Buying a House Without a Survey
Choosing to purchase a home in England or Wales without a survey is a gamble. It is not legally mandatory, but by skipping a RICS inspection, you risk missing major defects like subsidence, damp, or dry rot.
According to research, those who didn't get a survey and later discovered defects paid over £3,000 on average for subsequent repairs, many times more than the price of the survey itself. This is why ignoring a survey is known as a false economy.
For a first-time buyer or someone in a competitive market, it's understandable to question every expense. However, removing a survey means you lose the opportunity to negotiate the price or withdraw from the purchase entirely, leaving yourself vulnerable to financial disaster.
A valuation is not a survey
The lender's valuation offers you zero protection. This is the most common and costly mistake: believing the lender's valuation survey acts as a check for defects. It does not.
- The Lender's Valuation is for their security only. It confirms the property is worth the price you are paying, protecting the bank, not the buyer.
- A RICS surveyor performs an independent Defect Survey (Level 2 or Level 3), which is the only report designed to protect your interests.
Call or send us a message to request a callback or an email answering your queries about our surveys.
Our UK-based survey team can help you choose the right level of home survey for your property, at no extra charge.
There's no obligation to instruct. We'll make sure you understand your options and provide a free, fixed-fee quote for our best-value survey to meet your needs.
No robots, no call centres. Property challenges solved.
What high-cost defects can be missed if you buy a house without a survey?
Your RICS surveyor is armed with experience and local knowledge, inspecting the property for a wide variety of defects that are often difficult and expensive to remedy. Remember, your solicitor relies on paperwork; only a physical inspection can flag these issues.
Defects that solicitors and property searches can miss (physical issues)
- Subsidence: Major structural movement or significant cracking, a problem that often makes the property un-mortgageable until rectified.
- Wet & Dry Rot: Timber decay and fungal growth, where the resulting repairs can quickly spiral into the tens of thousands (e.g., anecdotal reports of £30,000 for extensive dry rot).
- Concealed Damp:Rising damp, penetrating damp, and issues with external rendering or poor drainage that cause internal damage and mould.
- Roof & Drainage Leaks: Problems with the roof structure, lead flashings, chimney stacks, or faulty plumbing/septic systems.
- Invasive Species: The presence of Japanese Knotweed or other infestations which require specialist treatment plans and significantly affects mortgage lending.
- Old Wiring & Asbestos: Visible deterioration of wiring systems, or the suspected presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
The seller’s Property Information Form (TA6) might not refer to any suspicion of a defect, and conveyancing searches are focused on the land and external services; they will not detect concealed damp or structural weakness. Your survey report is the firewall.
The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for the RICS survey.
While the lender will arrange their own mortgage valuation, this is a separate report that you should not rely on for defect assessment. You choose the surveyor, ensuring they are independent and RICS-accredited.
Do I need a Level 2 or a Level 3 survey?
The good news is that when you come to us, we can quickly determine which level of survey your property requires. It's about matching the level of inspection to the property's risk profile.
Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|
Level 2 Best suited for standard, modern properties.
| Level 3 The highest level of inspection for complex or high-risk properties.
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Cost Tip: A Level 3 Survey typically costs only marginally more than a Level 2 for the same property, but the depth of information it provides for a complex property is invaluable. It’s always better to be over-protected than under-protected.
In our recent survey, 16% of homeowners found defects; including 2% who were able to pull out of a bad purchase, 7% who were able to negotiate a better price, and sadly, 7% of homeowners who did not get a survey and discovered defects after the purchase.
12 of the 39 who remembered how much these defects cost to remedy spent over £5,000
Don't burn your money, book a survey.
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
