Structural Survey

We provide a range of services to help you make the right decisions about your property. Our services include building inspections, building reports, building surveys, building valuations, and more.

In the case of a full structural survey, or building survey, it’s built a detailed report on the condition and the construction of a residential or commercial property. It’s mostly used for buyers/ investors considering older properties, buildings that have been renovated, or those that are in an obviously dilapidated state.

A visual inspection survey is including any intrusive testing, to assess the condition of the structure and provide a report with advice for remedial repairs.

What does a full survey report include?

Our experts will provide a detailed report that will contain important elements such as :

A thorough assessment of the property defects and notable hazards
A thorough assessment of the property defects and notable hazards
Personalized advice on repairs and maintenance, including an estimated cost.
A brief of any previous structural work done on the property.

A complete structural survey will generally take up to a day to complete and between five and ten days to produce the report.

Common issues found during a structural survey

Based on the recommended repairs and maintenance advice the client can fully understand how severe each problem is. Some common problems include:

Poor ventilation or damp issues

When coupled with poor ventilation, properties with issues such as rising dampness, condensation, or mold can require a lot of work. Older properties will often have been constructed without adequate ventilation or proofing so, damp issues are extremely common.

Structural movement

Structural movement is when integral parts of the building confer strength and stability shift. Roof carcassing, floors, walls, frameworks, and foundations can bulge, crack, expand or contract over time and may compromise the safety of a property if the movement is severe. Natural decay, paired with variations in the quality of materials, means that surveyors tend to identify some form of structural movement in older properties.

Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed is a clump-forming plant that grows rapidly and can cause damage to properties by targeting weak structural points. It produces thick and extensive roots that invade and worsen masonry cracks and mortar joints.

Electrical and drainage issues

Electrical problems can vary from minor issues to something that could lead to a full rewiring of the property. Similarly, faulty drain pipes can cause numerous issues within a building, including water pooling and water damage.

Asbestos

Asbestos can cause life-threatening health issues and was banned in 1999 as a building material, so any property built before this date could still contain it. In the case that asbestos has been found on your property, you should contact a specialist to remove it.

Roof issues

Surveys usually find evidence of poor installation, ponding water, slipped slates, and inadequate ventilation in older properties and without proper maintenance, these issues can become catastrophic. While most of these problems are easy to rectify, it’s important to look at the condition of the roof on the whole and consider how this may impact the property in the future.

What happens after a structural survey?

If the report has uncovered problems with the property or the surveyor has valued the property at a lower amount than you offered, you might want to negotiate the price of your new home. Most reports help you decide which problems are most urgent by ranking issues by severity using a traffic light system. This stage in the process can be stressful but, once resolved, you can contact your mortgage lender and solicitor to proceed. At this point, you will receive the final contract to sign and complete the sale.