Who can arrange a property survey? Anyone

Buyers traditionally arrange and pay for surveys once their offer has been accepted. Good surveyors can spot what the untrained eye can’t, and tell buyers honestly what to expect down the road. Surveyors work to give buyers confidence and clarity in one of the biggest purchases in their lives. They can actually do this for vendors, too.

The important thing for a buyer to do, especially if the survey brings up an issue, is to talk to the surveyor. Be sure you understand what would need to happen to fix the issue. If you love the property otherwise, it might not be a deal breaker. It could even work into your negotiations. You can ask for a discount on the price and do the repairs once the property is yours, or you can ask that the repairs be completed by the vendors before you complete the purchase.

If a buyer asks for a survey

When vendors are told the buyer has asked for a survey, they often get nervous, wondering if a surveyor will find something they hadn’t anticipated. However, there’s reason to be positive, too. Vendors should remember – a buyer is not going to pay for a survey to be undertaken unless they are genuinely planning on buying a property, so it’s a big step. 

If you’re a vendor in need of a quick sale (for instance, if you’re trying to complete an onward move) and you see a subject to survey contingencyon the offer letter, you might be frustrated. Your agent may be able to talk with the buyer about your time frame, and you might want to look for a surveyor that can fit a survey in soon. However, there’s another thing vendors facing a deadline can do. They get the survey undertaken on their own property first. 

A survey will reveal exactly what you’re dealing with, so there are no last-minute surprises to interrupt a good sale. You can fix any problems the survey turns up if you have the time. Otherwise, you might want to factor them into the asking price and explain them to the potential buyers at the start. This gesture of honestly can help move things along quickly and build trust with your buyer.