Which Survey?

First, it’s important to say that a mortgage valuation is NOT a survey.

A copy of the report prepared for the lender following a brief inspection by the valuer, does not go far enough. The mortgage valuation is for the benefit of your lender – not for you, the borrower.

It answers only the lender’s questions relating to the security of the property for loan purposes. You should not rely upon it to answer the questions that concern your interests. It also may not disclose significant defects.

Compare survey types and find which one you need.

Facts about the property Building Survey Homebuyer Report
Property was built before 1900 tick box cross box
Property in need of renovation or already been extensively altered tick box cross box
Property is of unusual construction
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Property is a listed building tick box cross box
Property is in a reasonable condition tick box tick box
Property is an average sized flat in reasonable condition cross box tick box

What The Council of Mortgage Lenders have to say on mortgage valuations:

The valuation is carried out purely to help the lender decide whether it is willing to lend, and if so how much, on the property you want to buy. The valuer makes a written report to the lender. The lender does not have to tell you the contents of the report, but some lenders will give you a copy or at least tell you about any serious problems which may have been spotted during the valuation.

The valuation is not an extensive survey and will not necessarily identify all the repairs or maintenance that might be needed. For a full picture, you should consider having a complete building survey or a mid-range “home-buyer’s report” carried out.

Why you should keep your survey separate from your mortgage valuation

There is sometimes an option to pay the lender to upgrade their mortgage valuation to a more comprehensive report like a Homebuyer or a Building Survey.  This can be quite cheap but allows the lender to see the full report.

• There might be things in that report that, although they don’t change your decision to buy, could affect your ability to raise a mortgage on the property.

• Have a survey carried out before you incur further costs.

We are independent chartered surveyors covering London & the South East. We provide residential valuation and survey advice for private clients, financial institutions and the legal profession.

We offer Building Surveys (formerly known as a Structural Survey or Full Structural), RICS Homebuyer Reports, Valuations and a range of other services including Tax Valuations.

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020 3411 6393

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