Andrew's Top Tip
A house survey isn't mandatory, however do you want to run the risk of buying a home that you haven't had expertly checked over? Especially considering the amounts of money involved.
When viewing the property look for signs of damp, mould around the windows, cracks in the rendering or walls, stains on flooring or walls, animal waster. All of these could be signs that you have a problem in the property and a surveyor can give you their expert opinion on this when completing his inspection.
Once you get your survey report back, make sure to send it to your solicitor as it contains information that they'll need to obtain further clarification on from the seller.
...and finally, never send your full survey report to the estate agent or seller. This is your report and the contents are for you - sending the report could weaken your position in any negotiations with the seller. You should limit any release of information to the specific defect you are looking to negotiate the sale price on.