Regulated firm
The buying timeline, from offer to completion
A typical UK residential purchase runs six to twelve weeks from offer accepted to legal completion. The survey stage usually falls in weeks two to four, after your mortgage application is in and before your solicitor exchanges contracts. That gap is important: it gives you the leverage to renegotiate if the survey uncovers something material, and the time to line up specialist quotes if you need them.
Your surveyor will coordinate access with the estate agent directly, so you don’t have to. You are welcome to attend for the walk-through at the end, and many first-time buyers do. Reports arrive three to five working days after the inspection, followed by a phone call to talk through the findings. That call is included, and it is genuinely worth using.
Which survey to book, and when
For conventional homes of standard construction and in reasonable condition, a RICS Home Survey Level 2 is the standard choice. For anything older, extended, altered, listed, or of non-standard construction, step up to a Level 3.
Book as soon as your offer is accepted and your mortgage application is in. Waiting until the mortgage valuation comes back is the single most common mistake we see. The mortgage valuation protects your lender, not you, and it is not a substitute for a survey.
Quick reference: which survey fits which property
This is only a guide, and the right level will vary depending on the property.
Fixed fees, no obligation, and your report back in 3 to 7 working days depending on report type.
What the survey covers, and what it doesn’t
Every RICS survey is a detailed visual inspection of the parts of the property the surveyor can safely and reasonably access. That means roof spaces where there is an accessible hatch, floors where boards are exposed, and services where they are visible. It does not include lifting fitted carpets, moving heavy furniture, or invasive testing that could damage the property.
If the surveyor identifies something that needs a specialist, they will say so in writing and tell you exactly what to ask for. Common referrals are to an electrician (for a full EICR), a drainage engineer (CCTV survey), a structural engineer (crack investigation), or an independent damp specialist with no product to push. That specialist referral is often the most valuable line in the entire report.
What’s always included in a RICS survey
What’s not included — and how to fill the gap
“The mortgage valuation is not a survey. It is a five-line desktop check for the lender, and every year we see buyers treat it as though it were both.”
Reading the report like a surveyor would
RICS reports are structured, and reading them in the right order saves an enormous amount of time. Read the summary section first, then the condition ratings, then the surveyor’s narrative for anything rated amber or red, then the legal matters section. Everything else is context.
A red rating is not a reason to walk away. It is a reason to understand the cost, get a costed quote from a suitable contractor, and decide whether to renegotiate, ask the vendor to remedy, or proceed with your eyes open. Most transactions we advise on with red ratings still complete. What changes is who pays.
What the traffic-light ratings actually mean
How to use a survey to renegotiate
Renegotiation on the back of a survey works, and it works most reliably when you approach it as an evidence-led conversation rather than a demand. Turn each red finding into a costed quote from a real contractor. Present the pack to the estate agent in writing, with a specific ask (price reduction, vendor to remedy before completion, or a completion-day retention).
As a rule of thumb, vendors are more willing to accept a price reduction than to arrange works themselves. Estate agents will push back initially; that is their job. Hold your position politely and give them a written deadline (typically five to seven working days). If the deal is fundamentally sound the vendor will usually come back within it.
Fixed-fee quotes based on the actual property. No call centre, no upsell, no hidden costs.
The real cost of buying, beyond the deposit
First-time buyers routinely underestimate the completion costs beyond the deposit itself. Stamp duty, legal fees, mortgage arrangement fees, searches, the survey, buildings insurance from exchange, moving costs, immediate repairs — the total tends to land between £5,000 and £15,000 on top of your deposit for a typical purchase.
Budget for the survey as a fixed cost you will pay whether the deal completes or not. It is the cheapest professional advice you will buy in the process, and it is the only one commissioned specifically to protect you as the buyer.
Our 24-point pre-completion checklist, formatted to print and take to the viewing.
First-time buyer survey FAQs
Your next steps
If you have a property in mind, get a quote for the appropriate survey level using your postcode. If you are not sure which level fits, take our two-minute survey picker for a written recommendation from a RICS Regulated surveyor. Either way, budget for the survey the moment your offer is accepted, so it does not slow the transaction down.
And when you do get the report, read it once quickly, once slowly, and then pick up the phone. Ten minutes with your surveyor is worth more than the whole document on its own.