Why does it cost more to survey an expensive property?

The risk to the surveyor increases, the higher the property's value is. The professional indemnity insurance that the surveyor must have increases based on the number of high value properties they work on and the price of the insurance is in the region of thousands of pounds and sometimes as much as tens of thousands.

Are the survey fees for buying a house more expensive than a flat?

The house survey price depends on the size of a property and its value and more often than not a house will be larger in size than a flat. A flat won't always have a roof (a ground floor flat doesn't get the roof inspected in the block of flats) to inspect or a loft or other areas that you would get access to in a house. A survey on a freehold house will normally cost more than a flat, although the difference shouldn't be that great. What can also increase the price of a survey on a house is if the house has been extended. It is highly unlikely a flat will have been extended because of the nature of the building - in a block of flats you can't extend any individual flat. An extension complicates a survey as the original fabric of the property has been structurally changed requiring investigation to see if the house has been affected in any adverse way. This increases the time the surveyor needs to spend on site and is reflected within the survey price. If you are buying a flat, see 5 reasons you MUST get a home buyers survey for your flat.

How can you save money on the house survey costs?

As we've explained about, the home buyer survey costs increase when there is a larger, more expensive or run down property. So how can you save money by reducing the survey cost? Here are just some of things you can do: Exclude a valuation - a HomeBuyer Report most often comes with a valuation and reinstatement value. While it is of huge value, this information is provided by another source already; your mortgage lender. If you are getting a mortgage the mortgage lender requires you to get a mortgage valuation which values the property and includes a reinstatement value. Because you already get a valuation from your mortgage lender, you can choose to not get a valuation with the report - which will be surplus in effect -and save in the region of 5 to 10% of the survey cost. HomeBuyer Report instead of a Building Survey - a Building Survey costs more than a HomeBuyer Report and there are occasions where a property could suit a HomeBuyer Report, but you may want to get the Building Survey. You can save money by choosing to get a HomeBuyer Report and the difference in cost would be in the region of £150 or more. Click here to see if your property needs a Homebuyer Report or Building Survey

The cost varies based on the type of property being surveyed and the type of survey you need.

We have a panel of over 100 surveyors covering the whole of England and Wales. We will help you choose the right survey for your property.

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House survey cost for home buyers

by:

Andrew Boast

(Last Updated: 02/02/2024)

Created on:

12/03/2020

Read by:

969

8 min read

Key Takeaways

House Survey cost ranges from £400 to £2,000 INC VAT, depending on survey type.
Prices vary depending on property size, age, price or location.
Flats are cheaper to survey than houses because of size and lack of extra additions, such as extensions or even the roof (if the flat is located on the ground floor, for example).
Read more - When should I get a survey done when buying a house?

What are the 5 main types of house surveys?

1
RICS Level 1 Home Survey - formally called the Condition Survey

2
RICS Level 2 Home Survey - formally called the HomeBuyer Report

3
RICS Level 3 Home Survey - formally called the Building Survey or Full Structural Survey

4
Structural Survey

5
Snagging Survey

On the back of the above surveys, you may be advised to get other types of specific home surveys such as an Asbestos Survey, Drains Survey, Damp and Timber Survey, or Flood Survey. We'll run through the costs for these as well below.

The house survey cost will vary and we will explain why and what to look for when choosing your surveyor because the cost is one thing, but experience, local knowledge and availability are equally if not more important.

16% of homeowners discover defects

In our recent survey, 16% of homeowners found defects; including 2% who were able to pull out of a bad purchase, 7% who were able to negotiate a better price, and sadly, 7% of homeowners who did not get a survey and discovered defects after the purchase.

12 of the 39 who remembered how much these defects cost to remedy spent over £5,000

Don't burn your money, book a survey.

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RICS Surveyors | Fixed Fees | Same week availability | Access arranged

How much does a house survey cost?

Level 1 Home Survey

The cheapest of all surveys, the Level 1 Home Survey costs in the region of £200 to £300 EXC VAT. Due to the basic depth of the report, many surveyors don't offer this type of survey as the limited scope of work rarely suits the majority of properties in England and Wales.

Level 2 Home Survey

Originally called the HomeBuyer Report, the Level 2 Home Survey is the most common home survey as it suits various properties such as bungalows, flats and standard construction houses. The survey is provided by a RICS surveyor.

The cost of the Level 2 Home Survey is based on:

Type of Property. A flat is smaller in size than a house or a bungalow. Bungalows are in the mid-range, although could cost more if there are many extensions. The house survey cost is the most expensive as the surveyor can inspect the whole of the property and grounds, and are larger on two or more floors..
Location. The location of the property can drastically affect the house price. For example, Truro has fewer surveyors, so they can charge more, compared to Nottingham, where there are more surveyors with fierce competition.
Property Price. Surveyors pay their professional indemnity insurance based on the value of the properties they survey. The greater the volume of high-valued properties, the more professional indemnity insurance. The higher the property's value, the more your home survey costs.

Level 2 Home Survey Quote

1

How much does a building survey cost?

This type of survey is known by many different names so when we get asked for how much a full structural survey is or how much does a full house survey cost, then it relates to what the RICS have now called the Level 3 RICS Building Survey.

What is included in a full house survey?

The RICS Building Survey is the most comprehensive report of its kind and should be used for larger or older properties, or when planning major works. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the property's condition and includes advice on defects, repairs and maintenance options.

The cost of a building survey from a RICS qualified building surveyor starts from £600 upward and the final quote will depend on the size, age and value of the property.

2

How much is a homebuyers survey?

You can get a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyers Report with or without a valuation.

The objective of the report is to confirm if you are buying the property for the correct economic value considering the property's condition. However, it is not suitable for certain types of property.

The cost of a Level 2: HomeBuyer Report starts from £450 INC VAT, however, it'll depend on the size, property price and location.

If you're unsure which survey to get on your property, we further discuss the difference between the two in our article - What Is The Difference Between Level 2 and Level 3 Survey?

3

Structural Survey Cost

A structural survey is undertaken by a structural engineer: these specialists undertake different work from a RICS building surveyor.

They are qualified to provide detailed knowledge into the structure of the property and their work includes:

Inspection for chimney breast removal (including a report to your mortgage lender)
Inspection for subsidence (including a report to your mortgage lender)
Inspection for load bearing wall (including a report to your mortgage lender)

Whilst structural engineers can offer a GSI (General Structural Inspection), the most common structural survey is a SSI (specific Structural Survey).

The reason you need this survey is because your mortgage lender has flagged there is a structural defect with the property, so they won't agree to lend you the money until a structural engineer's report has been undertaken.

The cost of a structural survey starts from £599 INC VAT, but will depend on the size of the property and the severity of the issues. If there is a defect you are most likely going to pay the cost of further investigatory works.

SAM Conveyancing provides survey and conveyancing services throughout England and Wales. We have local RICS surveyors near you to undertake HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys to make sure you are buying a property that doesn't have any hidden defects.

Our surveyors have a depth off knowledge surpassing our rivals ranging from 10 to 40 years! We tailor our quotes to the actual property you are buying which means we can often save you some money!

Get an instant online house survey quote or call and speak to one of our survey specialists on 0333 344 3234 (local call charges apply) and we can give you a tailored house survey cost today.

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RICS Surveyors | Fixed Fees | Same week availability | Access arranged

Frequently Asked Questions

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Written by: Andrew Boast

Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.

Reviewed by: Caragh Bailey

Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.

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