What should I look for in a Pre-Purchase Property Survey in 2026?
TL;DR: In 2026 you should be looking for a planning search, map/boundary inspection and thermal imagery as standard, in any pre-purchase report. Some companies charge extra for these items, but we don’t. We include them as standard practice in our Engineer’s Reports. Hire mypropertysurvey.ie which is operated by My Engineer Ltd in Tuam, Co. Galway.
You have probably bought and sold a few cars in your time. From once you kicked the tyres and shook hands with the Seller, you then embarked on the usual checks. You did the online finance checks, got the mechanic out and checked the NCT? Then you arranged finance and bought the car!
Buying a house is not too dissimilar, albeit on a much bigger scale. Instead of kicking the tyres, you hire a professional Engineering Surveyor to do that for you. Like everything, there are massive differences between surveys. What is included? What is excluded? Is there a planning search? Is there a boundary survey? Is the map ok?
When we developed our report, it came from a number of years of experience in property surveying. We also noted what Solicitors and Clients were asking us to check and we adopted and changed our report to make it the most comprehensive in the market. We then reviewed everything and re-wrote it from the point of view of the purchaser!
So, you are ready to purchase a home in Galway or Mayo, but are unsure of what is required for a Pre-Purchase Property Survey? In this guide, we take you through the process and show you why our service differs from most others, owing to the level of additional detail that we supply.
You have probably read about the different type of survey ‘levels’? These levels describe how the assessment of your property is undertaken. The 3 types are listed below:
Type 1: Basic, walk-over survey.
Type 2: Full inspection, non-invasive.
Type 3: Full Inspection & Invasive works.
A ‘Type 1’ survey, in our opinion, would not be adequate to assess the full extents of a property as the level of investigation is much too basic.
A ‘Type 3’ survey is generally not permissible at pre-purchase stage as it requires invasive inspection, which would not be permitted usually, and would require legal consent in most cases. Such inspection is reserved for specific defect inspection (like a leak or timber rot etc).
At pre-purchase stage, it is more appropriate to undertake a “Type 2” survey report.
A ‘Type 2’ survey is a full inspection of the property, attics, roof, drains, plumbing and electrical etc. However, at mypropertysurvey.ie we go further with our report and also include planning searches, map/boundary checks, thermal imaging and telescopic drone photography, as standard.
Not all companies offer these elements in their standard service, but we do.
We believe, that all development starts with a planning search. It is important to establish the planning history and construction date, in order to determine what regulations were in place when the property was complete. This provides a baseline for the assessment, as it may be unfair/unreasonable to apply today’s Building Regulations to every property.
An important element that your Solicitor will insist on is having the Property Maps inspected (The ‘Land Registry’ map). The map should match the physical boundary of the property. The planning map (if any) should also be substantially within the boundary of the property, otherwise there could be planning compliance issues if this is not the case.
Your Solicitor will also require to know if he as-built property matches what planning was granted for and they will also want to know if there are any new extensions or alterations that would require planning permission, or, that may be regarded as exempt from planning.
In summary, it is important to look to ensure that your survey report includes the following:
Planning Search: Others charge for this as a hidden extra. We include it as standard. We check compliance with planning orders and exemptions. We comment on land zoning, planning enforcement, CPO’s, development plan proposals & any statutory designations (i.e. protected structures, environmental areas etc) within 0.3km of a property.
Map & Boundary Check: We inspect the online Land Registry records and compare them with the physical boundaries in place on the ground. We compare these with the planning maps submitted at planning stage also. For apartments, we check the Multi-Storey scheme map and floor plan. Boundary issues are common, but usually can be easily rectified by the Vendor.
Damp & Condensation: We use the latest Infrared Moisture Imaging cameras to see concealed damp, cold-bridges or leaks. We examine the property for typical moisture stains and other marks that indicate rising damp or penetrating dampness.
Also, the following is a list of what we also include and what you should be looking for in your property survey report:
Building Regulations Check
Structural Inspection
Wet Rot, Dry Rot & Woodworm
Insulation & BER
Radon Gas
Pyrite
Septic Tank & Sewers
Plumbing
Electrical
Broadband
Flooding
Japanese Knotweed
When we inspect your property, we are focused on all elements and details. We also need ‘contemplative time’ to assess the information. Therefore, we are unable to meet the client at the property and our insurance does not cover third parties. This is why we provide a full photographic survey of the property which can help with any follow-up queries afterwards. The report and link to the phots issues after receipt of payment.
We also provide a sample report, through our video, which is linked below.
PRESS PLAY to see what is contained in one of our reports!
Recent examples of the effectiveness of our reports, from defects we uncovered:
Identification of bedroom Fire Escape windows that were not compliant with building regulations.
Identification of defective septic tank / percolation area.
Uncovering planning difficulties where a new roof was provided without planning permission. Retention permission was subsequently sought by the Vendor.
Identification of fundamental dampness issues on a property that would have had significant costs to make good.
Identification of mapping errors with Land Registry Maps and boundary discrepancies.
Omission of a ‘right of way’ that was necessary to access a property.
Identification of a ‘Ransom Strip’ at the front of a property that would have had legal implications to access the property.
Identification of non-compliance with building regulations from not providing a renewable energy source.
Identification of concealed damp in a property.
