RICS Pre-purchase Surveys
Expert Service
Are you purchasing a property? Whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, a first-time buyer, or a property developer - buying a property is a big financial and personal investment. You likely already know that, because you’ve probably found this page looking for a pre-purchase survey!
We can help you to have confidence in your purchase, understand the risks and liabilities of the property, and explore the potential of your property. We can help you save time, money and effort by giving you exactly what you need to know about a property before you commit to purchase. We believe every house purchase should be accompanied by an RICS survey, and undertaken by a competent surveyor. We tell you what you need to know, before you realise you need to know it!
We are experienced in our field and can provide detailed survey and advice for the inspection of conventional, traditional, non-traditional and historic buildings. We offer two levels of RICS pre-purchase survey: Level 2 (Homebuyer) and Level 3 (Building Survey).
Level 2 Home Survey
This intermediate level of service includes a more extensive visual inspection of the building, its services and grounds, but still without tests. Concealed areas normally opened or used by the occupiers are inspected if it is safe to do so (typical examples include roof spaces, basements and cellars).
The report objectively describes the condition of the different elements and provides an assessment of the relative importance of the defects/problems.
At this level, although it is concise, the report does include advice about repairs and any ongoing maintenance issues. Where we are unable to reach a conclusion with reasonable confidence, a recommendation for further investigations should be made.
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Please get in touch for advice on which level of survey is most suited to your property.
Level 3 Home Survey
The service consists of a detailed visual inspection of the building, its services and the grounds and is more extensive than a survey level two. Concealed areas normally opened or used by the occupiers are inspected if it is safe to do so (typical examples include roof spaces, basements and cellars). Although the services are not tested, they are observed in normal operation – in other words, they are switched on or off and/or operated where the occupier has given permission and it is safe to do so.
The report objectively describes the form of construction and materials used for different parts of the property. It describes the condition and provides an assessment of the relative importance of the defects/problems.
We will also describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden defects in areas not inspected- propose the most probable cause(s) of the defects based on the inspection- outline the likely scope of any appropriate remedial work and explain the likely consequences of non-repair- make general recommendations in respect of the priority and likely timescale for necessary work and- give an indication of likely costs or structural and compliance repairs.
