Cardiff HomeBuyers Survey

Get an Instant Quote for a RICS Home Buyers Survey Cardiff or call us on 0333 344 3234 (Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 11-1)

 
Get Your House Survey Quote * (We send an example report with every quote)

"First Class Service. We are more than impressed with the quick, professional service we have received from this company, very clear report with good Photograph, of areas of interest, also the Team followed up the report with a phone call to make sure we understood the information that we had received. EXCELLENT. Thank you"

Val Edwards, Trustpilot review in November 2018.

* Competitive Prices - Local Surveyors - Same Week Availability - Terms Apply

What Types of House Survey Do We Offer?


SAM is one of the UK’s largest network of Surveyors with local surveyors throughout England. Our most popular property surveys are HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys and these inspections are completed by local RICS surveyors who have years of experience.

We handle all of the booking so you just need to call us for a quote and then we'll handle all of the access for you.
We offer many types of house survey including:
  • Level 2: HomeBuyers Report
  • Level 3: Building Survey
  • Damp & Timber Survey
  • Load Bearing Wall Survey
  • Chimney Breast Removal Survey
  • Snagging Survey
  • Removal of load bearing wall Survey
  • Property Valuation Survey
  • Probate Valuation Survey
  • Leasehold Valuation Survey
  • Structural Engineer Survey

If you are unsure which house survey to book click here or call us and we’ll advise you.

Not sure whether you need a Level 2: HomeBuyers Report or a Level 3: Building Survey? Find out by clicking here and seeing example reports
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House Survey Cost

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Local Building Surveyors (throughout England)


House Survey 

Fast Availability and Delivery of Reports


RICS Surveyors

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

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House Survey Cost

Love our Competitive
House Survey Costs

We keep the house survey cost down regardless of what property survey you need and tell you how much does a survey cost.

Cardiff HomeBuyers Survey

Local Glamorganshire 
Building Surveyors

Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Cardiff to ensure they deliver a detailed homebuyers report to help you decide whether you should move forward with your home move or if you should pull out.

Homebuyers Report

Fast Availability and
Delivery of Reports

We normally have availability within days of you booking and our turnaround for homebuyers survey reports is within 5 working days.

Cardiff HomeBuyers Survey

Panel of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

All of our chartered RICS Surveyors are registered with and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and have indemnity insurance that covers all of the work they undertake for you.

A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?

Our RICS Surveyor, during a Home Buyers Survey in Cardiff, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, inspects both the inside and the outside of your property and searches in particular for subsidence, damp, infestations and any cracks or other damage to the property. The procedure is non-intrusive.

NB If you're a first time buyer, you might wish to click on What is a House Survey to find out more, including what happens during the inspection.

Click to find out how much does a house survey cost (free, no obligation quote)
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Subsidence Inspection

The surveyor will look for signs of subsidence during the structural survey within the property paying special attention to signs of cracking internally and to the external walls. As a rule, if you can fit the width of a 50p into a crack in a wall, it could be a sign of subsidence. Our surveyors will flag in their reports if they feel you need to instruct a structural engineer to review a crack further.


Read more about subsidence

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Damp Testing

There are numerous reasons why a property can be affected by damp. The Surveyor will take samples in the property using a damp meter and assess the condition of the property to provide a report on whether they feel the property is affected by damp. Further investigations maybe suggested including getting a damp and timber specialist. 


Read more about damp testing and repairs

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Identify Infestations

Woodworm, mice, rats and ants are infestations that your don't want in your home. Your surveyor will look for visible signs of mouse droppings, damage to floor boards (when visible) and damage to wiring, carpets or skirting boards


Read more about infestations

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Asbestos

Prior to its banned use, asbestos was a commonly used building material, particularly as part of cement products, floor tiles and roofing shingles. Asbestos was used for its durability and resistance to heat and is commonly found in artex ceilings, garage roofing and chimney stacks. Your surveyor will confirm if they suspect any materials in the property have asbestos and if so, suggest getting an asbestos surveyor to intrusively taking samples of the asbestos to confirm the type.


Read more about asbestos

If your survey highlights concerns relating to any of these defects your surveyor explains what the issue is in detail and provides a recommendation as to what you should do to further investigate. An example of this is if your surveyor spots signs of damp within the property. Over 5,000 properties a week in the UK have damp proofing laid to combat the issue of rising damp and home buyers fear seeing mould, peeling wall paper and sodden floors as these are all tell-tale signs of rising damp.

If your property is showing these signs and your surveyor notes using their damp monitor that there is damp internally they'll advise you to get a damp specialist to attend the property, confirm the issue advising whether it is rising damp and quote for the costs in repairing with damp proofing.

If you're looking at buying a home in Cardiff which is showing signs of damp, or any other defects then you MUST get a Home Buyers Survey. The costs for repairing the defects can run into thousands of pounds; however, If you can identify the problem before you purchase then you can get quotes for fixing it and either share the costs with the seller, or, in worst case examples, choose not to proceed.

You can find a local RICS surveyor by using the search at the bottom RHS of this page.
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Survey tips for properties in Cardiff


In 1905 Cardiff was designated a city, and in 1955 it was declared the capital of Wales. Since then the city has seen great development with new builds still arising regularly. Highfields is a new development with contemporary homes available that are, in the main, detached properties with 3 to 5 bedrooms. Other new developments include 42 eco-homes planned in the suburban area of Cardiff off Allensbank Road.

Cardiff has a large selection of Victorian properties due to the rise in prosperity of its coal port in the 19th century. Grand Victorian terrace houses are situated on roads such as Plasturton Gardens and Cardiff Road. The city also has some large detached Victorian properties such as those on Teilo Street and Plasturton Avenue.

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Properties in Cardiff that are built in close proximity to the bay, the River Taff and the Ely River are sometimes subject to flood warnings. Streets affected include Wyndham Street, Severn Grove and Dyfrog Road.

If you are concerned that a property you are looking to buy is in a flood risk area, you should consider getting a flood risk report (click for more details).
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According to the UK Government's Public Health England, parts of Cardiff, including streets such as Llandaff Road and Penciseley Avenue, is in a raised radon area, with properties built there having a higher probability than average of experiencing ground Radon emissions.

The raised Radon area has a maximum radon potential of 5-10% (the percentage is the chance of a property being built where Radon emissions might measure above the action level).

If you are concerned that a property you are buying is in an area of raised Radon, please click to visit Public Health England's UK Radon Map. Click also to find out more about Radon, Radon property searches and much more.
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Properties in various parts of Cardiff, including streets such as Bute Square and Bute Avenue, may well be affected by the proposed light railway.

If you are buying a property in the area and this is of concern to you, you may well wish to consider purchasing an Energy & Infrastructure Report..
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The City and County of Cardiff is a county in South Wales which centres Cardiff, Wales' capital city, and a surrounding hinterland which variously used to be counted as part of the historic Glamorgan County and more latterly the South Glamorgan County.

The main river traversing the city is the River Taff.
 

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Cardiff Planning Application Search

You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting Cardiff County Council at County Hall, Cardiff CF10 4UW, telephone 029 2087 2087, or you can check for the most recently stored planning applications online here:


Read the following article if you are thinking about building an extension.

RICS Find a surveyor in Cardiff

Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Llandough, Rumney, Penarth, Radyr, St Fagans, Llanedeyrn and Rumney.

We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Cardiff. Whether you are buying an old run down 'doer upper' or standard construction freehold house, our RICS surveyors have seen them all.

With a vast number of years of experience completing surveys on properties in Cardiff we'll be able to give you the detailed report you need to know what defects there are with your property.

You can see some of our expert surveyors by clicking here - 


Recently completed Home Buyers Survey in Cardiff:


  • The Meadows, Marshfield, Cardiff, CF3 2DY
  • Cinnamon Close, Walton Cardiff, Twekesbury GL20 7FN
  • Bryn-Gwyn Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff, Wales, CF23 6PQ
  • Bryn-Gwyn Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff, Wales, CF23 6PQ
  • Melrose Court, Penhill Road, Cardiff, CF11 9PS

 

Is a Mortgage valuation a defect survey?

Many people are not entirely sure about the difference between a mortgage valuation and a HomeBuyers Survey.

Your lender conducts its own valuation on the property in Cardiff you intend to buy to check that it is lending you the right sum of money in relation to the property's value. It is not intended to examine any defects which might affect the property.

When you book a HomeBuyers Survey from us, as well as receiving an independent valuation of the property you wish to buy, the primary focus is to establish whether the property has any issues which you should know about, for example rising damp or subsidence, which might, particularly as time passes, end up requiring even tens of thousands of pounds to put right.


This knowledge is naturally of great use to you, given how much you are intending to spend. You might, on the strength of the information, provided, negotiate with the seller to contribute towards the costs of repairing the defects or even pull out buying the property entirely.

Most importantly, any HomeBuyers Survey is entirely for YOUR benefit and is independent of both your lender - if you are buying with a mortgage - and your vendor. Call 0333 344 3234 to get yours and to help your peace of mind.

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HomeBuyers Survey Cardiff

HomeBuyer Report in Cardiff

A HomeBuyers Report is general visual inspection for flats, new properties or bungalows of standard construction. Most leasehold flats in Cardiff should have a HomeBuyers Report, however the only exception are converted properties which may need a Building Survey.

Click to see a Level 2: HomeBuyers Report with Valuation example.

Building Survey Cardiff

Building Survey in Cardiff

Most freehold houses in Cardiff that are over 50 years old, that have been refurbished/developed or are unusual in style should get a Building Survey. A Building Survey used to be called the Full Structural Survey and is the most comprehensive visual inspection a surveyor can provide. Choosing a HomeBuyers Report when you should have a Building survey can be costly if key defects don't get reported in the detail you require.

Click to see a RICS Level 3 Building Survey example

If you are unsure which survey to choose you can call our surveyors and they'll help you choose - Call 0333 344 3234.

Which survey suits your style of property in Cardiff
Choose which survey based on its type, style and age
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