PSPC Jargon Buster: Building Survey

31 March 2023

The aim of our Jargon Buster series is to break down the terminology of the property industry to help you feel confident and in control of your home-buying journey.

In this article, we’re discussing the term ‘Building Survey’, and what it means when buying a home in Scotland.

Building Survey

What is a building survey?

A building survey is a report prepared on the condition of a property for sale. It can also be known as a structural survey.

There are different levels of survey available depending on your budget, the condition or age of the property you're hoping to buy, or how much information you'd like to know about the property before committing to a formal offer.

Do I need a building survey in Scotland?

Unlike in England, properties for sale in Scotland have to have a Home Report as a legal requirement of the sale.

A Home Report is a type of building survey, which tells buyers everything they need to know about a property in terms of its condition and market value. Sellers are legally required to order a Home Report on their property before listing it for sale. Home Reports should be carried out by a RICS qualified surveyor.

A Home Report will typically include the following elements:

So, as a property buyer, you don't necessarily need to order a building survey for a property in Scotland, as for many properties, the Home Report will cover everything you may wish to know.

Why should I get a building survey?

In some cases, a property may require some extra assessment, or a buyer might wish to know more in-depth information about the condition of a property before committing to buy - this is when a building survey can be very useful.

A building survey can be useful for listed properties, older properties, unusual properties or a property that you are intending to renovate, or for a property which has some concerns raised in the initial Home Report. This is because you can choose from different types of surveys to suit the property in question, and to find out more about its history, any limitations or potential issues that the general Home Report didn't uncover.

What kinds of building surveys are available?

Usually you can choose between three kinds of building surveys, depending on your needs: a mortgage valuation report, a home buyer's report or a full structural survey.

Mortgage Valuation Reports

Also known as a Scheme 1 Survey, this type of survey may be requested by buyers or mortgage lenders as an alternative to a Home Report. This is usually the case if a property is not being listed on the open market, such as if it is being sold privately.

A mortgage valuation survey will examine the value of the property, and will detail any obvious defects or structural problems in the property. However, this type of report is not as thorough as a Home Report, which may mean that your mortgage lender will require more details.

Home Buyer's Report

Otherwise known as a Scheme 2 Survey, a Home Buyer's Report is a more detailed version of the Home Report that the property will be listed with. This type of report includes a valuation and a more detailed investigation of any issues with the property. However, it will not include close inspections of the property's roof or floors, so buyers should be aware that structural issues could be missed when ordering this type of report.

Full Structural Survey

This is the most in-depth type of building survey, and also the most expensive kind. A full structural survey is usually requested, ordered and paid for by the buyer, and this can happen prior to them making an offer on a property.

If a property is particularly old or characterful, or has listed status, it's quite common for a buyer to decide to carry out a full structural survey, so that they know what to expect from the property. The surveyor will thoroughly assess the property's condition and any defects, and will deliver a detailed report to the buyer, up to 20 pages long in some cases. 

How much does a building survey cost?

A mortgage valuation report/Scheme 1 Survey is considered the most economical survey, and usually starts from around £200. 

A home buyer's report/Scheme 2 Survey has a starting price of around £250.

A full structural survey is the most expensive kind of building survey, and depending on the property's value, size and condition, buyers can expect to pay up to £1000 for this kind of survey. 

When should I get a building survey?

If you are interested in a property and would like more information than the Home Report can give you (such as more information on the condition of the property's structure, roof or floors), then you can order a survey for your own peace of mind. 

In some instances, a mortgage lender may not accept the Home Report as a basis for lending, and so in this case you will need a separate building survey.

You should order a survey to be carried out before you make an offer on a property. In Scotland, if you make an offer on a property and it is accepted, you will be legally bound to buy the property, so it's important that you're content with the condition of the property, and that you're confident your mortgage lender will be prepared to lend you the money. 

An alternative option is to make an offer 'subject to survey', which means that you will have a survey carried out if your offer is accepted. This offers extra protection for the buyer, as it allows you to legally withdraw your offer if the survey delivers unsatisfactory results. However, buyers should be aware that this makes offers on properties less attractive for sellers.

A building survey can be very useful in helping you get a mortgage on an older or more unusual property. 

Building survey

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2024

2023

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2022

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2021

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2020

Perthshire housing market back with a bang 2020-12-10 Digital Guide 2020-05-27

2019

The property market across Scotland - Quarter Two 2019 by SPC Scotland 2019-10-16 LORD PROVOST OPENS NEW-LOOK CENTRE 2019-09-17 The Dundee property market 2019-06-24

2018

Property Repair Seminar 2018-11-20 Free Property Repair Seminar Tuesday 13th November 2018 2018-11-09 The Facts January - September 2018 2018-10-18 Process of buying your property with PSPC 2018-09-11 Land & Buildings Transaction Tax - Help for First Time Buyers 2018-07-19 **Summer** 2018-07-17 A New Look for PSPC 2018-04-18 Followup for Property Repair Seminar 2018-03-26 Property Repair Seminar - Information 2018-03-19 Property Facelift 2018-03-09 Property Repair Seminar - Caring for your Historic Building 2018-03-03 Buyers Event at PSPC 2018-02-24 Moving This Spring? Something Old, Something New 2018-02-07 More on the Help To Buy Buyer's Event 2018-02-06 Help to Buy 2018-01-30 Stats - How was 2017? 2018-01-10

2017

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2016

Welcome Message Guide Issue 1477 8/12/2016 2016-12-07 PSPC Guide Competition 2016-12-07 Competition Time 2016-12-05 Social Media 2016-11-30 Black Friday 10% Voucher Deal 2016-11-25 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1476 17/11/2016 2016-11-17 Winter Warmer 2016-11-17 Thank You 2016-10-31 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1475 27/10/2016 2016-10-26 Help To Buy Event 29th October 2016 2016-10-25 Help to Buy Event 2016-10-25 Stability Remains the Theme 2016-10-06 Help to Buy Event at PSPC 2016-09-30 Need a little help getting on the property ladder?? 2016-09-22 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1473 15/09/2016 2016-09-14 August Sales/Under Offers 2016-09-01 August stats 2016-09-01 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1472 25/08/2016 2016-08-26 Local Market -v- National Trends 2016-08-26 Staff Position 2016-07-22 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1470 14/07/2016 2016-07-13 First Half of 2016 Sees £50M+ Property Sales 2016-07-01 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1469 23/06/2016 2016-06-23 Summer Storage Solutions 2016-06-23 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1468 02/06/2016 2016-06-02 Taxing Times 2016-06-02 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1467 12/05/2016 2016-05-11 A First Time for Everything 2016-05-11 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1466 21/04/2016 2016-04-21 Property Market Spring Forwards 2016-04-21 PSPC Guides 2016-04-14 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1465 30/03/2016 2016-03-30 Blooming Marvellous 2016-03-30 Sounding Out Perthshire's Legal Talent 2016-03-30 ‘Perfect storm’ in property market 2016-03-24 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1464 10/03/2016 2016-03-09 Selling Up? Clear Up! 2016-03-09 Help to Buy and Lift Scheme FREE Mortgage Advice 2016-03-04 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1463 25/02/2016 2016-02-24 Financial Help for Perthshire Househunters 2016-02-24 Under Offers 2016-02-17 Welcome Message Guide Issue 1462 11/02/2016 2016-02-10 Help to Buy = Help you Move! 2016-02-10 Help to Buy Event 2016!! 2016-02-05 Welcome to the latest edition of PSPC's Guide 28/01/2016 2016-01-29 Why PSPC? 2016-01-29 First Guide of 2016 2016-01-13 Moving On Up in 2016 2016-01-13 Stats 2016-01-12

2015

The Last of 2015 2015-12-10 PSPC Festive Opening Hours 2015-11-25 PSPC Festive Opening Hours for Saturdays 2015-11-25 Busy time for PSPC with Under Offers 2015-11-18 Its Never to Late 2015-11-09 Selling the Outside 2015-10-28 Perthshire Property Market 'Turns a Corner' 2015-10-15 Independent Financial Advice 2015-10-12 Turning Over a new leaf this Autumn 2015-10-01 Your most popular questions answered about Title Deeds 2015-10-01 Chairman's Report 2015-09-22 Properties 2015-08-01 Under Offers - July 2015-07-31 Under Offer 2015-07-22 January - June 2015 2015-07-02 Buying to Let 2015-06-12 Storage Problems? 2015-05-20 Sellers Event 2015-04-30 Spring Sales Review 2015-04-16 The Changing Face of Pensions 2015-04-14 Easter Weekend 2015-04-03 Help to Buy Day 2015-03-23 Help to buy Made Easy! 2015-03-17 Money DOES Matter! 2015-03-10 Moving on up in 2015 2015-03-10 Taxing Times 2015-03-10 And Relax.... 2015-03-10 Guidance on Stamp Duty 2015-03-10 Further update to Stamp Duty 2015-02-06 All change again for Stamp Duty 2015-01-05 Moving on up in 2015 2015-01-05

2014

November figures 2014-12-17 Staff Vacancy 2014-10-20 Taxing Times 2014-10-14 Stats 2014-10-14 September Stats 2014-10-02 Pitlochry Highland Games 2014-09-25 Pitlochry Highland Games 2014-09-12 Aberfeldy Show 2014-08-07 Half Year Stats 2014-07-09 Scotland's Housing Market 2014-06-04 Help to Buy 2014-06-03 Monday Bank Holiday 2014-05-23 Help To Buy Event 2014-05-16

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