For most people, a Chartered Surveyor is a person who shows up with a ladder, a clipboard, and an electronic device to poke at the walls for damp. But what are they actually looking for, and why is their role so vital to your house purchase?
A RICS Chartered Surveyor is a highly trained, legally accredited property expert. Their job is simple: to act as your eyes and ears, uncovering the absolute truth about the structural and physical condition of a building before you buy it.
What Does a Surveyor Actually Inspect?
When a surveyor walks into a property, they are conducting a systematic health check of the building from top to bottom. They focus heavily on:
- Structural Integrity: Looking for signs of subsidence (the ground sinking under the house), structural movement, or failing lintels over windows and doors.
- Damp and Rot: Using specialised equipment to find rising damp, penetrating damp, or condensation issues that lead to toxic mold and timber decay.
- The Roof and Loft: Checking for broken tiles, sagging timbers, compromised insulation, and evidence of wood-boring insects (woodworm).
- Safety Hazards: Identifying dangerous asbestos, faulty wiring systems, gas safety issues, or non-compliant alterations.
- Legal & Boundary Issues: Pointing out building extensions that might lack proper planning permission or building regulations approval.
Why Do You Need One?
Many buyers view a survey as just another annoying expense in a long line of moving costs. However, a survey shouldn’t be viewed as a cost; it is an insurance policy.
If a surveyor finds £5,000 worth of roofing defects, you have two options:
- Walk away from a bad investment before it drains your bank account.
- Go back to the estate agent and say, “I still want the house, but I am reducing my offer by £5,000 to cover the roof repairs.”
Many sellers will accept a price reduction or agree to fix the issues when presented with an official, independent RICS report. In short, a surveyor’s fee routinely pays for itself many times over.
Ensure Your Surveyor is RICS Registered
Make sure the surveyor you choose is registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This guarantees they carry professional indemnity insurance, follow strict codes of conduct, and possess the highest level of training available in the industry.
