This is an essential when buying a home – however great it looks! A mortgage valuation does not cover a purchaser for problems in a second-hand home, nor do NHBC warranties on a new home ensure that all potential problems will be sorted out. 

If you are buying a new-build, exchange contracts subject to a ‘snagging’ survey which is a specialist survey for new-build properties, using either a chartered surveyor or a specialist company such as Inspector Home.

If the home you are buying was built after 1945 and is of a standard construction then you can have a Homebuyer’s Survey.  If the property was built pre-war or is of non standard construction you should have a Building Survey. 

It’s important to send a copy of this to your legal representative to check whether additional paperwork is required or further legal work following the surveyor’s report. For example, building regulations certificates for works carried out or planning permission for an extension.