Openwork has launched an online tool it said will give homebuyers access to specialist surveyors across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In partnership with Legal & General Surveying Services, the surveying tool will be aimed at clients who want to request homebuyer reports and building surveys.
Openwork said the product was launched to address the issue of many lenders who are now choosing to only undertake a valuation on properties, leaving borrowers to organise their own survey or take the risk of proceeding with their purchase without one.
Paul Shearman, proposition director at Openwork, said: “An increasing number of major lenders and surveying firms are choosing to focus on valuation work, and this leaves purchasers to either self-select a surveyor or take the risk of purchasing without understanding potential issues with the property.
“Openwork will give our advisers access to a network of high quality, vetted surveyors who are keen to go beyond simply valuing properties and provide the detailed property assessment they are qualified and trained to do."
Mortgage providers typically offer a free survey as part of the lending agreement, but if a client wants a more in-depth survey they would need to pay extra.
Harris Independent Financial Advice director Matthew Harris said he always advises clients who are buying properties to do a survey, encouraging them to do it through the mortgage lender, which is often cheaper than an independent survey.
Mr Harris added: “Clients should get a proper home buyer’s survey. It is not necessarily the case that they need to do that independently of the mortgage option.
“We always offer surveys to people, but it is true that the majority are not keen on it.”
