This is not an exhaustive or a complete subject. It is likely to change over time, with edits, additions and deletions, and is simply a collection of my thoughts based on many years of experience. You should follow your instincts, and you must always seek your own professional advice.
Buying a house is probably one of the largest financial commitments you will ever make. Yet it is surprising how often buyers choose their survey largely on price. Saving £200 or £300, or even £1000 or more, on a survey can look attractive when there are solicitors’ fees, mortgage costs, removals and everything else to pay for. But if the cheaper survey fails to identify a £20,000 problem, it suddenly wasn’t very cheap.
The real value of a building survey isn’t measured by the number of pages in the report. A long report can be produced surprisingly quickly using standard text, automated systems and increasingly AI. What takes time – and experience – is looking at the building properly, recognising when something isn’t quite right, understanding why it has happened and deciding what it means for the person thinking of buying it.
That becomes particularly important with older buildings. A Georgian house, Victorian cottage or medieval timber-framed building cannot simply be approached as though it were a modern house that happens to be old. The materials are different, the construction is different and the way the building deals with moisture, ventilation, movement and heat can be fundamentally different. Sometimes the repairs carried out during the last 30 or 40 years present a greater risk than the original construction.
Listed Buildings add another layer altogether. The physical condition of the building is only part of the story. Alterations may have required Listed Building Consent. An extension, replacement windows, removal of a chimney breast, changes to the internal layout or even apparently minor work can raise questions that need further investigation. A surveyor who doesn’t understand historic buildings – and the legislation surrounding them – may simply not know which questions need to be asked.
And that, perhaps, is the most important point. A good survey isn’t just about spotting defects. It is about asking the right questions. Why is that wall damp? Why has that timber moved? What is hidden behind that modern plaster? Why is there no ventilation beneath the floor? When was that extension built? Was consent required? Is that outbuilding potentially within the listing? What has been changed, and what might those changes mean?
Technology cannot be blamed for a poor survey. I use technology myself where it genuinely helps. But a computer wasn’t standing beside the building looking up at the roof. It didn’t feel the floor move beneath its feet, notice the slightly distorted window opening, recognise an inappropriate cement repair or wonder why one particular corner of a room smelled damp. Technology can help a surveyor record and communicate professional judgement. It cannot replace the inspection that creates that judgement in the first place.
So when obtaining quotations, don’t simply ask “How much is your survey?” Ask who will actually inspect the property. Ask how long they expect to spend there. Ask about their experience of buildings of that age and construction. If it is Listed, ask how much experience they have of Listed Buildings. Ask whether you can see an example of one of their reports.
A good survey should leave you knowing considerably more about the building than you did before. It should explain what matters, what doesn’t, what needs further investigation and what questions your solicitor should be asking. Sometimes it will give you the confidence to proceed. Occasionally it may give you very good reasons to walk away.
The cheapest survey can be remarkably expensive if it tells you the things you could already see – and misses the things you couldn’t.
Disclaimer: Anything posted in this Blog is for general information only and it is not in any way intended to provide any advice, legal or otherwise, on any general or specific matter that you can rely on. You should always seek your own legal and surveying advice.