You’ve found a house you love. The kitchen is lovely, the garden is the right size, and the view from the back bedroom is exactly what you’d hoped for. After two viewings and a lot of daydreaming, you’re ready to make an offer.
But a viewing lasts about 20 minutes. It’s designed to show you a property at its best, and nobody expects you to climb into the loft or check the chimney stack. So what could you be missing?
I carry out surveys across the Ribble Valley, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and these are the five things I find most often that buyers have no way of spotting on a viewing.
1. What’s going on in the roof space
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of any property to repair, and it’s the part you’re least likely to inspect yourself. In the loft I look at the condition of the roof timbers, signs of past or current leaks, ventilation, and whether the insulation is doing its job or trapping moisture against the timbers.
Some roofs are also hard to assess properly from the ground or a ladder. A drone survey gives a close-up view of the coverings, ridges, valleys and chimney stacks, so far less of the roof is left as “not inspected”.
2. Damp hiding behind fresh paint
A freshly decorated room can look immaculate and still have a problem. Damp is often caused by something simple, like a blocked gutter, failed pointing or a leaking pipe, and it’s cheap to fix if caught early and expensive if left for years.
In a survey I use a moisture meter, look for the tell-tale signs, and work out the most likely cause, because that’s what decides what the repair will involve.
3. Chimneys, pointing and guttering
Chimney stacks, flashings and gutters take a beating from the weather, and defects here are easy to miss from the ground. Missing pointing, loose flaunching or a gutter that’s been overflowing down a wall can all let water into the structure over time. These are the kinds of defects that cause damp inside and cost far more to put right once they’ve been neglected.
4. Cracks, and whether they matter
Not every crack is a problem. Many are historic, minor and stable, and an older home will usually have a few. But some cracks point to movement, and you don’t want to find out which is which after you’ve exchanged contracts.
A survey tells you what the cracking looks like, what’s likely to have caused it, and whether it needs monitoring, repair or more specialist advice.
5. The risks around the property
Some of the biggest factors aren’t in the building at all. Depending on where you’re buying, a survey will prompt you to raise questions about:
- Past coal mining. Parts of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire sit in former mining areas, and a Coal Authority report is worth having.
- Flood risk. Properties near rivers, brooks and culverts can have a flooding history worth understanding.
- Radon. Some areas have a higher chance of radon gas, which is easy to test for.
- Drainage and legal matters. The survey flags points to raise with your solicitor before you commit.
So what do you do with the findings?
Most houses are fine, and plenty of surveys come back with nothing to worry about. That’s good news, because you can buy with confidence. When a survey does find problems, you have options:
- Ask the seller to fix the issues before exchange
- Renegotiate the price to reflect the cost of repairs
- Get quotes for the work before you commit
- In some cases, walk away from a property that isn’t right
The point is that you decide with the facts in front of you, not after the keys are in your hand.
Which survey do you need?
- A Level 2 HomeBuyer Report suits conventional properties built after 1930 that are in reasonable condition.
- A Level 3 Building Survey is better for older, larger or unusual properties, and for homes that have been significantly altered or extended.
Not sure which is right for you? Take a look at our Which Survey? guide, or just ask.
Get a free, no-obligation quote
I’m Michael, Director of Gawthorpe & Co Surveyors Ltd, an independent, RICS-regulated practice based in Clitheroe. Every survey is carried out personally, and every report is written in plain English.
If you’re buying in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire or West Yorkshire, get in touch or call 0800 002 9968 for a quote.