fees. Choose your own, and check they are RICS regulated or equivalently qualified.
Brief the surveyor on your concerns.Tell them what you noticed — a damp patch, a crack, a suspect roofline, a recent extension. A briefed surveyor looks specifically rather than generally.
Ask what is excluded.Surveys are generally non-intrusive, so they do not lift carpets or open up structure. Understanding the limits tells you when a specialist report is needed as well.
Commission specialist reports where flagged.Damp and timber, structural engineer, drainage, electrical or gas. A surveyor flagging 'further investigation' is telling you the risk is real and unquantified.
Read the risk ratings, not just the summary.Reports use a traffic-light system. Read every amber and red item, and check whether the wording is 'monitor' or 'obtain a quotation'.
Get quotes before renegotiating.A defect with a costed quote attached is a negotiation. A defect without one is an argument.
Decide what the report changes.Proceed as agreed, renegotiate the price, ask for work to be done before exchange, or withdraw. All four are normal outcomes.

Tips

Brief the surveyor before the visit on anything you noticed. It is free and it produces a far more useful report.
A survey on an older property costs a fraction of one serious defect. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole purchase.
Get a written quotation for any defect before renegotiating. Numbers move prices; descriptions do not.

Common mistakes

Skipping the survey to save money — The saving is small against the cost of a roof, a damp problem or a structural defect discovered after completion, when you have no negotiating position at all.
Ignoring 'further investigation recommended' — It means the surveyor has seen enough to be concerned but cannot quantify it. The unquantified risk becomes yours at completion.

If it doesn't work

The report is full of caveats and tells you little

Cause: A lower-level survey on a property that needed a higher one — Fix: Commission the specialist reports it points to, or upgrade to a building survey if the purchase is large enough to justify it.

The seller refuses to renegotiate

Cause: They dispute the defect or the cost — Fix: Provide the written quotations. If they still refuse, decide whether the cost is one you accept, and remember you are not committed before exchange.

A defect was missed

Cause: It may have been outside the scope, or it may be negligence — Fix: Check the scope and the caveats first, then complain to the firm and, if unresolved, to their regulator or redress scheme.

Questions people ask

Does the mortgage valuation count as a survey?

No. It assesses the property as security for the loan and reports to the lender. It is not a condition report and you should not rely on it as one.

Is a survey needed on a new build?

New builds come with a warranty, but a snagging inspection before completion is worth having. The warranty covers defined defects, not everything.

What about Scotland?

Sellers in Scotland provide a Home Report including a single survey. Buyers can still commission their own additional survey where they want more detail.