A new app offering DIY property surveys is gaining traction among UK home sellers looking to cut costs and reduce the risk of transactions falling through at a time when price drops and growing uncertainty are reshaping the housing market.
Data from Rightmove shows that average asking prices fell by 0.3% in early June – the first decline for this month in over a decade – following a 0.4% drop in May, according to Halifax.
And The HomeOwners Alliance estimates the average cost of selling a £290,000 home is £4,910, including estate agency fees, conveyancing and the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
What that figure doesn’t include, however, are the unexpected costs triggered by poor survey results, often revealed late in the sales process and responsible for last-minute renegotiations, legal disputes or even collapsed chains.
ONE IN THREE TRANSACTIONS FAIL
The government estimates one in three transactions fail to complete, costing home movers £400 million per year and wasting four million working days across the conveyancing and estate agency sectors.
Traditionally, sellers have relied on buyers to commission surveys, which typically cost between £300 and £1,500 according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
But a growing number of sellers are now opting to get ahead of the process by using technology to inspect their homes earlier and more affordably.
SURVEY SHACK
One such option is Survey Shack, a mobile app launched in October 2024 by a team of qualified surveyors. The platform offers users a guided, step-by-step home inspection and, for £29.99, provides an instant report highlighting potential issues that could impact the sale. More than 1,000 sellers have downloaded the app since launch.
Survey Shack’s founders believe the technology has the potential to modernise an industry often criticised for its slow pace and high failure rate.
Brett Ray, Founding Partner and CEO of Survey Shack, says: “Modernisation and digitisation in the property sale process are long, long overdue.
“The financial and emotional strain of selling your home, only to see the transaction collapse at the last moment, is something we have the technology to address.
“So that’s what we’re doing with Survey Shack – we’re putting the power to reduce the likelihood of sales and chains collapsing into sellers’ hands at a low cost.”
