Short answer: you, the buyer, organise and pay for the survey – and it is one of the few parts of a purchase completely in your control. Nobody else in the chain will do it for you, and two things commonly mistaken for a survey are nothing of the sort.
What the lender’s “survey” actually is
The mortgage valuation your lender arranges is not a survey. It is a brief check – sometimes done without visiting – that the property is adequate security for the loan. It owes you nothing, tells you almost nothing, and finding serious defects after completion is not the lender’s problem.
What the solicitor does and doesn’t do
Your conveyancer investigates legal matters – title, searches, leases – and will usually pause for you to get a survey, but they do not commission one. The estate agent works for the seller and has no role in your survey at all.
How and when to organise yours
Book as soon as your offer is accepted: the survey happens between offer and exchange, so its findings can inform renegotiation. Choose the level that fits the building – a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey for conventional homes in reasonable condition, a Level 3 Building Survey for older, extended or unusual properties. Access is arranged with the agent; you never need the seller’s permission beyond that.
The easy way to do it
Tell Kingston Surveyors the address and your timescale and we arrange the rest – an RICS surveyor matched to the property, a fixed quote the same working day, and a report typically within days of inspection. Not sure which level? See which survey do I need or call 0204 579 8270 for a free, no-obligation quote.
