Reading a structural survey: which defects are actually serious?
Almost every structural survey contains dozens of remarks. The skill is not reading all of them, but seeing which five matter.
In short
- A structural survey is not legally required, but it is the cheapest way to avoid an expensive surprise.
- Costs are usually between €300 and €800, depending on the type and size of the property.
- Watch the distinction between repairs needed immediately, maintenance due in time and cosmetic points.
- A survey is a visual inspection: whatever is not visible is not in it.
What a survey is and is not
A structural survey is a visual inspection. The surveyor does not break anything open, does not always crawl under the floor and does not drill holes. Whatever sits behind a wall or under a screed therefore stays unknown. That does not make the report less valuable, but it does determine how you read it: the absence of a defect in the report is no guarantee that it is not there. Also check whether the report explicitly excludes parts of the building, "crawl space not accessible" or "roof not walked on" is important information.
The three categories
Good reports split their findings into cost categories. Read them in this order:
- Repairs needed immediately. This has to happen now. This amount counts in full towards your purchase budget.
- Maintenance due in time (usually 5 years). This is coming. Count at least half of it.
- Improvement / cosmetic. These are wishes, not defects. Ignore this category in your negotiation, or you lose credibility.
The defects that really cost money
These points always deserve attention, even when the report words them calmly:
- Foundation. Tilting, cracks running across several storeys, doors and windows sticking on one side of the house. Foundation repair quickly runs into tens of thousands of euros.
- Roof and roof structure. Sagging, wood rot in the structure, or roof covering at the end of its life.
- Damp in structures. Rising damp, penetrating damp in cavity walls or a wet crawl space. Damp is rarely a problem on its own.
- Wood rot and dry rot. Especially in beam ends, window frames and floor structures.
- Electrics and gas pipes. Outdated consumer units, missing earthing, no residual current device. A complete rewire is a substantial amount and a substantial disruption.
- Suspected asbestos. Often flagged as "suspected asbestos" without certainty; testing and removal cost money.
What to do with the report
A survey report is not just information, it is also negotiating material, provided you use it in a businesslike way. Add up the "immediately necessary" items, get a quote for the largest item if need be, and put that forward as a substantiated amount. An offer that is €12.000 lower because the report shows €12.000 of immediate repairs is a different conversation than "I want something off".
Survey before or after the offer?
Either works. Surveying beforehand gives you the strongest position but costs money you lose if you do not get the house. Surveying afterwards is possible by including a conditional clause for the structural survey in the purchase agreement: you may then withdraw if the repair amount exceeds an agreed limit. Agree that limit concretely, "in the event of serious defects" is too vague to rely on. Bear in mind that in a tight market an offer without conditions is more attractive to the seller; that is precisely the trade-off you want to make deliberately.
Frequently asked questions
Is a structural survey compulsory?
No. But as a buyer you do have a duty to investigate: you have to make reasonable enquiries into the condition of the property. A survey is the most common way to meet that duty.
What does a structural survey cost?
Usually between €300 and €800, depending on the type of property and whether you want an extensive report with a cost estimate. For an apartment it is generally cheaper than for a detached house.
Can I still pull out after the survey?
Only if you included a conditional clause for the structural survey in the purchase agreement, with a concrete limit for the repair amount. Without that clause, no.
The seller has already had a survey done. Is that enough?
Often enough to get a picture, but check the date, who commissioned it and whether parts were excluded. A two-year-old report that never saw the crawl space leaves open exactly the things you are looking for.
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