Property Survey Review Checklist

Rating 3 means serious defects requiring urgent repair. These are your priority — they affect the property value and may be deal-breakers.

Rating 2 means defects that need repair but are not urgent. Budget for these in your first year of ownership.

Surveyors flag things they cannot fully assess — hidden areas, specialist assessments needed. Get these done before completion if possible.

Cracks, subsidence, bowing walls, lintel failure. Get a structural engineer inspection (£400–£800). This can reveal problems costing £20,000+.

Missing tiles, damaged flashing, rotten timbers. Get a roofer to inspect and quote. Roof replacement can cost £8,000–£25,000.

Rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation — all different causes and treatments. Get a damp specialist survey (pay for an independent opinion, not a free one from a treatment company).

If the EICR shows C2 (potentially dangerous) or C3 (improvement recommended) codes. Get an electrician to quote for remedial work.

If flagged, get a CCTV drain survey (£200–£400). Collapsed drains or root ingress can cost thousands to repair.

Common in properties built before 1990. Asbestos management or removal is a specialist task. Do not disturb it yourself.

If mentioned, get a specialist survey immediately. Affects mortgage lending and can cost £5,000–£20,000+ to eradicate.

Ask relevant tradespeople to quote for repairs before completion. These quotes give you negotiating power on price.

Your solicitor can request a price reduction, require the seller to fix issues, or negotiate a retention from the purchase price.

If total repair costs exceed X% of the property value, is it still worth it? Have a number in mind before emotional attachment takes over.