What the mortgage lender is checking
The lender wants to know whether the property is suitable security for the mortgage. Its valuation might involve a short visit, a desktop assessment or an automated figure based on other sales. You may not receive a detailed report.
If the lender values the home below your offer, you may have to find a larger deposit, renegotiate or reconsider. It can also refuse the property or hold back part of the loan until specified work is done. A valuation that matches the price does not amount to a clean bill of health.
Ask what the lender has actually told you. A brief valuation result should not be treated as advice that no repairs are needed.
Choosing a survey that fits the house
A fairly modern home in ordinary condition may not need the same depth of report as a much older building, a listed house or one with obvious cracking. Tell the surveyor what you noticed and what changes you hope to make.
Ask what will be inspected and what the report will include. Floors covered by fitted finishes, crowded lofts and walls behind furniture may not be fully visible. A survey is still valuable, but it cannot uncover every hidden problem without opening up the building.
Choose the surveyor for the property. Someone who regularly inspects older local housing may recognise alterations and recurring construction details that deserve a closer look.
Getting something useful from the report
Do not count the red warnings and panic. Read why an item has been given that rating, how soon it needs attention and what the likely consequences are. Safety, active leaks, structural movement and repairs that could affect the mortgage deserve early attention.
Phone the surveyor if a passage is unclear. A ten-minute conversation can be more helpful than trying to decode cautious wording yourself. Where further advice is suggested, use someone suited to the issue. A structural engineer, electrician or drainage specialist each answers a different question.
Send important findings to your conveyancer. A physical problem can have a legal side, perhaps a shared drain, unrecorded extension or repair that needed consent.
What conveyancing searches cover
Searches draw on official records and other data. The usual package may include local authority, drainage and water, and environmental information. The conveyancer may recommend extra searches because of the area, the lender or something in the title.
They can uncover matters such as nearby road proposals, planning history, public drainage and modelled environmental risks. They will not tell you whether the boiler works, the roof leaks or the floorboards are sound. Those are condition questions.
Read any search entry that refers to the property itself. Ask your conveyancer to explain unfamiliar wording and whether it changes what should happen next.
When a finding can affect insurance
A history of flooding or subsidence, non-standard walls, thatch, a large flat roof or major renovation can reduce the number of straightforward insurance offers. Raise these points early, while there is time to find out what insurers need.
Use the information from the survey and searches when filling in a quote. If the report only says “possible movement”, try to settle what that means before exchange. An insurer or lender may want an engineer's opinion rather than an unresolved suspicion.
Keep both the search results and survey. They may contain useful answers about drainage, construction and earlier work when you arrange insurance or plan repairs.
Good sources for the next step
- GOV.UK buying a home guideThe legal stages in England and Wales, with links for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- MoneyHelper home-buying guidanceFree, impartial help with mortgages, costs and the buying process.
- MoneyHelper: buildings insuranceWhat it covers, how much cover you may need and questions to ask.
- RICS advice for home buyersInformation about surveys and finding a regulated surveying firm.
When asking for a quotation from a specialist, send the relevant extract rather than saying only that “the survey found a problem”. A roofer, engineer or electrician can give a more useful response when the location and concern are described properly.
After completion, put the survey back on your reading list. It is often the best starting point for a sensible maintenance plan.