Question 1

Do I legally need a survey?

Accepted Answer

No. Nobody can make you have one. But once you own the house, every repair is yours, and a survey is the only chance you get to find out what those repairs are before you commit.

Question 2

Isn't the mortgage valuation enough?

Accepted Answer

A valuation tells your lender the house is worth roughly what you are paying. It is not an inspection of condition, it does not go into the roof space, and it is written for the lender, not for you.

Question 3

How long is the inspection?

Accepted Answer

A Level 2 usually takes two to three hours. A Level 3 takes three to five hours, sometimes longer on a large or older house.

Question 4

How fast can you come out?

Accepted Answer

Most inspections happen within two to five working days of booking, subject to the agent or seller giving access.

Question 5

What if you find problems?

Accepted Answer

Every finding is rated and given a repair cost indication, so you can budget, renegotiate, or ask for further investigation. The surveyor then calls you to talk through what it means for your purchase.

Question 6

Can I send it to my solicitor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The report is yours to share with your solicitor, your broker or your builder, at no extra cost.

Question 7

Do you survey flats?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For flats we inspect the flat itself plus the parts of the building and grounds you can reasonably see, and we flag anything that belongs to the freeholder.

Question 8

What does “from” pricing mean?

Accepted Answer

Prices are fixed by property value band, so “from £325” is the price for a Level 2 on a home up to £100,000. Put your figures into the quote form and you get the exact fixed price, not an estimate.

	Level 2 Home Survey	Level 3 Building Survey
Inspection scope	Everything visible and safely accessible	Deeper inspection, including the causes of defects
Roof space	Head and shoulders through the hatch	Entered and inspected where safe
Services	Visual check of heating, electrics and drainage	Visual check plus advice on age, condition and likely replacement
Repair cost estimates	Indicative ranges on significant defects	Costed on all significant defects, with priorities
Report length	25–40 pages	50–80 pages
Best for	Conventional homes built after 1900 in reasonable condition	Older, listed, extended or altered homes, or known concerns
Turnaround	5 working days	5–7 working days
Price from	£325	£550

Two survey levels. One that fits your house.

Level 2 compared with Level 3

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When was the property built?

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