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The risk of a cheap building surveyor

Andrew Boast of Sam Conveyancing
Last Updated: 17/11/2021
142
2 min read
With all of the other conveyancing costs you may be lured into looking a cheap building surveyor for either your HomeBuyer Report or Building Survey.

So what’s wrong with trying to get a bargain when looking for a home buyer’s survey? The frequently observed truth of ‘you get what you pay for’ is relevant once again here.

Cheap surveyors do more surveys in a day

Surveyors typically get paid between £400-£1,500 INC VAT to carry out a home buyers survey. The challenge is that for some surveyors the rising coasts of travel, insurance and equipment means that the cheaper the survey, the more surveys they'll need to do.

Undertaking more surveys in a day can lead to not having adequate time to investigate all issues which could lead to the report not having the same level of detail.

Cheap Building Surveyors Price vs Quality of Work Graph

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Report Lacks Detail. The survey report could lack detail around issues at the property because the surveyor didn't spend an adequate time there.
  • Report is caveated. A surveyor may choose to caveat part of the report to avoid the risk of future claims using general phrases such as "I was not able to inspect the roof, rooves with a slope should be regularly cleared". This type of report doesn't tell you the issues found at your specific property.
  • Availability. Cheap surveyors often have poor availability with bookings 2 to 3 weeks ahead.

It depends on the size and style of the properties being surveyed however one in the morning and one in the afternoon is fairly standard.
Prices will depend on the location of your property and the availability of the surveyor. Contact us today to get a quote as we have a national panel of local RICS surveyors - 0333 344 3237 (local call charges apply).

There are 4 types of RICS survey you can get when buying a property and these are listed in order of the cheapest:

  • Level 1 - Condition Report
  • Level 2 - HomeBuyer Report with no valuation
  • Level 2 - HomeBuyer Report with a valuation
  • Level 3 - Building Survey


Andrew Boast of Sam Conveyancing
Written by:

Andrew Boast FMAAT is a qualified accountant, conveyancing specialist and author with over 25 years of experience in the UK property sector. Since beginning his career in 2000 within established SRA and CLC-regulated conveyancing solicitor firms, Andrew has overseen the legal journeys of more than 75,000 clients.

He is the author of the property guide 'How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone' and a frequent contributor to mainstream UK media on legislative updates, property law, first-time buyer guides, conveyancing best practices, and stamp duty changes. Andrew specialises in resolving complex title issues, property conflict disputes, and property tax options, streamlining the enquiry process to reduce transaction times and maintaining a client-friendly focus.
Caragh Bailey, Digital Marketing Manager
Reviewed by:

Caragh Bailey is a Lead Property Content Specialist at SAM Conveyancing, having joined the firm in 2020. With a portfolio of over 150 technical conveyancing, house survey and mortgage guides, she has become a primary authority on the end-to-end sale and purchase process.

Caragh specialises in complex legal workflows, including Help to Buy redemptions, equity transfers, shared ownership structures, trust deeds for tax planning, and joint ownership disputes. Her expertise extends to leasehold reform and RICS home surveys, where she provides clear, factual guidance on independent legal advice for specialist mortgage products and intricate ownership structures.

 
 
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