Should You Take a Builder to a House Viewing — or Send the Photos Afterwards?

A lot of people ask me whether they should take a builder to a house viewing. It is a fair question. You have twenty minutes in someone else's home, the estate agent is talking about the kitchen, and you are trying to work out whether the roof, the electrics or that crack above the bay is going to matter when you come to offer.

The short answer is: a builder's eye at that stage is useful, especially on a second viewing of a house you are seriously considering. But you do not always need one standing next to you. A clear set of photos, the listing and a floorplan are often enough for an independent builder to tell you what to ask, what to budget for, and what your surveyor should look at — before you offer.

Can you take a builder to a viewing?

Yes. Ask the agent or the seller first. You are a guest in the vendor's home, and they can say no. If they do, that is information in itself, though it is not automatically a reason to walk away — some sellers are simply uneasy about extra people in the house.

A first viewing is usually about whether you like the place and can picture living there. There is little point paying someone to attend a house you will write off in the hall. A second viewing, once you are seriously thinking of offering, is when a builder's eye earns its keep.

What a builder in the room can actually do

A builder who has spent years on site will look at different things from most buyers. They tend to start on the pavement: the roof line, the gutters, the pointing, the ground level against the wall. Inside, they will notice alterations, the consumer unit, staining, and whether doors and windows still sit square.

They can give you a rough sense of what the visible work is likely to involve, and whether the "potential" in the listing — an extension, a loft, a knock-through — looks realistic on that particular building.

They cannot see inside the walls, under the floors or behind loft boarding. They cannot replace a RICS survey. And if the builder is there in the hope of winning the renovation work, treat the numbers with care: they have a reason to make the job sound cheap, or sometimes frightening.

I never quote for, carry out or refer the work I review, and I take no referral fees. Whoever you ask, find that out first.

When photos and the listing are enough

Most buyers cannot find a trusted builder who can attend at short notice, in the right town, for a viewing that may only last half an hour. That is the usual situation, not the exception.

From a listing, a floorplan and a decent set of your own photographs, an experienced builder can usually tell you:

• which jobs look cosmetic and which are likely to be real money
• what the age and construction of the house usually mean for wiring, plumbing, roofs and damp
• what looks like it has been altered, and what paperwork to ask the agent for
• which RICS survey level to book, and what to ask the surveyor to look at closely

That is exactly what the pre-offer viewing review is for. You send the listing and your photos; I read them myself; you get a written, plain-English note and a one-to-one call within 24 hours, for £59. It is a head start before the survey, not a replacement for one.

If you are not sure what to photograph, use the property viewing checklist. The useful shots are the roof from across the street, every elevation, the gutters and downpipes, the consumer unit, the boiler, the loft, under the sinks, and anything that made you pause, with something for scale.

I have explained in more detail how a builder's ballpark figure is worked out from a listing and photos, and why it is worth getting that advice before you offer rather than after you are already committed.

If you are going back yourself for a second viewing, I will often send a short list of things to check while you are there. This is from a real email to a buyer before they offered. Name removed.

Hi [name],

On Friday, run the shower to check the pressure, and press down on the floor around the bath and toilet for any softness. Maybe also send me a photo of the boiler as well to try and get an idea on its age.

A few things worth doing on Friday

• Follow those boxed beams across the ceilings and see where they land.
• Knock on the dividing wall. If it sounds hollow, it's probably stud. If it's dead solid, it's probably brick and we might need to re think (im pretty sure it wont be)
• On the rear extension, ask the agent if there is a building control certificate for it.. knowing estate agents they will say 'i will have to check that' 😀
• Check the airbricks along the back wall and whether the decking covers them.
• Ask how old the boiler and fuse board are. If either needs doing, do it alongside the kitchen.
• maybe worth finding out about the upstairs neighbour/is there a sinking fund, service charge etc.

Cheers, Ben

When you should still go in person

Photos are not always enough. I would still want someone on site, or I would tell you so, if:

• you are taking on a full renovation and the budget depends on access, the order of trades, or what is hiding in the structure
• you cannot get good photographs — a dark loft, a roof you cannot see from the street, a house the agent will not let you record
• the work you have in mind is an extension or a loft, and you need to look at heights, drainage and how the house is actually put together

Even then, a remote review of the listing first can tell you whether the viewing is worth arranging.

It still does not replace a RICS survey

A builder looking at a viewing, in person or from photos, is helping you decide whether to offer and what to put in front of your surveyor. Once an offer is accepted, a RICS survey does the formal job of inspecting the house.

If the report then leaves you with a list of findings and no idea what they cost, that is a different stage: a builder's second opinion on the survey.

The practical choice

If you have a builder you already trust, and they can come to a second viewing, take them. Ask the agent first, and remember it is a visual look, not a survey.

If you cannot — which is most people, most of the time — photograph the house properly and get an independent builder to look at the listing and the photos before you offer. That is the option I can offer you from here, anywhere in the UK.

Check a house before you offer — £59, a written review and a call within 24 hours. If it is one photo or one question, you can ask that free.