What are the most common problems found by a home survey?

A home survey can identify a whole host of problems. However five of the most common issues reported are as follows:

Services
One of the areas a survey examines closely is the services to the property, such as water, heating and electrics. Problems in these areas can be costly to fix, and should be reflected in the asking price of the property.

Damp
Rising damp is no longer the menace it once was, due to the development of damp-proof courses. However, many older houses still suffer from damp, and this should be addressed at some point.

Woodworm
Woodworm is not as common in the UK anymore but original floorboards can still often fall victim to the little blighters. Fortunately, woodworm can be treated fairly easily providing it hasn't adversely affected the structure of the building.

Cracks
When you think of cracks, you think of subsidence, and subsidence is just about as bad as it gets. But most cracks are fairly harmless. Indeed, if there are no signs of recent movement, most surveyors view this as a problem.

Roofs
Replacing a roof can be hugely expensive so when a survey identifies a problem in this area, it's easy to hit the panic button. But in realty, most roof issues will only require the replacement of a few tiles. However, if the surveyor thinks that the roof may need replacing, you should seek the advice of a roofing specialist.

The home survey process