Survey vs Valuation: What is the Key Difference?

Author : Surveying People | Published On : 22 Oct 2025

Do you know that the terms survey and valuation represent different ideas? Or are you aware of the difference between survey and valuation?

If the answer is no, this article is your perfect guide. We all have heard of stories where people sell their old homes and call property dealers for valuation before doing that. It is a common practice and a smart solution to get an accurate selling cost estimation. But as time passes and people shift to modern-day home surveys, the property dealer practice is becoming less popular.

To understand this change, it is essential to know that surveys and valuations differ. However, a survey is a broad term that includes valuation. Are you still confused?

Let me make it simple for you.

Difference between Survey and Valuation

The terms Survey and Valuation are two different concepts and belong to two distinct groups of people who handle them. Professional surveys are conducted by surveyors, a group of individuals who deal with building and property assessment, to identify hidden problems using surveying knowledge and tools.

However, valuation is usually conducted by property dealers. These individuals are aware of the current market trends, and based on the size and location of the building, they estimate the costs of different buildings.

So, to understand the difference between Survey and Valuation, here are some facts that you must know

Survey	Valuation
Survey is a detailed property assessment service, where professional surveyors thoroughly investigate the property. They rate property conditions to help buyers with their buying and selling decisions.	It is a simple way of finding the current market value of the property considering the property conditions for the mortgage lender.
It primarily shares the health check of the property or its current physical condition.	Property valuation only focuses on calculating the market value of the property without physical condition check.
It includes structural fault investigation and details related to the interior and exterior of the building.	It includes the size of property, location, and property characteristics.
It shares potential repair costs, and hidden defects and issues in the property.	It has nothing to do with repairs, or any damage or default investigations.
It gives you future risk predictions, and their solutions in the form of possible repairs.	It doesn’t share any information related to future risks, or growing construction problems.
It helps you with buying and selling decisions.	It offer benefits for mortgage lender only.

Key Takeaways

Surveys and valuations are linked with sharing information related to properties. The difference between Survey and Valuation is their focus and purpose. When it comes to surveys, the focus is on finding out structural defaults, along with cost estimation. However, valuation only deals with finding market value. So, if you are considering buying a house, you can consider surveys as they highlight all the possible details of the building. On the other hand, if you are considering buying land, you can feel at ease getting accurate measurements of the size and the perfect location for land purchase.

How can we help you?

At Surveying People, we help customers with their surveying and valuation demands. We have a team of qualified surveyors with the knowledge and skills to assess your buildings, hidden defects, and property valuation, considering their condition and current market trends. So, you can get both under one package, as we are committed to covering it all for you.