Frequently Asked Questions

Buying a property is a significant financial commitment, and a survey can help you understand its condition before you exchange contracts. A survey may identify defects, maintenance issues or areas requiring further investigation that are not obvious during a viewing.

Understanding these issues before purchase can help you budget for future repairs, obtain specialist advice where necessary and, in some circumstances, renegotiate the purchase price.

A mortgage valuation is not a survey. It is carried out for the lender to confirm that the property provides suitable security for the mortgage and may involve only a limited inspection or, in some cases, no physical inspection at all.

A Level 2 Home Survey or Level 3 Building Survey is carried out for you and provides a much more detailed assessment of the condition of the property.

RICS Home Surveys are available at different levels depending on the age, construction and condition of the property.

Level 1: A basic condition report. We do not offer this level as we believe it provides insufficient detail for most of our clients.

Level 2 Home Survey: Suitable for conventional houses and flats that appear to be in reasonable condition and have not been extensively altered. The report uses condition ratings to identify defects, risks and matters requiring further investigation.

Level 3 Building Survey: Our most comprehensive level of inspection. It is generally recommended for older, unusual, significantly altered or poorly maintained properties and provides more detailed information on construction, defects, repair options and the consequences of inaction.

Yes. We can provide residential property valuations and, where appropriate, reinstatement cost assessments.

Reinstatement cost assessments are generally most suitable for houses. For many flats, particularly those within larger or more complex buildings, standard BCIS-based assessment methods may not be appropriate and a specialist reinstatement valuation may be required.

The scope of the survey depends on whether you choose a Level 2 Home Survey or Level 3 Building Survey.

Both include an inspection of the main visible elements of the property, identification of significant defects and risks, condition ratings, photographs and recommendations for further investigation where appropriate.

A Level 3 Building Survey provides more detailed information on construction, defects, repair options and the likely consequences of leaving defects unattended.

The inspection time depends on the size, age, condition and complexity of the property, as well as the type of survey being undertaken.

As a general guide, an inspection will usually take approximately 2–5 hours, although larger or more complex properties may take longer.

Yes. We believe the opportunity to discuss the findings is an important part of the service.

Your surveyor will be available after the report has been issued to discuss the main findings, explain any points that are unclear and answer further questions by telephone or email.