Survey

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DP and I have had an offer accepted on a house.

The bank is going round tomorrow to do the valuation thing.

My question is, does this count as the survey or are we supposed to do another one as well? We asked for the most basic one as we are quite strapped for cash but wondered if we are meant to get a separate independent one too?

The valuation is just a quick check to let the mortgage lender know that the house is worth the price you are paying for it. You won't get any report about the condition of the house, so if you want to know this, you need an independent surveyor.

What age is the property and what general condition is it in? I assume you checked for things like visible signs of damp, mould and had a look at the conditions of the roof, windows, gutters etc when you viewed. Do you know the history of any extensions or improvements? Did you look at the boiler and consumer unit etc? Have you been in the loft? I ask, because if you know what you're looking at and you're very confident about the condition of the property, you may decide to save your money (my own opinion is that surveys are not always particularly useful or worth the money). Otherwise, I would go for at least a homebuyer's report, which is kind of the middle level of survey, unless you have reason to believe the house is an old wreck, in which case, you might want to consider a full structural survey.