We keep the house survey cost down regardless of what property survey you need and tell you how much does a survey cost.
Local Surrey
Building Surveyors
Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Richmond 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.
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.
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 in a HomeBuyers Report Richmond and Building Surveys in Richmond.
A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?
A RICS Home Buyers Survey is a visual inspection of the grounds and the internal/external structure of the property and identifies defects such as cracks or damage to the structure of the property, subsidence, damp and infestations.
Some of these defects you may not even see or know what to look for which makes getting a Home Buyers Survey, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, incredibly important when you are considering buying a home in Richmond.
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.
If you're buying a home in Richmond which shows the signs of damp, or any other defects then you MUST get a Home Buyers Survey.
The costs for making good or repairing some of these defects can run into thousands of pounds; however, If identified within a survey 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.
Richmond has many fine period properties as well as Victorian detached and terrace houses, cottages (notably in the Alberts, south of Sheen Road), period conversions and, particularly in the Ham area, modern flats.
New developments are rare but London Square has been converting the Star and Garter home into 1 to 4 bedroom flats. Ham has period houses and cottages and some cheaper flats.
Manor Grove in North Sheen was actually London's first council estate, built in the 1890s and, in keeping with houses built in the late Victorian period, these houses are substantial and were built to last.
There are also modern, shared ownership flats available such as in Burlington Road in New Malden.
Buildings close to the banks of the River Thames in Richmond have been subject to flood alerts from time to time and roads such as Petersham Road, Riverside, Friars Lane and Water Lane are areas where flood warnings have also been issued.
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).
Properties sometimes have issues with ground stability in certain locations in Richmond.
In a recent environmental search, taken out for a property in Upper Richmond Road, the report noted that there was a moderate potential for natural ground instability within 50m of the property.
This should not be taken to mean that the property in question actually suffered/suffers from subsidence however as "active subsidence will be dependent on local conditions, such as the proximity of trees or areas where trees have been removed, which require an inspection of the site to identify the nature of the ground on which the property is built."
Some properties in Richmond are built in designated smoke control areas.
Under the terms of Section 20 of the Clean Air Act 1993, smoke emissions from all buildings are prohibited unless an exemption has been made by the Secretary of State under Section 21 of the Act.
Surrey is located in the south east of England and is well known for its high property prices and leafy areas. Guildford is the county town, however Surrey County Council can be found just up the A3 in the neighbouring town Kingston Upon Thames. It was in Dorking in Surrey at the White Horse where Charles Dickens wrote much of his Pickwick Papers and apparently based many of the characters on local people
The University of Surrey can be found in Guildford, however Surrey also hosts the Royal Holloway University of London (Egham), University of Law & Kingston University. HG Wells, writer of War of the Worlds, lived at Horsell Common in Woking in Surrey when he wrote the book and this is where, in the book, the Martians first land on Earth.
You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Council at Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ, telephone 0208 891 1411, or you can check for the most recently stored planning applications online here:
We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Richmond. 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 Richmond 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 -
It is a common misconception that a mortgage valuation is a HomeBuyers Survey and this can leave HomeBuyers exposed to high repair costs that could have been negotiated with the seller. A mortgage valuation is conducted by the lender’s surveyor to assess the value of the property you are considering buying in Richmondand they do not provide a detailed report on structural defects.
A HomeBuyers Survey details defects and includes a full appraisal of the property independently to anyone else including the mortgage lender. You can use the information to obtain quotes to fix any defects and gives you the evidence to potentially share the costs with the seller.
Most savvy buyers make sure they get a HomeBuyers survey from an independent surveyor to make sure the property they are buying is free from defects. Call us on 0207 112 5388 to get the best HomeBuyers survey for your property in Richmond.
HomeBuyers Report in Richmond
A HomeBuyers Report is general visual inspection for flats, new properties or bungalows of standard construction. Most leasehold flats in Richmond should have a HomeBuyers Report, however the only exception are converted properties which may need a Building Survey.
Most freehold houses in Richmond 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.