Specialist Property Surveys

Provision of Specialist building surveys for all types of residential and commercial properties.

What Is a House Survey?

A house survey is a detailed inspection of the condition of a property. The type of survey you choose will determine the level of detail it goes into and how much the house survey costs.

RICS Home Survey Level 1

A home survey Level 1 (previous condition report) costs vary depending on the location of the property and it’s value.

- The Home Survey Level 1 is the most basic and cheapest RICS survey available.

- It provides you with a summary of the property’s condition and will highlight ‘significant visible defects that are evident’.

- It will give condition ratings for the main elements of the building, garage and some outside elements. Ratings will be graded from 1-3. A rating of 1 means no repairs or further investigation is needed. While a rating of 3 means dangerous or in need of urgent investigation.

- No advice or valuation is provided with a level 1 home survey.

RICS Home Survey Level 2

A home survey Level 2 (previously a homebuyer survey) is more detailed and is the most popular option according to RICS.

- A home survey Level 2 looks at everything that would be covered in a home survey level 1 but will delve deeper.

- It will provide an assessment of the relative importance of any defects/problems.

- It will include advice about repairs or any ongoing maintenance issues.

- Where the surveyor is unable to reach a conclusion with reasonable confidence, a recommendation for further investigation should be made.

- A home survey Level 2 is standard choice for most properties in reasonable condition.

Full structural survey

RICS Home Survey Level 3 - also knows as full structural survey - is the most thorough survey offered by RICS. Full structural surveys are more expensive, with costs depending on the size and value of the property. But can be a worthwhile investment.

- A home survey Level 3 is an extensive survey that provides detailed advice on the property’s condition.

- it will describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden defects.

- Propose the most probable cause or causes of the defects based on the inspection.

- Also where practicable and agreed, provides an estimate of costs and likely timescale for identified repairs and necessary work.

Is a house survey worth the cost?

The point of having a survey is to make you aware of potential pitfalls with the property. As previously mentioned above, the level of detail will depend on which type of survey you choose. If you don’t have a survey, there could be major - and expensive- problems with the property that you only become aware of after completion. So while having a survey may cost you in the short term, it could mean you avoid potentially facing unexpected costs in the future.

Some people have a full structural survey every time they buy a house to ensure they have a comprehensive report of all the issues in front of them. Others want a light touch survey to reassure them of the fundamentals.

If a survey finds problems, who pays to fix them?

If a survey brings to light problems with the property, then you may want to use this information to renegotiate the price. For example, if the property has a damp problem that will cost £5,000 to fix, it’s reasonable to ask to take this figure off the sale price. Alternatively you may ask the seller to fix the problem before you buy. Or you may wish to reconsider buying the property.

Your conveyancing solicitor will also have a copy of your survey. If you have any concerns or want to talk through your options, speak to them first as they will be able to advise accordingly based on their years of experience handling property transactions. They can formally propose next steps, whether requiring repairs or money off the sale price, to the seller's solicitor.