What does a surveyor look for when inspecting a home?
Find out what a surveyors looks for when carrying out a property inspection.
The importance of home surveys
When buying a new home, you should arrange for an inspection of the property survey to be carried out by a qualified surveyor. Surveyors take an impartial view when inspecting a home, which alongside their wealth of skills and experience, make it more like that they will be able to spot problems a buyer may not notice. While the average home buyer spends 35 minutes viewing a potential property before deciding whether or not to purchase it, our surveyors will spend a minimum of two hours inspecting the property (depending on the size). Our surveyors will also go in areas which you may not visit before moving in, such as the attic!
But what does a surveyor actually look for when inspecting your potential new home?
Areas of inspection during a house survey
If applicable and accessible, a surveyor will check the construction and condition of the following elements:
- Pitched and flat roof coverings, including ridge and hip tiles, valley and parapet gutters, upstands and flashings. A ladder will be used to inspect roofs not more than 3 metres above ground level.
- Chimney stacks, including pots, masonry and flashings
- Rainwater goods, including gutters, downpipes and brackets.
- Main walls, including thickness, masonry, pointing, damp proof course, sub-floor ventilation, evidence of wall tie failure or structural movement
- External joinery, including fascias, soffits and bargeboards.
- Windows and doors, including frames and glazing units. A sample will be opened to check their operation.
- Conservatories and porches, to check the general condition of roofs, glazing, doors, evidence of possible breach of building regulations.
- Garages and other permanent outbuildings, to check the general condition of roofs, walls, windows and doors.
- Grounds and boundaries, to check the general condition of driveways, patios, steps, walls and fences, water features, evidence of Japanese Knotweed, proximity of trees.
- Roof space, if access is safe and practical, including roof structure, underfelt, insulation, ventilation, party walls, chimney breasts, evidence of condensation or leakage.
- Ceilings, for evidence of serious cracking, loose plaster
- Internal walls, for evidence of serious cracking and dampness
- Fireplaces and chimney breasts, for evidence of dampness and unsupported masonry.
- Floors, for evidence of defective finishes, dampness, structural movement
Internal joinery, including doors, door frames, skirtings, stairs, balustrades. - Kitchen fittings, to check general condition of cabinets and worktops.
- Sanitary fittings, to check general condition of baths, shower cubicles, wash basins and lavatories.
- Electricity, to check meter type, general condition of fittings, test certificate.
- Gas, to check meter type, general condition of fittings, test certificate.
- Water, including rising main, stop tap, pipe material, storage tanks.
- Drains, to check drainage type, soil pipes, gullies, evidence of leakage or blockages
- Space heating, including central heating boiler, radiator, expansion tank, heating controls, fixed heating appliances, test certificate
- Water heating, including pipework, cylinder, immersion heater.
When apparent, your surveyor will highlight such things as:
- Past flooding or potential risk.
- Possibility of radon gas.
- Proximity to pylons, overhead cables and electro-magnetic fields.
- Current or past underground mining.
- Noise from traffic and aircraft.
- Adverse nearby developments.
- Intrusive noises, fumes, smells and lighting from nearby properties.
- Evidence of rats, mice and other vermin.
- Presence of protected species such as bats.
Your surveyor will look for evidence of risks to the health and safety of people on the property, for example:
- Trip hazards.
- Unsafe glazing.
- Mould.
- Loose stairs, inadequate bannisters and safety rails.
- Unprotected water features.
- Defective wiring.
- Gas leak.
- Materials which might contain asbestos.
Your surveyor will look for matters which may need to be investigated by your conveyancer, such as:
- Loft conversions, extensions and other alterations which may have needed planning permission or building regulations approval.
- Any obvious and significant areas of flying freehold.
- Any garage, outbuilding or parking area on a separate title.
- The possibility of transferable guarantees, warranties or test certificates for previous repairs, improvements, services and treatments
- Whether the property may be in a Conservation Area.
- Whether the property is in a mining area.
- Evidence of insurance claims for underpinning, structural repairs or flood damage.
- Any obvious rights of way, shared paths and driveways.
- Whether any repairs required may affect party wall.
If the property is a flat, in addition to the standard inspection, your surveyor will comment on the following, if possible:
- The general condition of common parts, including the main entrance, hallways, stairs and landings.
- The general condition of the building and grounds.
- Any obvious evidence that the building is not being properly managed.
- Matters which may impact on the service charge payable.
