In the rush to get a house, it is something which often gets overlooked, but it is vitally important to pay for a building survey before you sign the contract. Even if there are no visible problems with the property, any number of things could be lying just under the surface, including:

• Termites eating away at the flooring and structure.
• Water damage from leaks in a roof and guttering, or ground water damaging the foundations of the building.
• Damage to weight bearing walls.
• Poor electricity circuiting which needs to be replaced.
• Damaged plumbing system.

Whether your potential home’s structure is made of wood or brick, problems with that structure can be very costly. Having such a cost appear out of nowhere is something nobody wants when they’ve just signed up for a mortgage, and to avoid this, paying for a building survey is definitely worth the figure of at most £1000 for a basic study.