Anxiety & cost

What a house survey won't tell you

The Proptel team · 2 min read

A good survey is one of the best things you can pay for when buying a home. But many buyers assume it covers everything, then discover a gap after they have exchanged. Knowing what a survey does not look at helps you fill those gaps before you commit.

What the survey is for

In the UK most buyers choose one of the RICS Home Survey levels. Level 1 is a basic condition check, Level 2 (often called a HomeBuyer Report) suits most conventional homes, and Level 3 is a full building survey for older, larger or altered properties. All three focus on the physical condition of the building on the day of the visit.

The usual blind spots

Surveys are non-invasive and limited to what the surveyor can see. Commonly outside their scope:

Hidden structureSurveyors do not lift fitted floors, move heavy furniture or open up walls, so problems behind them can be missed.

ServicesElectrics, gas, heating and drains are looked at visually, not tested. Specialist checks are recommended separately.

Legal questionsBoundaries, rights of way, restrictive covenants and planning history belong to your conveyancer and the local searches.

The wider areaFlood risk, ground stability, radon, coal mining, crime and future planning around the home are largely outside a building survey.

PriceA Level 2 survey may include a valuation, but it will not tell you what to offer or give you evidence to negotiate with.

How to fill the gaps

Before you pay for a survey, check the things it will not cover. Official records show flood risk, ground conditions, radon, mining, listed status, conservation areas and planning applications nearby, and they cost nothing to read if you know where they live.

A Proptel report pulls those records together for one address in about 30 seconds for £9.99, along with likely costs over the next ten years and a suggested offer. Run it before you book a survey, so you only pay for a survey on a home that has passed the first checks.

See the actual data before you make an offer.

20+ official records, a suggested offer and a letter for the agent. One page, £9.99.

Check a home