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Good point; I'm mostly after broad ideas like 'the house is damp' or 'the house is sinking into the floor' or 'the house was built on an old indian burial site and the bathroom portal into hell may not count as 'outdoor space''.
Just after a bit of peace of mind that the whole place won't come crashing down around me. Everyone in that block is selling and I don't know why.
ReekBlefs-
From my experience working within the surveying field (not a surveyor myself) is that they will err on the side of caution - They can't exactly guarantee that your house will not fall down in the next 30 years, but will point out things that might need attention immediately or in the future.
I believe there are a few surveyors on here, so please shoot me down if what I have experienced is actually bollocks.
Unless you're buying an old cottage or it is evident the property you're purchasing is going to require a lot of work (which would probably require a Full Building Survey), then it's probably in your interest to plump for a Homebuyers report, which can be conducted alongside your mortgage valuation.
pifko
Could be wrong but I don't think any of the standard surveys are going to give you any indication of costs to fix or make good any problems identified. You're sort of left to pursue answers to any questions posited by the survey yourself (or via your solicitors if more appropriate).
Just generally the surveys tend to be pretty negative so don't expect your seller to be amazingly sympathetic to all the issues raised (within reason, obviously!). For example, the outlet for the central heating flue in my place was missing the metal cage thing which goes over it (about £5 to replace on eBay), this was red flagged and rated as a "risk to persons".