RICS Level 3 Home Survey

We give you the chance to share any questions or concerns you may have about the property you're purchasing, either in the initial booking form or at any time leading up to the inspection. For all Home Surveys, we arrange a pre-survey discussion, typically the day before the inspection. This allows us to review any concerns or questions you’ve already raised, discuss common repairs associated with the property type, and understand your future plans for the property. This helps us tailor the inspection and report to your needs. We’ll then handle all the necessary arrangements with the agents or vendors for access, and will notify you once a date is confirmed.

A thorough inspection of both the interior and exterior of the main building is conducted, including all permanent outbuildings. This involves documenting the construction and any significant visible defects. For a Level 3 inspection, additional time is allocated, often exceeding four hours, allowing us to examine more elements, such as windows and doors, lift floor coverings (only if they are loose or not fitted), open accessible panels, and take measurements.

The inspection is designed to cover as much of the property as is physically accessible, using tools such as a damp meter, torch, binoculars, and ladder. If we are unable to access certain areas, we will inform you in the 'Limitations on the Inspection' section of the report.

After the inspection, we will have another discussion to provide you with a summary of the key findings and go over potential remedial measures.

We prepare a detailed report following the RICS Level 3 Report format, covering the following key areas:

Summary: Provides an overall opinion of the property, highlights any significant defects, and lists out further necessary investigations.

About the Property: In-depth 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 detailed advice on repairs or improvements. Cost guidance can be provided for the repairs to aid in potential renegotiations.

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: Summarises 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.

Energy Matters: Describes matters related to the insulation, heating, lighting and ventilation of the property.

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.