By Rob Best

Here, we're going to step back from the auction scene for a while and focus on one area of the purchasing process that many investors find daunting, difficult or dear - the survey.

Homebuyers tend to see the survey as a pretty important part of buying a property.

It will, in theory at least, tell them what will need fixing / replacing / tearing down in the next few months / years, from which one can deduce costs, negotiate a discount, and start budgeting for any works that will need to be carried out.

As investors, we don't usually see surveys in quite the same light. So, are they a vital part of what we do, or are they an avoidable expense?