Building Surveys & Homebuyer Reports are designed to give you the information you need to make an informed and sensible offer on your future home.

The publishers of Which? Magazine and The Council of Mortgage Lenders advise you to arrange a structural survey or homebuyer report before buying a property - don't just rely on a valuation.

A valuation is an inspection carried out on behalf of your mortgage lender to determine the amount and terms of a mortgage offer. Your mortgage lender will probably ask you to pay for the valuation and may not send you a copy of the report. A valuation is not a detailed survey and you should not rely on it. Collier Stevens do not undertake valuation work.

You should have a private survey carried out on the property you intend to buy, and consider its results before entering into a contract to buy it. This survey is carried out specifically for you.

Depending on the seriousness of any defects and the cost of repair work, you may be able to re-negotiate the purchase price or decide not to purchase the property at all.

There are two main types of survey [click to find our more]: