Residential Pre-Purchase House Survey

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a “House Survey”?

  A house survey is an objective visual examination of the physical structure and systems of a home, from the roof to the foundation. Our engineers structural survey report will include an evaluation of the condition of the property’s roof, attic, roof coverings, exterior, grounds, interior walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors. A cursory view of the heating, plumbing and electrical systems is included. Having a home inspected is like giving it a physical check-up.

• Who needs a house survey?

  Anyone who is purchasing or selling a house.

• Why you should choose to have a professional house inspection?

  We cannot emphasise enough the value and necessity of a professional home inspection. Many home purchasers, either in the desire to save the €300 to €400 that a good inspection costs, or due to simple ignorance, have spent enormous sums of money repairing items that any good engineer would have pointed out.

  Any offer to you make to purchase should be contingent upon a professional house survey with a satisfactory report. Do not let anyone, not your family or friends, and especially not the seller or builders dissuade you from having the property thoroughly inspected. Not only will you sleep much sounder after you have moved in, a professional inspection can also give you the ability to opt out of a contract on a defective house. If the contract is written contingent on an acceptable inspection, any defects in the home must be either repaired or monetarily compensated for. If you are not satisfied, you have the option to cancel the contract.

  Be prepared, begin the search for a professional building engineering company to perform your survey before you place an offer on a house. If you only start trying to find an acceptable company at the last minute, the company of your choice may not be able to schedule your survey in the required time frame. This will leave you with only two choices: to either appoint an engineer that is not your first choice, or to run the risk of not getting the house professionally surveyed at all (which could void any chance of having the seller take care of repairs). Neither choice is an acceptable alternative!

• Why do I need a structural survey?

  The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment you will ever make. You should learn as much as you can about the condition of the property and the need for any major repairs before you buy, so that you can minimize unpleasant surprises and difficulties afterwards. Of course, a structural survey will also point out the positive aspects of a home. After the inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase and will be able to make a confident buying decision.

  If you have owned your home for a long time, a house survey can identify problems in the making and recommend preventive measures which might avoid costly future repairs. In addition, home sellers may opt to have a survey on their own home prior to placing it on the market.  This will help them to gain a better understanding of conditions a buyer’s building engineer may point out. Doing this provides an opportunity to make repairs prior to going to market, that will put the house in better selling condition, and contribute to a quicker sale.

• Is a mortgage valuation report the same as a structural survey?

  No, the two reports are very different, and have different functions. A mortgage valuation report or ‘valuation’ as it is often called is carried out by your mortgage lender to only check the value of the property and its suitability for a mortgage.

• The insurance company is asking for a valuation of the property. Can you provide this?

  No. Your valuer / estate agent should be able to provide the valuation and/or the rebuilding cost of the property.

  A House Rebuild Calculator can be found at the website of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.

• How much does a house survey cost?

  The house survey cost for a typical single-family residence varies. The structural survey cost will depend upon the size of the house, particular features of the house, its age, and possible additional services, such as wells or septic systems.

  However, do not let cost be a factor in deciding whether or not to have a house survey, or in the selection of your building engineer. The knowledge gained from an inspection is well worth the cost, and the lowest priced engineer is not necessarily a bargain. The companies experience in the area of pre-purchase house surveys, along with their professionalism should be the most important considerations. If you require a bank valuation you should consult local auctioneers.

• Can I do the survey myself?

  Even the most experienced home owner lacks the expertise, knowledge and experience that a company has gained from inspecting thousands of homes. A building engineering company would be familiar with all the elements of home construction, their proper installation, and maintenance. They understand how the home’s systems and components are intended to function together, as well as how and why they fail.

  Above all, most buyers find it very difficult to remain completely objective and unemotional about the house they really want, and this may affect their judgment. For the most accurate picture, it is best to obtain an impartial third-party opinion by an expert in the field of structural surveys.

• Can a house fail a survey?

  No. A professional structural survey is an examination of the current condition of the property being inspected. The report will not pass or fail an house, but rather describe its physical condition and indicate what may need to be repaired or replaced.

• How do I find a good company to perform my house survey?

  The best source is a friend, relative or business acquaintance who can recommend a company that they have used and with whom they were satisfied with.  Solicitors and estate agents are also generally familiar with the service and should be able to provide you with a list of companies from which to choose. Whatever your referral source, be sure to verify the building engineer’s professional qualifications and experience.  Always make sure you see a sample copy of a structural survey report, and the terms and conditions covering the survey before you make your selection.

• When do I call in a building engineering company?

  Typically building engineers are called in right after the contract or purchase agreement has been signed and are usually available within a few days. However, before you sign be sure that there is a structural survey clause in the contract, making your purchase obligation contingent upon the findings of a professional structural survey report.

• How do I get a quotation?

  Getting a quotation from Property Health Check is very quick and easy, just fill in a short form and click “Get quote now”.  The form is easy to complete and asks a few simple questions including the age and size of the house.  (The age of the house is generally shown in the BER).  After clicking “Get quote now” the price will be displayed on screen and a quotation is emailed to the client. Clients can advise us online that they would like to make a booking. Our Customer Care Team will then call to finalise the booking.

• How do I book a survey?

  There are several ways to book in a survey:

  • Start the booking process while viewing their quote online by just clicking “Yes – I would like to book now”. Customer Care will follow up to finalise the booking.
  • Click the “book now” link in the quotation email and Customer Care will follow up to finalise the booking.
  • Call Customer Care with your quotation number and they will guide you through the process.

• Can I request a recommended engineer for my survey?

  It is always good to hear that a Property Health Check engineer has been recommended.  However, all Property Health Check engineers are experienced and professionally trained. You can be confident that our clients are provided with the same level of quality service regardless of which engineer provides the inspection. Due to scheduling availability a different engineer may be scheduled to perform your inspection.

• How soon can you inspect the property?

  This is dependent on availability at the time of booking and accessibility to the property however a survey can usually be scheduled in approximately 3 workings days after the booking date. Customer Care will provide a more specific idea when a booking is made.

• How and when do I pay for the survey?

  Payment can be made by credit card, debit card, and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Payment is taken at the time of booking.

• Who arranges access for the survey?

  All access arrangements are organised by Property Health Check.  We will contact the agency or vendor directly.  Sometimes this can take a little time as the contact person is not always immediately available, and dates and times must be confirmed before scheduling can be completed. Clients are emailed confirmation of the date when scheduling for the inspection is completed.

• Do I have to be present at the survey?

  It is not necessary for you to be present for the survey.

• Can I attend the survey if I’d like to?

  Due to the pandemic and for everyone’s safety (vendor, engine, buyer etc.) we request that a property is vacant when the inspection takes place.  It is not possible under the current circumstance for a client to attend an inspection.

• How long will the inspection take?

  Generally, a house inspection takes between 1 and 3 hours depending on the size and age of the property.

• Can the land registry compliant map be compared to the property at the time of inspection?

  During the conveyancing process your legal adviser will probably forward onto you a land registry compliant map or title map showing the legal boundaries around the property.  They will ask you to confirm that the map matches the property that you are buying. They may advise you to forward these maps to your engineer so that he can confirm that the map boundaries match with the property in questions boundaries. However, the map is often only provided by vendors much later in the process, subsequently in most cases this request does not take place until the latter part of the conveyancing process, long after the survey has taken place.

  If you can provide a relevant map by email 2 days before the inspection, then the engineer can compare the boundaries on the map with the property boundaries as part of the survey fee. If the map cannot or is not provided in time a revisit will be required to compare the map with the physical boundaries of the property, and to report on the findings. This service will incur an additional re-visit fee.

  To try and save clients additional costs and avoid unnecessary delays and inspection cancellations we provide a few suggestions:

  • Clients obtain a copy of the map from their solicitor if it is readily available and supply it to Property Health Check Ltd at the time of booking in the survey.
  • Clients obtain/purchase a copy of the necessary map themselves from third parties, e.g. www.landdirect.ie or www.osi.ie or www.prai.ie or PRAI – FAQ’S or www.elra.eu  and supply it to Property Health Check Ltd at time of booking in the survey.

• What if the report reveals problems?

  No house is perfect. If the engineer finds problems it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the house, only that you will know in advance what to expect. A seller may be flexible with the purchase price or contract terms if major problems are found. If your budget is very tight, or if you don’t wish to become involved in future repair work, this information will be extremely important to you.

• What if I find problems after I move into my new home?

  A structural survey is not a guarantee that problems won’t develop after you move in. However, if you believe that a problem was already visible at the time of the survey and should have been mentioned in the report, your first step should be to call and meet with the engineer to clarify the situation. Misunderstandings are often resolved in this manner.

  All companies providing structural surveys should carry professional indemnity liability insurance. The minimum amount of insurance coverage should cover the cost of re-instating your house if the surveyor misses something that he should have reported on.

• If the house proves to be in good condition, did I really need an inspection?

  Definitely. Now you can complete your home purchase with peace of mind about the condition of the property. You will also have learned a few things about your new home from the pre-purchase survey report and will want to keep that information for future reference. Above all, you can feel assured that you are making a well-informed purchase decision, and that you will be able to enjoy your new home the way you want to.

• Can I talk to the engineer after the inspection?

  Whenever possible our engineers communicate with clients on the evening of the survey to provide an overview of how the survey went and flag any key issues found. The post-survey discussion will focus on structural aspects of the property.

• When will I receive my report?

  The full report, included annotated photo’s, is emailed to clients 3 working days after the inspection date. The email will contain a link to a secure site, where the report can be viewed and downloaded. The reports are provided in colour PDF format.

  It is most important that the report is accurate and well written and does not have errors or omissions. We therefore do not make commitments to have the report emailed to clients within 24 hours. We are very aware that clients are working within a strict timeline and that it is important that they receive their reports in a timely fashion.  We provide an efficient service and always provide our reports within the quoted time scale, as client reviews confirm.

• Can you share a copy of my report for me with anyone?

  Good communication and sharing of information between Solicitors and Estate Agents can prevent delays in the purchase or sale of a property. Some clients may want their report to be shared with a solicitor and/or the estate agent. If instructed, we will share an abbreviated version of your report with the advisors that you specify in the quote form. The shortened report contains information that pertains to:

  • • Overall structural condition of the property
    • Potential changes carried out to property
    • Site boundaries
    • Property overhanging / encroachment
    • Water supply observations
    • Waste-water discharge observations
    • Garage / Sheds within site

  The abbreviated report will be issued to the chosen advisors the same day as the report is issued to the client.

• Do planning issues form part of the pre-purchase survey?

  No.

  However, the information included in the survey report (e.g. re extensions / alterations) will assist your legal advisor to better understand the property.

• Is a review of third-party documents included in the pre-purchase survey?

  No

  No review of planning files or other documents relating to the property is done as part of the survey, therefore, the engineer cannot comment on 3^rd party documents within the survey report.

  We do, however, provide a Planning Consultancy service which can provide a response to your planning queries.

• Where can I find out more information about this survey?

  If you have further questions, please read our terms and conditions.  These are written in layman terms and will explain what is included and not included in your report.  Viewing the sample survey video will provide a visual illustration of how your survey will look and what will be included in it. Our Customer Care team will provide any additional direction required.

• Check out our Terms & Conditions

  Click here to see our T&C’s