Homebuyer Survey Question Organiser England

A free tool by Anslow Building Surveyors

Homebuyer Survey Question Organiser

A private, step-by-step organiser for the facts you have been given about a property and the questions you want to put to the people who can answer them — your surveyor, your conveyancer, and the seller or their agent. Everything stays in your browser.

England only

Designed for people buying a residential property in England. Home-buying law, documents, terminology and professional processes differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This tool does not cover those jurisdictions. It provides general information, not legal or professional advice.

Your privacy

Your answers stay in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to Anslow Building Surveyors, GitHub or anyone else. Other people using this browser profile may see saved answers, and clearing browser data may remove them. Avoid entering names, contact details, a full property address, financial information or confidential documents.

What this tool is — and is not

This tool helps you organise facts and questions before speaking to professionals. It does not inspect, assess or certify a property; diagnose defects; identify every risk; select a survey for you; or provide legal, financial, structural, safety, valuation or repair advice. A blank answer or “nothing noted” is not evidence that any part of a property is sound or safe. Do not rely on this tool when deciding whether to buy, exchange contracts, renegotiate or carry out work. Use a suitably qualified surveyor and conveyancer, and follow any specialist advice they recommend.

Stay safe during viewings

Do not climb, use ladders, enter roofs, lofts or crawl spaces, lift drain or inspection covers, move heavy objects, open electrical or gas equipment, disturb suspected asbestos or other materials, or access any area without permission. Record only what you have already been told or what you can observe safely from an authorised viewing position. If you think there may be an immediate danger, move away and follow official emergency guidance.

Before you begin

This is a check that you understand the tool’s limits. It is not a legal waiver.

Where you are in the process

Choose the option that best describes where you are. This selection only organises your questions. It does not create legal deadlines and it does not give advice about when to exchange contracts.

Where are you in the buying process?

Unverified property facts

Everything you record here is user-supplied, unverified property information — things you have been told or read, not established fact. You can leave any field blank. Do not enter the full address.

Record only what you have been told or read. You can note a source for each fact so you can check it later.

About the property

For example “House 1” or “the terrace on Park Road”.

General area only — do not enter the full address or postcode.

Occupancy and status
Things mentioned in the listing or in conversation

Record what was said or written, not your own conclusion about it.

Notes and questions from the viewing

Add one entry for each thing you noticed or were told during an ordinary viewing, in your own words. This organiser does not explain what an observation means — it simply keeps it, together with who you would like to ask about it. You can leave the destination and the draft question blank.

Use neutral wording such as “crack or gap seen”, “staining, moisture or mould seen or smelt”, “uneven surface noticed”, “information given about an alteration”, or “access was unavailable”.

Who to ask what — a routing guide

Routing is a conversation aid, not a definitive allocation of responsibility. The examples below are cautious and general, and responsibility can differ from transaction to transaction. You stay in control of who each question goes to — you can change any destination at any time. These categories do not cover every professional responsibility.

Questions you might route to a surveyor

  • the physical condition of the property
  • observable construction
  • the inspection’s scope and limitations
  • areas that may not be accessible during an inspection
  • matters raised in the finished report
  • whether another specialist assessment might be recommended

Questions you might route to a conveyancer

  • title and tenure
  • rights, restrictions and covenants
  • boundaries
  • searches and enquiries
  • leases and service charges
  • planning or Building Regulations paperwork
  • warranties and guarantees
  • legal responsibility for shared areas

Questions you might route to the seller, estate agent or developer

  • factual property history
  • items included in the sale
  • access arrangements
  • alterations said to have been completed
  • documents said to exist
  • new-build specification and outstanding items

Questions about specialist assessments

Only suggest a specialist question where the appointed surveyor or conveyancer has recommended an appropriate specialist. This organiser will not route a specialist inspection for you.

Document and information tracker

Track what you have, what you have asked for, and what you do not know about. Leave a row blank if you have not considered it yet.

This organiser does not verify a document, confirm that it is complete or replace searches and enquiries carried out by a conveyancer. A document on its own does not prove that any work is safe, compliant or defect-free.

Sales particulars
Energy Performance Certificate
Seller or property information supplied during the transaction
Title or tenure information
Search information
Planning paperwork for stated alterations
Building Regulations paperwork for stated alterations
Guarantees or warranties
Boiler or servicing records
Electrical paperwork
Lease and management information, where applicable
Service-charge information, where applicable
New-build specification
New-build warranty information

Access information to pass to a surveyor

Record access information you have been given — for example by the seller, the estate agent or the developer — so you can pass it on when arranging a survey. Do not enter, open, test or move anything yourself. Access arrangements should be handled with the seller, agent, developer and appointed surveyor.

Occupancy
Loft access
Cellar or basement access
Garage access
Outbuilding access
Communal-area access

Rooms or areas you have been told are locked. Do not try to open them yourself.

Areas you have been told are obstructed. Do not move anything yourself.

Services reported
Agent, seller or developer access contact

Questions before appointing a surveyor

These suggested questions are for you to adapt, shorten, remove or add to. This tool does not answer them on any surveyor’s behalf.

Different providers and professional schemes may describe their survey services differently. Confirm the exact scope of any service directly with the surveyor you appoint.

Post-report questions

A short log for questions that arise after you receive a professional report. Please do not paste an entire report into this tool, and do not enter confidential personal information. Follow the report itself, and if something in the report is unclear, discuss it with the surveyor who produced it.

This log does not reproduce professional condition ratings, re-rank findings, change stated urgency, infer causes, recommend repairs or interpret report wording. Report uploads are not possible here.

Review your enquiry notes

This is your “My survey enquiry notes” document, built only from what you have entered. Empty sections are not shown. Use Edit to change a section, and use the buttons below to copy, download or print.

Official starting points

These links are starting points only. They do not replace conveyancing searches, enquiries or professional advice. A missing or negative search result does not prove that a matter is absent. Check the scope and limitations of each service.