RICS House Surveys: What They Are and When do You Need One
RICS surveys are essentially comprehensive health checks for property, offering far more insight than a standard viewing ever could. They provide an independent, expert assessment of a home’s overall condition, examining everything from the building’s fabric and structural integrity to potential defects, maintenance issues, and emerging risks. This level of scrutiny helps uncover problems that may be hidden, overlooked, or simply impossible to spot without professional expertise.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or maintaining a property, an RICS survey equips you with the clarity and confidence needed to make informed, financially sound decisions. It helps you understand the true condition of the building, anticipate future costs, and negotiate from a position of strength. Ultimately, it ensures you move forward with a full picture of what the property needs - both now and in the long term.
There are three main levels of RICS Home Survey, each offering a different depth of inspection.
Property Advice Data Sheet 3:
Types of Surveys
RICS Level 1 – Condition Survey
A Level 1 survey provides a basic overview of a property’s condition. It highlights any obvious issues using a simple traffic‑light rating system but does not include detailed advice or investigation.
Best for:
Newer homes
Modern properties in good condition
Buyers wanting reassurance without extensive detail
RICS Level 2 – HomeBuyer Survey
A Level 2 survey offers a more detailed inspection, covering the property’s condition, any visible defects, and potential risks. It also includes advice on repairs and ongoing maintenance. This is the most commonly chosen survey for typical house purchases.
Best for:
Conventional homes in reasonable condition
Properties built after 1900
Buyers wanting a balanced level of detail and value
RICS Level 3 – Full Building Survey (Full Structural Survey)
A Level 3 survey is the most comprehensive assessment available. It provides an in‑depth analysis of the property’s structure, materials, defects, and potential future issues. It also includes detailed recommendations for repairs and estimated timescales.
Best for:
Older or historic buildings
Properties in poor condition
Homes with significant alterations or complex construction
Buyers planning major refurbishment
Choosing the Right Survey: Selecting the correct survey depends on the property’s age, condition, construction type, and your future plans. If you’re unsure which level is appropriate, we can guide you through the options and ensure you receive the right level of assurance for your purchase or sale.
Why These Surveys Matter: Choosing the right survey can save you money and prevent unexpected problems. Your report can be used to negotiate the purchase price or request repairs before completion. For sellers, commissioning a survey in advance can help avoid last‑minute surprises that delay or derail a sale.
The Inspection: The inspection will be of all easily accessible areas within the property, including key internal elements such as ceilings, roof structures, walls, floors, bathrooms, and internal joinery. It also includes an assessment of permanent outbuildings and the external fabric of the home, covering roofing, gutters and pipework, external walls, windows, and doors. The surveyor will review the visible parts of the heating, drainage, electrical, gas/oil, and water services, as well as examine accessible timbers for signs of rot or active woodworm infestation.
Choosing the right survey isn’t just a technical decision; it’s the foundation for informed investment, risk management, and long‑term asset performance. The wrong survey can leave critical issues undiscovered, inflate future costs, or fail to meet regulatory expectations. The right one gives you clarity, confidence, and a roadmap you can rely on.
SCC brings the expertise to make that choice straightforward. With chartered, sector‑specialist surveyors and a deep understanding of educational, commercial, and residential assets, we guide you toward the survey that genuinely fits your project, your risks, and your goals. Our role is to translate complexity into certainty - ensuring you commission the right survey, at the right time, with the right level of assurance.
Other types of survey
Form home buyers, we believe the RICS Level 3 Survey offers the most comprehensive understanding of a property, regardless of its age or construction. It provides thorough guidance on the building’s fabric, structural integrity, and maintenance requirements. The report is highly detailed, identifying visible defects as well as highlighting potential hidden issues that may require further investigation, giving you complete clarity before you commit to your purchase.
At SCC, we also offer a wider range of surveys designed to meet the specific needs of each client. Our bespoke approach allows us to tailor every report to its intended purpose - whether you’re buying a home, assessing a long‑term investment, planning a refurbishment, or preparing a property for resale. This ensures you receive focused, relevant insight that supports confident, well‑informed decisions. If you are in any doubt, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Investors Survey and Report
When investing you need a clear, objective picture of a property’s existing condition. Just like the Home buyers survey, this survey highlights structural issues, defects, and maintenance liabilities; it is also tailored to your further aspirations for the property.
Remodelling and Development Potential: When identifying opportunities to add value, a survey can assess how easily layouts can be reconfigured, and whether extensions, loft conversions, or other alterations are feasible. It also highlights constraints such as planning considerations, structural limitations, or access issues that may affect redevelopment potential.
Identifying Non‑Compliances: Non‑compliant work can significantly impact cost, risk, and future saleability. We can provide clarity on Building Regulations issues, fire safety concerns, outdated or unsafe installations, and any unauthorised alterations. Understanding these risks early helps avoid unexpected liabilities and supports informed decision‑making.
Costed Implications: We can provide prioritised recommendations to help investors understand where to allocate budget and how defects or improvements may influence yield and resale value.
Risks That Affect Value and Negotiation: This survey type helps investors identify issues that could justify a price reduction or require renegotiation. It also highlights hidden risks that may affect rental income, void periods, or long‑term asset performance. This insight ensures investors proceed with a full understanding of the property’s true value and risk profile.
Confidence in Future Strategy: Ultimately, you want to know whether a property aligns with your strategy, whether that’s buy‑to‑let, flipping, long‑term holding, or redevelopment.
Vendor Survey
A Vendor Survey is a home survey carried out by a building surveyor on behalf of the seller. Often referred to as an upfront or pre‑sale survey, it provides an objective assessment of the property’s condition, identifies structural or maintenance issues, and highlights any factors that may influence the home’s saleability.
Sellers choose to commission their own survey to make the sales process more efficient and transparent. It helps you understand the true condition of your property, anticipate issues that a buyer’s survey may uncover, estimate the cost of upcoming repairs, and gain detailed technical insight. This allows you to approach the sale with confidence and, if needed, address any issues in advance to support a smoother, more predictable transaction.
Specific Defect Survey
A Specific Defect Survey (sometimes called a Specific Structural Survey or Specific Structural Inspection) focuses on a particular issue affecting a property’s structure or condition. Rather than assessing the whole building, it provides a detailed investigation into the area of concern, offering a level of technical depth similar to a Full Building Survey but targeted to the specific problem. Any related issues identified during the inspection will also be addressed.
This type of survey is ideal when you believe the majority of the property is sound but have concerns about one element. If you’re purchasing a home and have noticed something worrying—such as cracking, damp, roof movement, or uneven floors—a Specific Defect Survey will give you clear information on the cause, severity, and likely cost of repairs. This insight helps you make an informed decision about whether to proceed, renegotiate, or walk away.
Homeowners may commission this survey for peace of mind, especially before undertaking building work. A structural engineer can assess whether proposed alterations are feasible—for example, determining if a wall is load‑bearing or whether additional support is needed for chimney breast removal.