SAVA or an MSc?
UK guide · last reviewed September 2026
For people moving into surveying, this is one of the most common questions: should you take SAVA's residential surveying diploma, or an RICS-accredited master's in building surveying? They lead to different jobs, so the answer depends on what kind of surveying you want to do.
The short answer: if there's any chance you'll want commercial work, project work or full chartership, and you already have a degree, take an accredited MSc. It keeps every door open, including residential. SAVA makes most sense if you're sure you want to be a residential surveyor and want a direct, practical route into it.
Side by side
| SAVA diploma | Accredited MSc | |
|---|---|---|
| Leads to | AssocRICS, on the residential side | The APC and chartership (MRICS) as a building surveyor |
| Prepares you for | Residential surveys (RICS Home Survey Levels 1 to 3) and mortgage valuations | The full range of building surveying: commercial, residential, projects and public sector |
| Entry | No degree needed | A degree in any subject |
| Length | Reported as about two to two and a half years | About a year full-time or two years part-time, then at least two years of APC training |
| Cost | Reported as around £16,000 in 2025–26; some large firms pay for it through their trainee academies | Varies by university; the government master’s loan can help in England |
| Later options | Chartership is possible later, but takes further experience and assessment | Residential work stays open, and you can move between types of work |
What SAVA is
SAVA's Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation is a vocational qualification built specifically around residential work: RICS home surveys and valuations for mortgage lenders. On completion you can become an associate member of RICS (AssocRICS). To carry out mortgage valuations you also need to register under RICS's Valuer Registration Scheme.
People who have taken it praise how directly it teaches the job. The common complaints are the cost, and that the later stages are partly self-directed: you need to find a mentor and complete assessed survey reports, which some people struggle to arrange. Several large residential firms run paid trainee academies built around the diploma, which solves both problems if you can get a place.
What an accredited MSc is
An RICS-accredited MSc (or postgraduate diploma) in building surveying is a conversion course for graduates of any subject. It covers construction technology, building pathology, law, contract administration and professional practice, and is mostly assessed by coursework. It doesn't make you chartered on its own: after it, you work towards the APC, which usually takes two to three years or more, and pass to become MRICS.
An MSc graduate can still go into residential surveying, but carrying out RICS home surveys independently needs AssocRICS or MRICS, so you'd still need to qualify through RICS first.
How the pay compares
Residential surveying at the large firms that value homes for lenders is usually paid as a base salary plus a car allowance and commission on work above a daily target. Early in a career, total pay there can match or beat commercial surveying, but it depends heavily on your area and the housing market, and the pace can be relentless. SAVA's own 2026 survey of its graduates reported an average salary of £61,000 two years after qualifying.
Commercial building surveyors usually earn less at first, then see a big rise on becoming chartered, with more scope to progress into senior and director roles. See the salary guide for figures from the index.
Who each route suits
- SAVA suits people who are certain they want residential work, such as estate agents, tradespeople and people leaving the armed forces, and people later in their career who want a relatively quick route to residential work, including self-employment in time. If you're leaving the forces, ask whether Enhanced Learning Credits can help with the cost.
- An MSc suits graduates who haven't decided which part of surveying they want, anyone interested in commercial work, projects or the public sector, and anyone who wants chartership as soon as possible. Surveyors generally find it easier to move from commercial work into residential than the other way round.
If you don't have a degree and want to keep your options open, look at a degree apprenticeship or an HNC with a top-up degree instead. The guide to becoming a building surveyor covers every route.