Duty to investigate: what should you do as a buyer?

The inspection obligation has two aspects: the legal condition of the house and its structural condition. The buyer can inspect the legal condition of the house themselves, while a building inspector is hired to inspect the structural condition of the house.

Matters covered by the legal duty of investigation include:

• Qualitative obligations (things that a homeowner must accept, such as cables running through the garden).
• Easements, such as the 'right of way'.
• A chain clause. This is the obligation to maintain something, such as the front garden.
• Leasehold arrangement, where the buyer owns the house, but not the land.

The structural condition of the house is assessed by a building inspector. This inspector checks the walls, floors, ceilings, and the structure of the house in every room. The costs of any repairs are also reported.