Mortgage survey - what happens?

[smogwod]

Our buyers have arranged for a mortgage survey on our house for tomorrow morning. Have never sold before so just wondering what actually happens? How perfect/tidy does the house need to be, would it be a good idea to ask someone to mind my little ones so that I can actually hold a proper conversation?! Or will they not even come in at all? No idea what to expect.
Thanks!

They might ask you some questions at the end of the survey - esp if they couldn't access anything or there is an extension or any obvious work done on the house. Sometimes the buyer asks them to look at specific issues - although with a 'mortgage survey' the buyer often doesn't have any direct contact with the surveyor - as it's only for the mortgage company's purposes.
Generally, they'll tour the whole house, pronging the walls with damp meters, looking for any evidence of woodworm, measuring rooms and they will lift external drain covers.
They won't check if the central heating works, or the electrics or if the windows and dooors open/close - (unless something looks like it's a problem).

If it's just a valuation you might be surprised at how little they do. We once had a valuation done for a remortgage - the surveyor was in and out within 10 minutes, pausing only to ask me what I thought the house was worth. Whichg in the end was the exact figure she came up with....

Excellent, just a quick tidy up should do it then. Thanks ladies, so glad I didn't spend the day getting back to 'showhome', amazing how quickly normality returns after that!