Webb Structural Design Ltd

Types of House Surveys

​

There is a lot of confusion regarding the different kinds of surveys in the market.  The same kind of surveys are often called by different names.  There are really only three kinds of building inspections:

​

1) A valuation survey  

This is normally completed by a RICS type surveyor, on behalf of your mortgage company.  This survey is not for the buyers benefit, it is purely a quick once over of the property for the bank's or building society's benefit.  They are making sure that the value of the property is correct so that they will not lose any money if you default on your mortgage.  If they find any serious structural issues, they will normally ask you to arrange a structural survey.

​

2) Homebuyer's Survey

This is a very detailed survey of the property, but not an in-depth one.  The surveyor will look at every aspect of the building and produce a lengthy report.  The report issues are normally rated with a traffic light type of system.  These reports are good value for the buyer who knows absolutely nothing about buildings.  They will highlight anything that is wrong with a property and what you need to do about it.  The reports are not in-depth though; if they find any structural issues, they will recommend a full structural survey.  If they find any damp, they will recommend a damp survey.  Hence, for any faults or issues, they will normally direct you to obtain a specialist survey.

​

3) Structural Inspection or Survey

A structural inspection is often thought of as being the ultimate house survey.  However, it is not.  The structural inspection is quite narrow in its application.  We are only interested in the main fabric of the building.  We will check the roof structure for faults (assuming we can get access into the loft area).  We will check the internal and external walls of the building for any signs of structural defects.  The same can be said for the internal floor structures.  We will look for signs of building movement either vertically or laterally.  We do not look for damp issues or woodworm/insect attacks (although we will point them out if obvious).  We can only visually inspect the building and cannot conduct intrusive investigations (unless this is a specific requirement).  We do not move heavy furniture or personal possessions out of the way.  We do not lift carpets (unless instructed).  If we do find a structural issue, we will advise you on what to do and how much the likely repair costs would be.  Sometimes we need to conduct further investigations before we can make a final conclusion.  This could involve foundation trial holes, monitoring a building for movement or exposing a suspect area for example.

​