Not all property surveys have the same purpose or level of inspection.
A mortgage valuation, home survey, building survey and specialist defect inspection can produce very different conclusions because they are answering different questions.
Why can surveys disagree?
The scope of an inspection matters.
A mortgage valuation is primarily concerned with the property’s value and suitability as security for lending. A RICS Home Survey provides a more detailed assessment of condition, depending on the level selected.
A specialist defect report goes further where a particular problem requires investigation.
Two professionals can therefore inspect the same property and reach different conclusions without either survey necessarily being wrong.
What if I have a specific concern?
If you are already aware of a particular problem, a general survey may not provide the level of investigation you need.
For example, concerns about:
- Cracking.
- Dampness.
- Movement.
- Water ingress.
- Roof defects.
- Structural alterations.
- Recurring building defects.
may justify a more focused defect analysis.
What should you do if reports conflict?
Start by comparing the scope of each inspection.
Check what was actually inspected, what limitations applied and whether the reports were intended to answer the same question.
A specialist surveyor may then be able to assess the specific defect and available evidence in greater detail.
Stokemont’s advice
Do not compare survey reports simply by counting how many defects each one identifies.
The more important question is whether the survey was designed to investigate the issue you are concerned about.
