What are the different types of House Survey?
There are a number surveys you can get and we have hand selected some of the best surveyors to work with in the market who provide a service we are prepared to put our name to. We have a number of different specialist surveyors who handle different types of survey which include:
When using a SAM panel surveyor we handle all of the booking process for you and we have negotiated 'better than direct' fees with all of our panel surveyors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a FIXED House Survey Cost quote?
You can either call our us on 0333 344 3234 (local call charges apply) and we'll discuss the types of survey you need, or you can use our online form above to set a call back time that suits you.
During our call we'll discuss what your intentions are and which survey would better suit your style of property. We then email you a competitively priced fixed fee quote setting out the scope of work for the service chosen.
Are the survey fees for buying a house more expensive than a flat?
As we've seen about, RICS has three types of house survey, a condition report, HomeBuyers Report and a Building Survey. Building surveys are suited for larger property’s or older properties, or if you’re planning major works such as Edwardian and Victorian properties. The HomeBuyers Report is better suited for properties under 70 years old that have not had major extensions for example bungalows or flats. When purchasing a Flat you would only need a HomeBuyers Survey. Survey fees are cheaper on a flat as the surveyor is limited to what they can access therefore there is less work to complete compared to a house and this is reflected in the house survey cost.
Does a house survey cost more in London?
The simple answer is yes, however the more detailed answer is that London house prices are higher than the rest of the country so you'll find that a homebuyers survey cost will be more than outside of London. There is a caveat to this though because the capital is a busy market and there are alot of RICS Building Surveyors so there is fierce competition. With a little shopping around you should be able to find a quote that suits your budget, however don't just base your buying decision on price - cheap doesn't mean you'll get quality or early availability. Why don't you check out the cost for survey in different parts of London here:
How do I book a Survey?
Booking is easy, so when you are ready to instruct you call us on 0333 344 3234 (local call charges apply). We take all of the property details including:
- Your full names and correspondence address;
- Property address;
- Type of property; and
- Estate agent or access details.
We book in our panel surveyor on the earliest available date (normally within 2 to 3 days) or on a specific date of your choice
What is the House survey cost?
A HomeBuyers Survey Cost is cheaper than the Building Survey cost due to several factors, however the key reason is that the building surveyor spends longer providing a Level 3 Building Survey. You can read more on the different costs here:
What qualifications does a RICS surveyor have?
Our panel of RICS surveyors are all regulated by RICS and hold one of the following accreditations:
- Associate RICS (AssocRICS);
- Member RICS (MRICS); or
- Fellow RICS (FRICS).
What to do if there is a problem?
We take matters like this very seriously and our Surveyor would like the opportunity to reply to your complaint in full. The first step is for you to detail in writing what your formal complaint is; setting out the reasons for your complaint and to provide any additional evidence that supports your complaint including any photos (photos and other supporting evidence are incredibly useful so please provide these).
The Surveyor will send you their Formal Complaints Procedure which sets out their time frames to respond to your complaint. The Surveyor will take all reasonable steps to resolve your complaint and may ask to revisit the property. After completing their review, the Surveyor writes to you in response to your complaint. This will hopefully address your complaint through providing additional information where possible.
In the event that you are still unsatisfied with the Surveyor you can pursue a third party dispute resolution service that the surveyor is registered to. You cannot raise a complaint to the dispute resolution service until you have raised a formal complaint to your Surveyor. The details of the dispute resolution service for RICS surveyors is:
Service Provider | Address | Email | Website |
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution | 70 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1EU | | |
The dispute resolution service is free for you to use and considers all information provided by you and the Surveyor. You can read the guidance notes here. They provide their independent opinion on the delivery of the Service by the Surveyor. If you are unhappy with the decision from the dispute resolution service you can ask for a further review by another person at CEDR. If after this further review you are still unhappy then you can seek to look to reclaim your losses through the legal system.