House survey cost for home buyers
- 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?
- 1RICS Level 1 Home Survey - formally called the Condition Survey
- 2RICS Level 2 Home Survey - formally called the HomeBuyer Report
- 3RICS Level 3 Home Survey - formally called the Building Survey or Full Structural Survey
- 4Structural Survey
- 5Snagging 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.
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.
- 1
How much does a building survey cost?
What is included in a full house survey?
- 2
How much is a homebuyers survey?
- 3
Structural Survey Cost
- 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)
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.
