Seller-side surveys
What should a seller do with a defect they already know about when a buyer’s surveyor is coming?
Tell your solicitor, and do not hide it behind furniture. A buyer’s survey is a visual inspection. Covering a crack does not make it unreportable if the surveyor sees the signs, and a later argument about what you knew is a solicitor’s problem, not a surveying trick. This page does not invent a disclosure form. Your solicitor has the property questions they want answered.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
In England and Wales the buyer’s surveyor works for the buyer. They will report what they can see, including damp, movement and tired roofs, using condition ratings if that is the level instructed. If you have a quote or a guarantee, have it ready. It may explain a repair. It may not cancel the rating. In Scotland, the Home Report is your document, and the single survey is where condition is already described. Do not wait for a second buyer’s visit to mention something the questionnaire asked you.
Repairing before marketing can be sensible when the defect is straightforward, such as a leaking gutter. It can be unhelpful when it hides evidence, such as repointing a crack the week before an inspection. Ask your solicitor which previous reports or quotes you should disclose. Do not ask the buyer’s surveyor to “go easy”. They are not instructed by you.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- If you are the buyer: did the seller tell you about this, or did you find it?
- If you are the seller: what papers explain the defect, and are they dated?
- What should not be covered up before the inspection?
What are the typical next steps?
- Speak to your solicitor about known defects and the forms they have asked you to complete.
- Leave access clear so NI is not caused by a wardrobe.
- Do not repaint a damp patch the night before and describe the wall as dry.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Must a seller in England commission a survey?
No. The duty people confuse with that is the EPC, which GOV.UK explains, plus whatever the contract and the forms require. A condition survey is optional. In Scotland, start from the Home Report rules instead.
If you repair it, will the buyer’s surveyor ignore it?
They will report what they see. A competent repair may mean there is nothing to rate. A cosmetic cover will not bind them.