Blog · 28 September 2026

What a survey tells you before you buy an old house

Half of Saltmere was built before 1900. Here is what we ask buyers to look for in a survey report, and what usually turns out to be fine.

By Maya Okafor, Senior sales negotiator

Most of the houses we sell in the Old Town are older than the railway. That is a large part of their charm, and the reason buyers get nervous when the survey report lands.

Damp is normal, damp patches are not

Solid stone walls were built to breathe. A surveyor’s moisture meter will almost always read high on them. What matters is whether there is staining, salt on the plaster, or rotten skirting.

Roofs and chimneys

Ask for the age of the roof covering and whether the chimney stacks have been repointed. These are the costs that turn up a year after you move in.

If anything in your report worries you, ring us. We have usually seen it before.