Buying a home or commercial property is stressful enough, but it becomes even more so when you question if you know what you are really buying.

On face value, you may think you have all of the information you need for a confident and smooth sailing purchase.

However, a RICS survey and report can outline a number of factors, faults and defects with the property that you simply can’t see yourself - and this can make all of the difference.

There are a number of surveys available on the market, but it’s recommended to have a RICS homebuyers survey and report - and for good reason.



But first things first, what is a RICS surveyor?

A RICS surveyor is a person registered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and covers various disciplines, including building surveying, valuation surveying, land surveying and quantity surveying.

A RICS surveyor will travel to a client’s potential home or property and carry out the arranged survey, providing a detailed report and analysis.

Here are just some of the reasons why you should use a RICS surveyor.

• 1. Protection: insured and regulated

RICS stands for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is the regulatory body for surveyors in the UK.

Surveyors registered with RICS must follow the rules and regulations set out by the regulatory body, follow strict codes of conduct and carry out works to the highest of standards.

Importantly, RICS surveyors are completely insured - meaning that clients in receipt of a survey can rest assured when having a property inspected that they will receive nothing short of professionalism.

The indemnity insurance carried by RICS surveyors ensures that all clients are protected in case of professional negligence, providing you with the utmost protection.

As part of the indemnity insurance, you are protected by a complaints handling procedure should you be unhappy with the services provided by a RICS surveyor.

• 2. Updated advice and knowledge

RICS surveyors are highly trained professionals, and have undergone years of rigorous training and education.

Members of the RICS, continue to update their knowledge, skills and expertise throughout their career to ensure their practice remains relevant and of the highest quality.

With that in mind, you can rest assured that when you use a RICS surveyor, they know everything there is to know, meaning that your property survey is in the safest of hands.

• 3. Money savers

Whilst there is a cost when enlisting the support and expertise of a RICS surveyor, however this one-off cost could save you thousands of pounds - now, or in the future.

Without a RICS survey, you may just end up purchasing a house or property that requires a lot of work, and you wouldn’t even know.

The hardest part is finding out about substantial issues after the sale has gone through, you have moved in or smaller works have begun on the property - leaving you with a much bigger problem.

You may be able to save money by using a surveyor that isn’t RICS-regulated, but with this, you run the risk of saving a few pounds to end up with a hefty bill much later down the line - that will cost you much more than the cost of a simple and effective RICS surveyor.


The issue with not using a RICS surveyor, is you’re not entirely sure what you’re getting, or paying for.

Utilising a RICS-regulated surveyor means that you are getting a trustworthy service, and without one, you may just end up getting a cheap survey with poor results.

Those are just a few of the reasons why you should use a regulated and trusted RICS surveyor for your next property purchase.

For more information or to speak to a member of our team, please get in touch by emailing hello@btbsurveyors.com.