How to find a surveyor when buying a house

What to consider when choosing a surveyor

Once you’ve got your shortlist, here’s how to find a surveyor that’s best for you.

• Local knowledge is key: When you want to find a surveyor to carry out your house survey, choosing a surveyor that has good local knowledge is beneficial.
• Find a surveyor with the right experience: When it comes to how to choose a surveyor, one of the first questions to ask is what kind of experience they have with the type of property you are buying. This is particularly important if you’re buying a more unusual type of property. So ask them if they’ve worked in your local area with similar properties, and how recently. And ask what problems they’ve encountered with similar properties.
• Recommendations: If you’re asking how to find a good surveyor, it’s worth checking with friends or family if they would recommend a surveyor they have previously used. Although you should still shop around to compare quotes, check they’re regulated and ask about their experience too.
• Reviews: When you want to find a surveyor, check reviews online to see what previous customers have thought of their service.
• How long will it take? When choosing a surveyor, you’ll want to know how long the survey itself will take but also how long it will take for you to get the survey back, as this can vary. Most surveyors will be able to tell you what their availability is, and how long it takes them to write up the report before you book them. Read more on this in our guide on How long does a house survey take?
• Well written reports: When choosing a surveyor, you can request to see a sample of the type of report the surveyor will prepare for you. It will give you an idea of whether they include photographs, clear descriptions of areas of concern and straightforward language.
• Being contactable: Pick a surveyor that is open to be in contact with you; whether that is answering questions before you book, explaining the type of survey you need or being willing to discuss the survey report with you once you’ve received it.

Compare costs of surveyors

When choosing a surveyor, the cost will be an important consideration. Survey costs can vary widely depending on the house survey type, your location and the condition and size of the property. Although house surveys typically range from £300 to over £1,500 depending on your circumstances. For a more detailed breakdown of survey costs, read our guide: How much does a house survey cost in 2023?

However, when choosing a surveyor to carry out your house survey, while it’s important to compare quotes before making a decision, the cheapest option isn’t necessarily the best. Always take experience and reviews into account. Speak to your surveyor to ensure they can provide the survey you expect.

Why do I need a surveyor?

Surveyors offer expert advice on the condition of a building and can offer valuations too. This information can help you decide whether to buy the property or not. Or you may use the information to try to renegotiate the price.

There are different types of surveys available, the more detailed surveys will cost more. If you’re buying a home, you’ll want to speak to a surveyor about what type of survey is best for your property and talk through what they will do.

You can instantly find and compare quotes from local chartered surveyors near you using our find a surveyor tool.

How to find a surveyor for a new build

If you’re buying a new build property you may be wondering if you need a house survey and what type of surveyor you need. We advise that a professional snagging survey is carried out. This will identify defects or problems which need fixing before you move in from minor issues like a door that’s misaligned to something more serious that could affect the structure of your home. Snagging surveys typically cost between £300 and £600.

You can get a new build snagging survey with our partners at New Build Inspections who are independent on-site snagging inspectors. Unlike many other snagging companies, they never work for developers or builders so can retain their independence.

For new builds that are ready to move into, ideally do the snagging survey before you exchange contracts. Whereas if you’re buying off-plan, try to carry out the survey pre-completion when you’ll be in a stronger position to get any problems fixed. If the developer doesn’t let you have a snagging survey done before completion, get it carried out as soon as possible after moving into you new build home.

How to find a structural engineer?

In some instances you may need the help of a structural engineer. If you have a problem with an existing building, including signs of subsidence such as movement or cracking of walls or sagging of ceiling or roof line, or other structural issues you may need a structural engineer to carry out an inspection.

When you’re making home improvements that involve the stability of a building you will probably need a structural engineer; they’ll give structural drawings and calculations which will be used by your building contractor and architect during the renovation work. 

Projects which often require the services of a structural engineer include:

• Building an extension
• Modifying doors and windows
• Fitting solar panels
• Loft conversions
• Garage conversions
• Removing or modifying internal walls
• Underpinning floors
• Removing a chimney breast

For a home renovation or inspection you’ll need to hire an engineer with experience of residential work. Your structural engineer is likely to be a member of either the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) or the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). You can find structural engineers who cover your local area, obtain their details and estimates with our free tool.

Where to find a party wall surveyor?

You’ll need a party wall agreement if you plan carry out any building work near or on a party wall. Party wall agreements are most commonly needed for building works that involve loft conversions, the insertion of damp proof courses and the digging of new foundations (as would be required in building an extension). Find out more in our guide Party wall agreements: Do you need one?

Use our handy Find a Party Wall Surveyor service, which instantly provides you with contact details for Party Wall Surveyors who can help you to address your Party Wall issue in your local area.

And as well as getting their full contact details, you’ll also get details of their experience and qualifications to help you make a choice. You can get in touch directly with party wall surveyors to compare price and service.

What is a valuation survey and how do I get one?

There are different reasons why you may need a valuation survey:

• Getting a mortgage or remortgaging: Your mortgage lender requires a valuation survey to make sure the property is sufficient security for the loan. Mortgage valuation surveys are different from house surveys — they are a cursory look at a property to assess how much it’s worth. Your lender will insist on using a company they trust and you will have to pay for it.
• Help to Buy & Shared Ownership: You will also need a valuation survey if you’re remortgaging or selling a house with a Help to Buy equity loan or staircasing or selling a shared ownership property. 
• Probate: You may need to find a surveyor to undertake a valuation report for probate after the owner or one of the owners of a property has died.
• Divorce: If you are going through a divorce and the difficult process of dividing up your joint property, you may need a valuation survey to determine an accurate property value. 

You can find valuation surveyors and obtain instant survey quotes by using our Find a valuation surveyor tool. Just fill in a short form to instantly receive quotes from Chartered Surveyors in your local area.