RICS Level 2 Home Survey & Valuation

We offer you the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns about the property you're purchasing. This can be done through the initial booking form, during the pre-survey telephone discussion (usually the day before the inspection), or at any point in between. After that, we take care of arranging access with the agents or vendors, and we'll notify you once a date is confirmed.

We conduct a thorough inspection of both the interior and exterior of the main building, which typically takes about two hours. This includes all permanent outbuildings and involves documenting the construction and any significant visible defects. The inspection covers as much of the property as is physically accessible, using tools such as a damp meter, ladder, torch and binoculars.

If we are unable to access certain areas, we will inform you in the 'Limitations on the Inspection' section of the report.

Once we’ve done the inspection, we have another discussion to give you a snapshot of the key findings before the report is produced.

We prepare a concise report following the RICS Level 2 Report format, covering the following key areas:

Summary: Provides an overall opinion of the property and highlights any significant defects.

About the Property: Offers basic information about the property, including comments on energy efficiency, location, and environmental factors.

Component Assessment: Details the condition of external and internal building components, noting any defects and offering advice on repairs or improvements. Each component is rated using a traffic light system:

• Green (1): No major repairs needed.

• Amber (2): Repairs needed, but not urgent.

• Red (3): Urgent repairs needed.

• NI: Indicates sections that were not inspected or are not applicable.

Grounds: Comments on the presence and condition of outbuildings, garages, and gardens (including boundary fencing).

Legals: Summarizes key items that your legal adviser should address with their counterpart.

Summary of Risks: Highlights the key risks to people, property, and the surrounding area.

The Valuation: The surveyor gives an opinion on both the market value of the property and the reinstatement cost at the time of the inspection.

The Reinstatement cost is the cost of rebuilding an average home of the type and style inspected to its existing standard, using modern materials and techniques, and by acting in line with current Building Regulations and other legal requirements. This includes the cost of rebuilding any garage, boundary or retaining walls and permanent outbuildings, and clearing the site. It also includes professional fees, but does not include VAT (except on fees).

The reinstatement cost helps you decide on the amount of buildings insurance cover you will need for the property.

There is no correlation between the Market Value and the Reinstatement Cost.

We understand that you may have questions after reviewing the report. Therefore, we keep our communication channels open for any enquiries you might have. We encourage you to ask questions, even if it's just for clarification. We sometimes reach out a few weeks later to check on the progress of the sale and see if you have any follow-up questions.