Euan Fraser

Researcher

Euan Fraser

Euan writes for Top Rated Surveyors, with a focus on helping homeowners compare quotes and ask the right questions. Away from the desk, he is a regular at the local parkrun.

Articles by Euan Fraser

Illustration of a house wall section with a damp meter, a timber beam, a clipboard, a magnifying glass and a blank certificate.

What Is the Property Care Association and Why Does It Matter?

What the Property Care Association is, which specialists it covers, membership types, the CSRT and CSTDB surveyor qualifications, the CSSW, how to check a company and what membership does not prove.

Illustration of a block of flats and a house with a ring of keys, blank lease papers and a tape measure.

Freehold or Leasehold and What It Means When Buying a Home

What freehold and leasehold mean when you buy, how ground rent, service charges and lease length affect the price and a lender, and what GOV.UK says is in force or only planned in England.

Illustration of a room corner with a misted window, a damp wall patch, a moisture meter and a clipboard.

Condensation or Damp in Your House and How to Tell Which

How condensation, penetrating damp, rising damp and leaks differ, where each tends to show, what a surveyor checks to tell them apart, and why guessing the cause can lead to the wrong fix.

Illustration of two adjoining houses with a blank award document, a tape measure and drawing compasses in the foreground.

What Qualifications Should a Party Wall Surveyor Have?

No qualification is required by law to act as a party wall surveyor. What the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors and the Pyramus & Thisbe Society offer, how to check, and what to ask before you appoint.

Illustration of a clipboard, magnifying glass, torch and hard hat beside a small model house.

Further Investigations Your Surveyor Recommends and Who to Call

What 'further investigation recommended' means in your survey report, why surveyors write it, who to ask about it, how to get access, and what to do before you exchange contracts.

Illustration of post-war flat-roofed houses with a hard hat and rolled plans in front.

RAAC in Homes and How a Surveyor Checks for It

What RAAC is, which homes may contain it, how a chartered surveyor or structural engineer checks, and what to ask about mortgages and insurance, without any DIY checks.

Illustration of a house side wall with a camera, clipboard and tape measure on the path.

Schedule of Condition Before Your Neighbour Starts Building Work

What a schedule of condition is, why neighbours of building work should have one, what it contains, when it is part of a party wall award and what it typically costs in 2026.

Illustration of a clipboard with traffic light squares next to a torch and damp meter in a hallway

Level 1 Condition Report and When It Is Enough for Your Purchase

What a RICS Level 1 condition report covers, what it leaves out, which homes it suits and the signs that you should step up to Level 2 or Level 3.

Illustration of a new build house with a clipboard, spirit level and certificate on the doorstep

Does a New Build With an NHBC Warranty Need a Survey?

Whether a new build with an NHBC warranty needs a survey, what the warranty covers and what a snagging survey or pre-completion inspection adds.

Illustration of a clipboard, dust mask and sample bag beside an open loft hatch in an older home

Asbestos Survey Cost and Which Type of Survey Your Home Needs

Which asbestos survey a home needs, when one is worth booking, what typical prices look like and why a standard home survey does not test for asbestos.

Illustration of a ladder under a loft hatch with a torch and clipboard in a hallway

What Happens on Survey Day and What the Surveyor Checks

What happens on survey day, what the surveyor checks inside and out, what they cannot do, how long it takes, whether you can attend and when the report arrives.

Illustration of dry rot in floor timbers and brickwork

Dry Rot or Wet Rot and When You Need a Timber Survey

How to tell dry rot from wet rot, why the moisture source has to be fixed first, who should survey it and what dry rot and wet rot repairs typically cost.

Illustration of a house on a balance scale opposite a stack of coins

Mortgage Valuation Explained and What Happens If It Comes In Low

What a mortgage valuation checks, how long it takes, what it costs, why it is not a survey and what to do if it comes in below your offer.

Illustration of a new build house with snagging markers

New Build Snagging Survey Cost and What the Inspector Checks

What a new build snagging survey costs, what the inspector checks, your right to an inspection before completion and how to get snags fixed.

Illustration of two semi-detached houses sharing a central wall highlighted in a contrasting colour

When You Need a Party Wall Surveyor and What It Costs

When the Party Wall Act applies to your building work, when you must appoint a party wall surveyor, who pays, and what it tends to cost.