A recent survey found that 80% of new homeowners don’t have a building survey done, before they move into their new home. If you don’t have a full building survey done, then you could be opening yourself up to a lot of problems further down the line. Find out more about building surveys in this short blog.

Buying a home is probably the most significant purchase you’re going to make in your life, and when you buy it you want it to be perfect. The last thing you want is to be spending money on repair work for the next 2 years because you decided not to get a building survey.

Getting a full building survey done by a qualified chartered surveyor can save you a fortune in the long run.

A building survey is a comprehensive inspection of a property, which takes into account the construction and condition of a property. A building survey will examine the building, the grounds and any out buildings on the property.

The report will:

  • Highlight any defects – both major and minor – and will tell you what they could mean in the long run.
  • Provide guidance on any maintenance you need to do on the building.
  • Provide advice on how much any repair work could cost.
  • Provide technical information about the building’s construction, and any particular materials that have been used.
  • Provide recommendations for any further specialist investigations that you may need to undertake.

Here at JDB Surveys we offer a range of building surveys that you can read more about on our building surveys page. For the most part a building survey can take up to one day to complete and will be with you in up to 2 weeks.

Naturally, building surveys don’t come cheap but it’s a false economy if you end up having to spend potentially thousands on repairing something within your home that could have been picked up by a qualified chartered surveyor.

Make sure that you use a chartered surveyor registered with the RICS, like JDB Surveys. This guarantees you independent and expert advice from a registered professional.

Bear in mind that a building survey does not include a valuation of a property.

Whatever type of property you’re buying, you should be considering a building survey but if you’re buying any of the following then you should definitely be getting a building survey

  • Listed Buildings – any building which is on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest
  • Any property over 50 years old
  • Any property constructed in an unusual way or with unusual features such as a thatched roof
  • Buildings that you intend to do considerable work to
  • Buildings that have already been renovated or altered significantly

Of course, if there’s anything that you would like specifically looked at within a property then your surveyor will quite happily check it out for you. Bear in mind however, that certain things are at the discretion of the property owner.

Don’t put off doing a building survey. Make sure that you speak to a chartered surveyor before doing any work on a new property and save yourself a fortune.

You can always call JDB Surveys on 0151 486 3437 to arrange a full building survey.