Considering that a house is likely to be the biggest purchase the average person makes in their lifetime, it is surprising how little background checking they are prepared to carry out.

If they’re buying a television or a new car, then Which? reports will be avidly read and different models compared, down to the smallest detail.

But when it comes to spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house, it seems a quick glance around is often deemed sufficient.

Although solicitors will conduct various searches and enquiries on a property, they are not in a position to comment on whether the house itself is a good buy or value for money in terms of the bricks and mortar.

This is when it’s time to call in the experts.

By having a professional survey conducted, a potential purchaser can satisfy themselves that there will be no nasty and expensive surprises once they move in.

But amazingly, figures show that only 20% of purchasers commission one.

This is all the more surprising when, as Peter Kavanagh, a chartered surveyor and managing director of Romans, points out, that of all the people involved in the purchase of a house, the surveyor is the only one who sees it.

He says: “The purchase of a property is still the largest single purchase that most people will ever make.

“It is the place where you are going to live, and therefore to spend several hundred pounds making sure you are fully aware of the property, how it was built and what condition it is in is, in my opinion, a small price to pay for peace of mind.”

There are three types of survey, each going into different levels of detail, but they should all be carried out by a qualified chartered surveyor, who after their inspection will give an independent and objective report.

The cheapest and least thorough is the valuation survey which is carried out on behalf of the mortgage lender and this is the kind the vast majority of people are going to need.

However, it is important to appreciate that this type of survey concentrates solely on whether or not the property is worth lending money on.

As a result, it considers the overall condition of the property rather than specific problems, although one or two of these may be highlighted if they are relevant to the loan figure.

Furthermore, although a court case in the 1980s held that a severely negligent surveyor carrying out a valuation survey was liable for damages to a purchaser, primarily the contract, (and therefore the duty of care) is between the surveyor and the lender.

This is despite the fact the cost of the survey is passed on to the borrower.

In fact, the lender does not even have to reveal the contents of the survey to the borrower, and might merely specify any works which have to be carried out in order to secure the loan.

Chartered surveyor Roger Russ, the operations director of Tyser Greenwood which is part of the Badger Holdings group, says: “People often think that a mortgage valuation is a survey, but all it does is identify the construction of the property and make a few random checks for things like damp.

"First and foremost, it is for the lender’s benefit and many banks and building societies point out the fact that it is not a survey when they send out the valuation.”

Unless they are buying a house more than 100 years old or one with signs of problems, for the majority of purchasers a homebuyer’s report is sufficient.

This follows a set format and assesses the general condition of the property, looking for any major faults which could affect its value.

The report doesn’t go into great detail, but it will give an idea of the general condition of the house and pinpoint any areas worthy of further investigation, particularly those in need of urgent attention.

“Every purchaser should at least have a homebuyer’s survey,” says Roger Russ. “It won’t go into huge detail but is still useful. For example, it won’t say x number of tiles need replacing on the roof, but it will say the roof is in need of attention.”

The aim is to allow the purchaser to make an informed decision. This might include the correct pricing of the property, anything that needs to be addressed before exchange of contracts, such as treating for woodworm, or even whether or not to proceed at all.

According to Roger Russ, the majority of properties fall into the middle ground.
They are generally in good order but have one or two things that will need a degree of attention at some time in the future.

So if you’ve found the house of your dreams, you shouldn’t be alarmed or upset when it doesn’t get a completely clean bill of health, because it’s pretty much to be expected.

Peter Kavanagh adds: “Buying a property is always a very emotive decision.
“Purchasers spend a lot of time viewing various properties before selecting one they want to buy.

“Therefore by the time they instruct their surveyor they feel very committed and the last thing they want to hear is bad news.

“But in my experience there are very few properties where I would recommend that the purchaser should not proceed.

“Lost properties have some issues, but generally these can be resolved.”

survey, something which used to be known as a full structural survey. This type of survey is a better choice when the property is more than 100 years old and/or is a period or listed property.

It is also recommended where there have been extensive alterations, or when a property looks generally dilapidated or is unusual in some way, for example if it has an unconventional form of construction.

It is also a good idea to have a building survey if you intend to carry out major renovation or alteration work so any potential problems can be identified in advance.

Peter Kavanagh points out: “With both the homebuyer’s report and the building survey it’s important to remember the inspection is visual.

"If the surveyor feels there are any aspects that require further investigation, recommendations will be made in the report. And in neither type of survey are the electrical installation, plumbing, heating or drainage formally tested.”

But what happens when you get the survey? What does it all mean? In the past, surveys used to be very difficult to interpret by the layman, but all that has changed now and the majority are written in plain English, often with a jargon-busting glossary attached.

Most surveyors are happy to discuss with clients or their solicitors the implications of the report, or even about any other subsequent reports, such as one from Rentokil for woodworm, obtained as a result of specific queries arising from the survey.

Peter Kavanagh advises people to read the report carefully and then speak to the surveyor to make sure they are correctly interpreting the recommendations.

He says: “Once they’ve done this they should talk to reliable and reputable tradespeople and get detailed estimates for the repair identified.

"Armed with this information, they should then speak to the vendor’s agent and either arrange for the vendor to undertake the work or negotiate a revised purchase price to reflect the cost of the required repairs.”

Of course, whatever the kind of survey, it is going to cost money and this is the main reason why so many buyers don’t bother.

“It’s seen as an extra cost, and if they have a valuation survey they feel they don’t want to pay twice,” he says.

“They tend to skimp on a survey because they don’t have to have it, but when you think about it, it will probably cost you less than the sum your removal firm charges just to move you.”

As you might expect, survey prices depend on the amount of work done, with valuation surveys being the cheapest and building surveys the most expensive.

Costs vary between firms but are usually worked out according to the size and value of the house.

So for an average property costing £250,000 a homebuyer’s survey would come out at around £400, while a building survey would be approximately £700.

Mr Russ said: “Surveys allow people to go into their purchase with their eyes open and the right knowledge, because once you’ve exchanged contracts there is nothing you can do if you discover a problem.”