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Yes - same here.
The document itself - meh. The conversation with the guy after he did the visit, and another a week or so later was invaluable.
I think I literally asked something along the lines of "Given the other terraced houses you've seen, would you be ok buying this one" - he said yes, no significant or unusal problems (and then his actual report came back with the usual load of issues and arse coverings that would have worried me a lot more without the off the record conversations I had with him).
Personally I wouldn't buy an old house without one - the cost of it is relatively little compared to all other expenses you're covering at that point.
christianSpaceman
For what it's worth my full survey was massively, massively useful and let me know about tonnes of things I would never have found out otherwise. Same guy uncovered issues with other properties that meant more than one friend avoided buying an absolute dud.
The most useful bit by far, was the 3 hours or so he spent talking me through the report, rather than the report itself. Unsurprisingly, even a good surveyor has to arse-cover a bit in writing (arses need covering) - but verbally he was willing to be a million times more specific.
I would not get another survey without making sure I can talk it through with the surveyor afterwards...