Buyers who skip a survey or order the cheapest one to save £300 are making the equivalent of buying a second-hand car without opening the bonnet.
The three RICS survey levels
Level 1 — Condition Report: A traffic-light overview of visible condition. Appropriate for newly built properties in good condition only.
Level 2 — HomeBuyer Report: The standard choice for most buyers. The surveyor assesses condition, identifies issues, and flags anything needing specialist investigation. Condition 3 (serious or urgent defects) is the flag you need to act on.
Level 3 — Building Survey: Recommended for properties built before 1930, unusual construction, visibly poor condition, or values above £600,000.
What a survey does not cover
A survey is a visual inspection only. Issues hidden behind finishings, untested electrics, drainage, and specialist issues like Japanese knotweed or subsidence may require separate specialist reports. The "further investigations recommended" list is not decoration.
How to use survey findings in negotiation
Get quotes for condition-3 items before going back to the seller. Go back with a specific figure: "we have a quote of £8,500 for the roof works and would like to discuss a price reduction." A documented quote is harder to dismiss than a general complaint.
Compare your shortlisted properties side by side before instructing a survey →