06. Problems with the survey

There are three different types of survey and they will give you different amounts of information and detail.

• A valuation carried out by a mortgage lender has the least amount of information. It is only done to see if the price you have offered is close to the property's value, so that they can recover the loan if the property has to be sold.
• A 'house-buyer's report' is more detailed.
•  A full structural survey or building survey is the most thorough type of survey.

If you are a buyer, you should check carefully what a survey covers and what it doesn't (for example, parts of the property that haven't been checked because the surveyor couldn't get access to them).

All qualified surveyors should be members of a professional association such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (see 'Further help' for details).

If you lose out because of a surveyor's negligence (for example, the house you have bought has problems that the survey should have shown up), RICS has a complaints procedure and arbitration scheme which you can use if the surveyor is a RICS member.

Going to arbitration is cheaper and simpler than going to court. You and the surveyor each prepare a statement, and the property may be re-inspected. The arbitrator's decision is legally binding on both sides. You can claim compensation up to £50,000 if the defect means the market value of the property is less than you paid.