Having a surveyor looking around your home can be a stressful experience. In this article, we’re here to show you how to prepare for a house survey to make their job easier and the experience less stressful for you too.

An inspection by a surveyor is an important part of several processes:

  • Valuation for mortgage/re-mortgage or help to buy purposes will normally last around 30 minutes for an average sized house.
  • An inspection for a HomeBuyers Report will normally last 1.5 to 2.5 hours for an average sized house.
  • An inspection for a full Building Survey will likely take 2.5 hours + for an average sized property and can be substantially longer for larger houses.

Whilst the visit may be inconvenient, if you are selling your property, consider the amount of money involved for your purchaser, providing access to their surveyor for a few hours would seem only reasonable.  It’s important for the surveyor to be able to work unencumbered and uninterrupted.

How can you help

  • A tidy house with easy access to all areas reduces the amount of time the surveyor will spend in your property, surveyors will often need to look at windows, fuse boxes, stop taps and utilities clearing items away from these areas can help.
  • Pets; if you have particularly nervous or aggressive animals, please think about the surveyor. Maybe getting someone to look after them during the visit or ensuring they are kept in different rooms.
  • Hiding defects with strategically placed rugs, sofas or pictures generally doesn’t work. Most surveyors are experienced enough to find them, quite often being honest about problems can allay surveyor’s and purchaser’s worries. Hiding or disguising them normally rings alarm bells, when maybe it is only a small problem.
  • Finally, please don’t try to rush the surveyor. Your purchaser has spent a lot of money on their survey and the surveyor is trying to provide a good service to their client.

Should I make minor repairs?

If there are any small DIY tasks that need doing around your property, it’s sensible to get caught up with them ahead of a house survey.

This could be something minor, like a broken light switch or plug socket, a leaking tap or pipe, or cosmetic work like peeling paint.

Nobody is expecting you to fully refurbish a house you’re about to sell – unless you plan to do this anyway to add value – but taking care of the small details can help.

Any questions?

The exact itinerary for your surveyor’s visit can depend on the level of survey you have booked, from a Condition Report or HomeBuyer Report, through to a full RICS Building Survey which can identify necessary repair work and estimate the costs involved.

If you’d like to know more about how to prepare for a house survey and what the surveyor will do on the day, please contact us on 0161 929 7892 and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.