Building Survey

Purchasing a home is not only stressful but also a huge financial commitment, a building survey is the only prudent way to find out what you need to know before committing yourself.

Our surveyors are trained to understand typical building methods for each era and to follow the trail of suspicion and report on any defects found.

A building survey is a fuller health check of a building and should be an essential part of the buying process particularly if you are buying an older property, or are contemplating alterations or extension. The building survey, which will be carried out by a Chartered Surveyor will look at all elements of a property to identify hidden defects giving you the opportunity to renegotiate the price and save money.

A building survey is a technical examination of all accessible parts of the property and an assessment of the materials, methods and techniques used in construction as well as an investigation to trace and report upon problems found or suspected based on the type and age of construction.

With a building survey the customer gets the opportunity to increase the scope, for example: to report on loading and rearrangement of the property for conversion or extension. In general, the report includes details on:

  • Major and minor defects and their meaning,
  • Damp proofing, insulation and drainage,
  • Condition of timbers, including woodworm and rot,
  • Loading a performance of structural elements

Typically, a building survey inspection will take a Chartered Building Surveyor 3-5 hours on site for a typical 3 bed house, and for larger properties the inspection may be much longer. The Chartered Building Surveyor’s inspection is a detailed surface examination of all components of the building and a detailed descriptive analysis on how structural and non-structural elements interrelate to determine whether they are satisfactory and still fit for purpose.

The full written report will prescribe any remedial action required and for an additional fee, can conclude with a summary list, which can be priced. Similarly, for an additional fee, the report can include an Insurance Valuation.