Detailed property inspections for Glasgow's sandstone tenements, Victorian villas, and modern developments
Glasgow has the highest concentration of flats of any major UK city, with 73% of dwellings classified as flats — the vast majority being traditional sandstone tenements. Over 77,000 homes in the city date from before 1919, and a 2019 Glasgow City Council study estimated that repairing these ageing buildings could cost up to £2.9 billion. Sandstone decay, rotten floor joists, and failing bay windows are common across the city's older stock. Getting a Building Survey gives you a thorough structural assessment before you commit to buying in Glasgow's property market, covering defects that a basic mortgage valuation would never flag.
£192,000
Average House Price
77,000+
Homes Built Pre-1919
Mostly sandstone tenements
From £500
Building Survey Cost
Glasgow pricing
1,800+
Listed Buildings
Across 26 conservation areas
Glasgow's property market is dominated by tenement flats built between the 1850s and 1914 to house workers during the city's industrial boom. These three- and four-storey sandstone blocks share communal stairwells known as "closes" and rely on shared structural elements — roofs, gutters, downpipes, and close walls — that deteriorate when maintenance falls to multiple owners to coordinate. A 2017 Scottish House Condition Survey found that 68% of pre-1919 Scottish properties had disrepair to critical building elements. In Glasgow, where pre-1919 stock accounts for roughly a quarter of all homes, this translates into tens of thousands of properties with potential structural concerns that only a thorough Building Survey can identify.
The inspection examines the full structural fabric of the property: walls, floors, roof structure, foundations where accessible, dampness, timber condition, drainage, insulation, and services. For Glasgow tenements specifically, this means checking sandstone facing for weathering and delamination, inspecting timber floor joists at their bearing points in the external walls, examining bay window mullions for cracking, and assessing whether previous cement "plastic repairs" have trapped moisture behind the stone. The survey also flags shared repair liabilities — a critical consideration when you are buying into a building with multiple owners responsible for common parts.
Scotland operates a different property transaction system from England and Wales. Sellers must provide a Home Report before marketing, which includes a single survey and valuation. However, the Home Report survey is conducted on behalf of the seller, not the buyer. If you have concerns about a specific property — particularly an older tenement, a converted flat, or a property with visible defects — commissioning your own independent Building Survey gives you a buyer-focused assessment. This is especially relevant in Glasgow where the competitive "offers over" system can pressure buyers into quick decisions without full knowledge of a building's condition.
Source: Glasgow City Council / Scotland's Census 2022. Glasgow has the highest proportion of flats of any major UK city.
Glasgow's traditional tenements were built using locally quarried blonde or red sandstone, a porous material that absorbs water and dries through natural "breathing." Over decades, well-meaning repairs using hard cement mortar have sealed the stone surface, trapping moisture inside where it freezes, expands, and causes the stone to crack and delaminate. Glasgow City Council estimates that the total repair bill for the city's pre-1919 tenements could reach £2.9 billion. The Building Survey assesses the extent of stone deterioration on each elevation and identifies whether previous repairs have caused hidden damage to the surrounding masonry.
| Survey Type | Glasgow | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Survey | From £500 | From £600 | -£100 |
| RICS Level 3 | From £550 | From £619 | -£69 |
| RICS Level 2 | From £350 | From £395 | -£45 |
Building Survey
Glasgow
From £500
National Avg
From £600
Difference
-£100
RICS Level 3
Glasgow
From £550
National Avg
From £619
Difference
-£69
RICS Level 2
Glasgow
From £350
National Avg
From £395
Difference
-£45
Prices based on a typical 2-3 bed tenement flat. Glasgow prices reflect Scottish market rates, which run below the national average despite the complexity of older sandstone stock.
The RICS-qualified surveyors we work with in Glasgow have hands-on experience with the city's distinctive building stock. They can tell the difference between blonde Giffnock sandstone and red Locharbriggs stone, recognise the early signs of joist-end rot before walls start to bulge, and assess whether a tenement's shared roof has years of life left or needs immediate collective action from owners. They are based locally across Glasgow and can typically inspect your property within days of booking.
Enter the property details — address, type, approximate age, and number of bedrooms. You'll receive a price straight away. If a Building Survey suits the property, you can book and pay online. We'll contact the seller or their agent within 24 hours to arrange access.
A local RICS surveyor visits the property. On a standard Glasgow tenement flat, expect the inspection to take 3-5 hours. Larger properties — such as a converted West End villa or a four-storey townhouse — may take longer. The surveyor inspects all accessible areas including the communal close, shared roof void, and external elevations.
You receive a detailed written report within 3-5 working days. It covers structural condition, defects identified, estimated repair costs, and recommendations. Our team can walk you through the findings and help arrange follow-up specialist inspections — such as a structural engineer for subsidence concerns or a timber specialist for suspected rot.
When you buy a Glasgow tenement flat, you take on a share of responsibility for the building's common parts — the roof, close walls, gutters, downpipes, and foundations. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets out how repair costs are divided between owners, but organising and funding major works across multiple flats can be difficult. Your Building Survey will flag the condition of these shared elements and give you a realistic picture of what communal repairs might be needed, helping you factor potential costs into your purchase decision before you submit an offer.
Glasgow's housing character was shaped by rapid industrialisation in the 19th century. The city's population surged as workers arrived from the Highlands, Ireland, and continental Europe to feed demand for labour in shipbuilding, engineering, and manufacturing along the Clyde. To house them, developers built dense grids of sandstone tenements — three and four storeys high, arranged around communal stairwells. These buildings defined entire neighbourhoods: Govan, Partick, Dennistoun, Shawlands, and the Southside. Many were constructed quickly using local blonde sandstone from quarries at Giffnock and Bishopbriggs, while red sandstone from Dumfriesshire became popular for grander West End terraces and the Park Circus area. The variation in stone type, construction quality, and subsequent maintenance means that two outwardly similar tenements on the same street can be in vastly different structural condition.
This history directly affects what a Building Survey uncovers. Glasgow sits on glacial boulder clay deposited during the last ice age, forming the distinctive drumlin hills visible across the city — from the Necropolis to Queen's Park. This clay subsoil can cause foundation settlement, particularly where mature trees draw moisture from the ground. Add the legacy of coal mining along Glasgow's southern and eastern boundaries, and some properties face ground stability risks that require specialist investigation. The wet West of Scotland climate — Glasgow averages over 1,100mm of rainfall per year — compounds matters by driving moisture into porous sandstone walls and accelerating rot in exposed timbers. A Building Survey examines all of these factors and gives you a clear assessment of the property's structural health before you commit.
Explore our full range of property services available in Glasgow
From £550
The most detailed RICS survey available — recommended for Glasgow's pre-1919 tenements and period properties requiring in-depth structural analysis.
From £450
Focused structural assessment for Glasgow properties showing signs of subsidence, wall movement, or foundation concerns on boulder clay.
From £250
Inspect shared tenement roofs, slate condition, lead flashings, and cast-iron guttering — common maintenance concerns across Glasgow.
From £80
Energy Performance Certificates for Glasgow properties — required for sales and lettings across Scotland.
Glasgow's average property price currently sits at £192,000, up 5.8% over the past year. At £500, the Building Survey represents around 0.26% of that purchase price — a small fraction compared to the cost of structural repairs discovered after completion. Underpinning a tenement flat affected by subsidence typically costs £10,000-£20,000. Replacing rotten floor joists that have caused wall bulging can run to £8,000-£15,000 per flat. Even re-pointing deteriorated sandstone on a single elevation can cost several thousand pounds. The survey identifies these issues before you buy, giving you the information to renegotiate the price or walk away entirely.
Without a Building Survey, you rely on the seller's Home Report — a survey commissioned and paid for by the person trying to sell you the property. While Home Reports are regulated and carried out by qualified surveyors, they serve a different purpose. They provide a general condition rating and valuation, not the detailed structural investigation that a Building Survey delivers. On a Glasgow tenement built over a century ago, the difference between a condition rating and a full structural narrative can be the difference between a sound purchase and a costly mistake.
Expect to pay from around £500 for a standard Glasgow tenement flat. Prices increase with property size, value, and complexity — a larger property such as a West End villa or a four-bedroom semi-detached house typically costs £600-£900. Glasgow prices tend to be lower than the national average (from £600) due to Scottish market rates, though the complexity of older sandstone stock means inspections can take just as long as those in more expensive areas of the UK.
The Home Report is a useful starting point, but it is commissioned by the seller and designed to facilitate the sale. It includes a single survey with condition ratings and a valuation, but it does not provide the depth of structural analysis that a Building Survey offers. For Glasgow's older tenement stock — particularly properties built before 1919 — a buyer-commissioned Building Survey gives you an independent assessment focused entirely on protecting your interests. This is especially relevant when the Home Report flags condition ratings of 2 or 3 on key building elements.
On a two- or three-bedroom Glasgow tenement flat, the on-site inspection takes 3-5 hours. The surveyor needs to examine internal rooms, check the communal close and stairwell, access the roof void where possible, and inspect external elevations from ground level. Larger or more complex properties — such as converted villas in Hyndland or townhouses in the Park district — may take 5-7 hours. The written report follows within 3-5 working days after the inspection.
Glasgow's tenements were built using blonde sandstone (from quarries at Giffnock and Bishopbriggs) and red sandstone (from Dumfriesshire). Both types are porous and absorb water, which causes problems over time. The survey checks for delamination — where the stone face peels away in layers — as well as cracking, erosion on exposed elevations, and damage caused by inappropriate cement repairs. Hard cement mortar used in past decades traps moisture inside the stone, leading to accelerated decay that can be expensive to reverse.
Yes. Glasgow sits on the edge of the historic Lanarkshire coalfield, and at least 30 mines operated within or close to the city boundaries during the early 20th century. Areas to the south and east of the city — including parts of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and Castlemilk — have documented mining activity beneath them. The surveyor looks for signs of structural movement consistent with ground subsidence, including specific crack patterns, uneven floors, and distortion of door and window openings. If mining subsidence is suspected, the report will recommend a Coal Authority search and further specialist investigation.
The inspection covers accessible communal areas including the close (stairwell), shared roof void, external walls, and guttering. Under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, repair costs for common parts are shared between flat owners, so the condition of these elements directly affects your financial obligations as an owner. The Building Survey report flags communal repair needs and gives you an idea of what collective maintenance or works may be required, helping you budget beyond just the purchase price of your individual flat.
For newer properties — those built after 1980 — a Building Survey may be more thorough than you need, and a RICS Level 2 survey could be sufficient. That said, Glasgow has seen significant new-build development in areas like the Clyde waterfront, Pacific Quay, and the East End regeneration zones. If you are buying a property that has been converted, extended, or is in an area with known ground conditions (such as former industrial land along the Clyde), a full Building Survey is still a sensible investment. The surveyor can advise on the appropriate level once they know the property details.
If significant defects are identified — such as structural movement, extensive rot, or failing stonework — the report will include recommendations for specialist follow-up investigations and estimated repair costs where possible. You can use this information to renegotiate the purchase price with the seller, request that repairs are completed before completion, or withdraw from the purchase entirely. In Glasgow's tenement market, survey findings about shared building elements can also inform discussions with other flat owners about coordinating and funding communal repairs.
Most surveyors take 1–2 days to quote.
We'll price your survey in seconds.
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Homemove is a trading name of HM Haus Group Ltd (Company No. 13873779, registered in England & Wales). Homemove Mortgages Ltd (Company No. 15947693) is an Appointed Representative of TMG Direct Limited, trading as TMG Mortgage Network, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 786245). Homemove Mortgages Ltd is entered on the FCA Register as an Appointed Representative (FRN 1022429). You can check registrations at NewRegister or by calling 0800 111 6768.
