Understand your survey results
Updated: 12th Dec, 2024
Author: Charlotte Burton
Most surveys will flag at least a few issues with your potential new home. But there's no need to panic - these issues may be low risk, or be very quick or cheap to fix. Other issues however may be much bigger risks, or will take a lot of money or time to fix properly.
Look out for anything your surveyor has flagged as being high risk. Below are listed some issues you could see, and how big a deal they tend to be. Depending on the issue, getting quotes for repairs or a specialist survey to get more information might be your next step. After that, you might consider whether to lower your offer or even pull out of the sale completely.
- This includes problems with the foundations, walls, floors, or roof structure.
- When looking at the roof consider the condition of the tiles, flashing, and guttering. Older roofs or those in disrepair can be costly to replace or repair.
- The survey might highlight subsidence (house is sinking), movement, or bowing, which are serious concerns.
- These issues are common in old buildings.
- They can be caused by a range of problems such as rising damp (water from the ground rising up through the bricks), penetrating damp (from water leaks), or excessive condensation.
- These can be fixed at varying costs; to get a better estimate, you should get an expert to take a look. To find a local damp expert, fill out our form to get a quote for a Damp & Timber survey.
- The state of the plumbing and heating systems, including boilers, radiators, pipes, and water tanks.
- Issues might range from minor repairs to the need for complete system replacements.
- The age and condition of the electrical system, including wiring, sockets, and the fuse box.
- Outdated or faulty electrical systems can be a safety hazard and expensive to upgrade.
- Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant that can damage houses by growing through concrete. If caught early it can be easily treated.
- If your surveyor identifies Japanese knotweed, you could commission a Japanse knotweed survey to understand the scale of the issue and cost of treatment.
- Dry rot is a fungus that grows on timber when there is a lot of moisture, so fixing leaks or condensation would fix it.
- Evidence of pest infestations, such as termites or woodworm, which can be costly to eradicate and cause structural damage.
- Your surveyor will examine the general condition and efficiency of windows and doors for issues.
- This includes signs of rot in wooden frames or issues with double glazing.
- If they find issues, replacing windows and doors is not ideal, but these are relatively low-risk and low-cost issues.
- During the buying process, the seller should share an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with you that tells you how energy efficient the property is.
- Your surveyor may also mention potential energy efficiency issues with the property as part of their report.
- A house with poor insulation can have very high heating costs and in some cases, to fix this may require costly improvements.
- Older properties may contain asbestos, which was used for fireproofing.
- However, it is a health risk, and its removal can be expensive.
- If your surveyor finds asbestos, they might not investigate in too much detail (due to the health risks). You can get a specialist asbestos survey, which will identify the scale of the issue and the cost to fix it.
Specialist Surveys
Your surveyor might flag that a certain issue requires a specialist to look at it. This might be because the surveyor cannot get access to investigate the full scale of the problem, e.g. asbestos or drainage problems. Alternatively, it could be an issue with something that requires a qualified specialist to look into, e.g. an electrician or structural surveyor.
If you need one of these specialist surveys, Fairy Godmover has partnered with the Moving Portal to help you get a quote from a local specialist for the following surveys:
