Building surveyor when buying a home: what can an inspection reveal?

The inspection can explain cracks, signs of damp, the state of the roof, wet rooms, past alterations and upcoming maintenance. But it is no guarantee that every hidden defect will be found.

The most important thing is to agree clearly on what the task covers. The title building surveyor does not in itself tell you what will be examined, whether measurements will be taken, or whether you will receive a written report.

In brief

• A building surveyor can inspect the home for you as the buyer and explain technical building matters.
• A certified building surveyor (beskikket bygningssagkyndig) is a specific title for professionals approved to prepare condition reports under the Danish home inspection scheme (huseftersynsordningen).^[1]
• The buyer's own inspection and the seller's condition report (tilstandsrapport) are two different services.
• The condition report describes visible damage and visible signs of damage. It is not a total guarantee for the building.^[2]
• An additional inspection can be targeted at the matters you want examined, but the scope must be agreed.
• Destructive investigations, where structures are opened up, require the seller's permission and a clear agreement.
• Electrical work and several plumbing matters may require an authorised professional.
• The inspection can take place before the purchase agreement (købsaftale) or after signing, if the agreement contains a workable building inspection condition.

Building surveyor or certified building surveyor

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is an important difference.

Certified building surveyor

A certified building surveyor is approved by the authorities to prepare condition reports under the Danish home inspection scheme.

Certification requires relevant technical building training, experience, a course and professional liability insurance for work on condition reports.^[3]

The buyer's building surveyor

When you as the buyer order your own inspection, you enter into a private agreement for a technical building service.

The professional could, for example, be a:

• Building technician (bygningskonstruktør)
• Engineer
• Architect with technical building experience
• Trade-qualified consultant with relevant experience
• Certified building surveyor who also offers buyer consultancy

The title does not tell the whole story. Look at the training, the experience, the scope of the task, the liability and the specific deliverable.

Condition report and the buyer's inspection

The two services can complement each other, but they have different purposes.

The condition report is the result of a building inspection and describes visible damage as well as visible signs that may point to damage.^[4]

The buyer's own professional can use the report as a starting point and spend the visit explaining the recorded issues or looking more closely at questions that matter to the buyer.

Is the condition report required by law?

No, not in general.

The Danish home inspection scheme is voluntary for the seller. But the reports are central if the seller wants to obtain the release from liability that the scheme can provide, and if the buyer is to be able to take out change-of-ownership insurance (ejerskifteforsikring) on that basis.^[5]

It is therefore wrong to describe the condition report as a general legal requirement for all houses above a certain age.

It is also wrong to describe the buyer's own building surveyor as a replacement for the Danish home inspection scheme. It is a separate service.

What can a building surveyor inspect?

The scope depends on the agreement, the home and the access available on the day.

An ordinary visual inspection can cover:

Roof and loft

• Roof covering seen from accessible points
• Gutters and downpipes
• Visible signs of leaks
• The loft's structure and ventilation
• Visible insulation
• Discolouration or signs of damp

Facade, plinth and ground

• Cracks and spalling
• Brickwork and joints
• Plinth and visible signs of settlement
• The slope of the ground around the house
• Visible drainage conditions

Windows and doors

• Age and state of maintenance
• Visible rot or deterioration
• Function and tightness, where this can be assessed
• Seals and junctions

Basement and crawl space

• Indications of damp and odour
• Discolouration and salt efflorescence
• Cracks
• Ventilation
• Accessible pipes and structures

Kitchen, bathroom and utility room

• Visible signs of leaks
• Seals and surfaces
• Fall towards drains, where this can be assessed
• Ventilation
• Visible pipes and joints
• Signs of previous damage

Interior rooms

• Cracks, unevenness and discolouration
• Floors, walls and ceilings
• Windows and doors
• Signs of damp or condensation
• Visible changes to the structures

The inspection can also include a conversation about expected maintenance and possible projects. This requires it to be part of the agreement.

What can the inspection not necessarily determine?

A building cannot be read in full from the surface.

An ordinary inspection therefore cannot necessarily reveal:

• Damage inside closed walls and floors
• Underground pipes
• The condition of the entire sewer system
• Hidden mould
• Structural conditions behind fixed cladding
• All unauthorised alterations
• Whether all electrical installations are legal
• Soil contamination
• The precise remaining lifespan of a building component

The professional can see signs that give reason for further investigation. That is not the same as a definite diagnosis.

If, for example, damp is seen on a basement wall, a measurement can support the observation. But the cause may require further investigation of drainage, ground, pipes or structure.

Visual inspection, measurement or destructive intervention

The three levels should not be confused.

A moisture meter does not automatically give a simple answer of damp or no damp. The measuring method, material, temperature and access all affect the result.

So do not only ask whether measuring equipment will be used. Also ask what the measurement can and cannot document.

When can the inspection take place?

There are three typical options.

Before you make an offer

You get the technical building knowledge early. This requires the seller to give access and the timetable to allow for it.

After the offer, but before signing

The seller may have chosen to negotiate with you, but the purchase agreement has not yet been signed. The inspection can then feed into the rest of the negotiations.

After signing with a condition

The purchase agreement can include a condition requiring a satisfactory technical building inspection. The wording and the deadline determine what the condition actually allows you to do.

An ordinary adviser condition (rådgiverforbehold) and a specific building inspection condition are not necessarily the same. Read more about lawyer and bank conditions.

What should a building inspection condition describe?

If the inspection takes place after signing, the condition should be clear.

It may be relevant to clarify, among other things:

• Who may inspect the home
• The deadline for the inspection
• Whether the result must be approved by the buyer or the adviser
• How objections must be notified
• Whether the seller gets the opportunity to respond
• What happens if the parties cannot agree

A wording such as “the buyer may bring a building surveyor” describes access, but not necessarily the buyer's right to withdraw or demand changes.

The specific wording should be assessed together with the rest of the purchase agreement.

Documents before the inspection

The professional can make better use of the time if the relevant documents have been read in advance.

These may include:

• Condition report
• Electrical installation report (elinstallationsrapport)
• Energy label (energimærke)
• BBR notice (BBR-meddelelse, the building and housing register extract)
• Floor plans
• Building permits and completion notices
• Information about alterations
• The seller's disclosures
• Previous reports or invoices
• Owners' association (ejerforening) documents for an owner-occupied flat

Mark the places you are unsure about yourself. It could be a smell in the basement, a crack above a door or a bathroom where the documentation is unclear.

Installations require the right professional

A building surveyor can comment on visible aspects of heating, water, ventilation and electrics.

But some assessments require authorisation or special expertise.

A general technical building inspection should therefore not be presented as a full approval of all installations.

Read more in the guide to installations in the home.

A house and an owner-occupied flat are different tasks

For a house, the inspection can cover the building's roof, facade, plinth, ground, basement and outbuildings, if there is access.

In an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), much of the building is shared. The professional can inspect the flat itself and visible common areas, but cannot assess the whole property's financial and technical situation from one flat alone.

For an owner-occupied flat, it may therefore also be relevant to look at:

• The owners' association's maintenance plan
• Minutes of general meetings
• Accounts and budget
• Planned works
• The division between shared and individual maintenance
• Reports on the roof, facade, soil stacks and basement

A nice flat can be in a building facing a large upcoming shared project. This will not necessarily show up when inspecting the home's interior surfaces.

Verbal walkthrough or written report

Agree in advance what you will receive.

A written report is not automatically a guarantee of the home's condition. Read the task description and the consultant's reservations.

A cost estimate is not a contractor's quote

By agreement, a building surveyor can give an estimate of possible repairs. Boligejer.dk also describes how the buyer can have their own building surveyor inspect the property and estimate the cost of damage.^[5]

An estimate can help with the order of magnitude, but it may change when:

• The structure is opened up
• The cause is investigated
• Tradespeople give specific quotes
• Materials and solution are chosen
• Knock-on work becomes known
• Regulatory requirements have to be incorporated

So distinguish between:

1. An early budget estimate
2. A closer professional investigation
3. A specific contractor's quote

The three amounts may differ.

How to compare professionals

Compare the task, not just the price.

Ask, among other things:

• What training and experience do you have?
• Do you have experience with this type and age of home?
• Are you a certified building surveyor, if that is relevant to the service?
• What professional liability insurance covers the task?
• Which parts of the building do you inspect?
• Do you go onto the roof and into the loft, if access and safety allow?
• Do you take measurements, and which ones?
• What is not included in the inspection?
• Will I get a report, photos or only a verbal walkthrough?
• Is a cost estimate included?
• When will the material be delivered?

A membership or a title can be relevant, but it does not replace a precise agreement on the task.

Practical example

You are considering a house from 1968. The condition report describes cracks by the plinth, discolouration in the basement and an issue with the roofing underlay that should be investigated further.

The buyer's professional receives the report in advance. During the visit, the following are inspected:

• The location and visible development of the cracks
• The ground around the plinth
• The basement's smell, surfaces and indications of damp
• The loft's accessible structures
• Signs of previous repairs

After the inspection, the buyer receives a memo with observations and suggestions as to which issues require a specialist.

The result is not “buy” or “do not buy”. It is a better overview of:

• What has been observed
• What is still uncertain
• What should be investigated further
• Which expenses may be relevant to the budget

Checklist before the inspection

The agreement

• Which buildings and rooms are included?
• Are the roof, loft, basement and outbuildings included?
• Which measurements will be taken?
• Are installations covered?
• Will I get a written result?
• Are photos and a cost estimate included?
• What is expressly not included?

The documents

• Condition report
• Electrical installation report
• Energy label
• BBR notice
• Drawings and building case files
• Information about renovations
• Owners' association material for a flat

On the day

• Are all relevant areas accessible?
• Are you taking part in the inspection yourself?
• Is the difference between observation and conclusion explained to you?
• Are uncertainties and the need for specialists noted?
• Do you know the next deadline in the purchase agreement?

Common misunderstandings

A building surveyor finds all hidden defects

No. A visual inspection cannot see through walls, floors and closed structures.

The condition report is required by law

No. The Danish home inspection scheme is voluntary, but the reports matter a great deal for the seller's release from liability and the possibility of change-of-ownership insurance.

The buyer's inspection replaces the condition report

No. They are two different services with different purposes.

All building surveyors deliver the same thing

No. Scope, measurements, report, cost estimate and liability can vary.

A moisture measurement always gives a definite answer

No. The measurement must be interpreted and does not necessarily tell you where the damp is coming from.

A cost estimate can be deducted directly from the offer

No. An estimate is not the same as a documented claim or a contractor's quote. Price and terms are agreed between buyer and seller.

A building surveyor can approve electrics and plumbing

Not necessarily. Several installations require an authorised professional.

The inspection must always take place before signing

Not always. It can also take place after signing, if the purchase agreement contains an adequate and timely condition.

In short

A building surveyor can make a technical home easier to understand.

The value does not lie in a promise to find everything. It lies in having visible issues explained, uncertainties narrowed down and the need for further investigation made clear.

So agree precisely what will be inspected, which measurements are included and what you will receive afterwards. If the inspection takes place after signing, the conditions and deadlines in the purchase agreement must fit the process.

If possible works need to go into your budget, you can calculate the costs of painting, floors, moving and the first projects.

Also read BoligKlar's guides to the condition report and renovation when buying a home.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The specific technical building assessment must be carried out by a professional with the relevant expertise.

Frequently asked questions