Do I need a Home Buyer Survey or a Building Survey?
Once you’ve decided to get your potential new home surveyed you may be asking yourself if you’ll need a Home Buyer Survey or a Building Survey. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) provides three levels of surveys, each with increasingly detailed levels of inspection and report. The survey that you need will all depend on the house you are interested in buying, so let’s examine what each level covers.
The Condition Report (Level 1)
The cheapest option of house surveys, this will draw your attention to any urgent defects but it doesn’t go into a lot of detail or provide you with a market valuation. This level is fine for newer builds but not recommended for older properties.
If you want more detail, you should consider the following surveys which are what we offer:
The Home Buyer Survey (Level 2)
The Home Buyer Survey is a more in-depth assessment than the Condition Report, taking in the wider surroundings. It takes around 2-3 hours to conduct the inspection with the report to follow within 3-5 working days.
Inside the property, the surveyor will check the roof void, insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, fireplaces, kitchen, internal joinery, and bathrooms. Outside, any outbuildings, garages, walls, windows, doors, roofing, pipes, gutters, and chimneys will be checked. The surveyor will look out for specific problems that can be found in houses, including structural issues, damp issues, leaks, subsidence, and much more. The report will aim to give you a general overview of each particular element and identify if any remedial works are required.
In addition, you’ll receive background information on the location and property, as well as any potential legal issues.
This level is sufficient for most standard homes but not recommended for homes that are pre-1930 or larger and extended properties.
The Building Survey (Level 3)
The Building Survey is a full structural survey going into more detail than the Home Buyer Survey. The Building Survey is advisable for houses constructed pre-1930, those with unusual construction, and particularly large houses. It is also advisable for properties that have been significantly altered over time or if you intend to do a lot of renovation yourself. Listed buildings are more likely to need a bit of extra care so the Building Survey is essential here.
In addition to the checks made in the Home Buyer Survey, the surveyor will be lifting floor coverings where possible, opening all windows and built-in units as opposed to a representative sample. Outside, they will be using either a drone or a 10-metre camera pole to obtain aerial images of upper elements and lifting manhole covers to observe the drains in operation (where practically possible). A full description of the materials used in the construction of the whole property will be provided.
Heating systems, gas/oil and electrics won’t be covered in detail, aside from a visual inspection, but you can get these things checked separately. The Building Survey will provide you with a detailed, technical report, as well as useful information for your legal advisors.
It can take up to a day to complete and around a week for the full report.
Key differences
- Only the Building Survey will give you information on the anticipated performance of building materials and the potential for hidden defects. Where defects are identified, the report will also aim to put these into context and propose remedial solutions instead of pointing you in the direction of a contractor for further advice.
- The Home Buyer Survey is a general overview of each element, whereas the Building Survey is more specific.
- The Building Survey is suitable for any property type as it is the most comprehensive but the Home Buyer Survey is a more cost-effective option for modern and standard houses where the likelihood of complex defects is lower.
Whichever level of survey you choose, the property features on each survey report are assessed under a traffic light system based on the severity of the problem, making the review process quite straightforward.
If you’re still not sure which survey is right for you, please get in touch and we can discuss your needs.
Header image by Blake Wheeler, new build by James Feaver, old house by Karen Cann on Unsplash.