what can a surveyor detect??

[lucyshandbag]

my mum is currently selling her house, she has finally had an offer and everything seems good.  however, she knows there is damp on one of the walls in her bedroom and she is thinking that if she moves her wardrobe against the damp spots, the surveyor won't be able to detect it.  is this true, and what exactly can a surveyor detect?

[Sammy Snake]

I think it depends on what type of survey the prospective buyer pays for.  When I bought my house 18mths ago I had the choice of a valuation only, a homebuyers report or a full structural survey.  The valuation is just that, the homebuyers report is a basic survey and the full one is more detailed. 

I paid for the homebuyers report and it did mention damp in the first house I was going to buy (along with about 20 other problems) so I would imagine that it will be picked up, yes.

[Loosehead]

They will detect it, they don't have to see it, they have a compact sensor that they just have to touch against the wall.