Homebuyer Structural Surveys

When does a buyer need an engineer?

Not every purchase needs a structural engineer. The common triggers are:

• The mortgage valuation or RICS survey recommends 'further investigation by a structural engineer'
• Visible cracking, sloping floors or bulging walls at viewing
• The property has been extended or altered and you can't see evidence of Building Regulations approval
• A history of subsidence, underpinning or structural repair in the seller's paperwork
• Older properties with movement that may be historic and stable - or may not be

What the survey can tell you

An engineer can assess the significance of cracking and movement, whether alterations appear structurally sound, whether floors and roof structures are performing, and whether the defects you can see are likely to be historic and stable or active and progressive. The report gives you the practical outcome: what needs doing, roughly what scale of work it is, and what can simply be monitored.

That's information you can negotiate with. A defect that costs £2,000 to put right shouldn't cost you the purchase - and a serious one shouldn't become yours to discover after completion.

What the report does not do

An engineer's structural report is not a substitute for every other check on a property purchase. It does not replace a full RICS building survey (which covers general condition, damp, services and more), a specialist damp or timber inspection, or your solicitor's legal searches. It answers the structural question - thoroughly - and we're always clear about the boundary.

Arranging an inspection

Timing matters in a purchase, so we prioritise homebuyer inspections. Send us the address, the listing and - if you have it - the wording of the surveyor's or lender's concern, and we'll quote a fixed fee and the report date. Access is usually arranged through the estate agent; we do that routinely.