Is a survey necessary if my mortgage provider is surveying the property anyway?
If the property is of standard construction, relatively new - that is ten years old or less - and stands in an area of similar properties, probably not. However, if you really want to know about the property you intend to purchase then you need a building survey (formerly referred to as a structural survey).
A building survey can be best summarised as: looking at everything that can be inspected and reporting accordingly. The whole of the property inside and out will be inspected, including the roof space, cellars, basements, boundaries, outbuildings, garages and gardens.