Level 2 Surveys
We are more than happy to come to your future home and conduct a House Purchase Level 2 Survey, depending upon the property type, age and if you have any concerns.
A level 2 survey is what used to be called a Home Buyers Report.
Most people these days go for a level 2 survey or perhaps a Level 3 Survey (if the property is older and showing signs of concern, then this is the correct type of survey to have undertaken). We liaise with the vendor or agent for access to the property to be able to conduct the survey at the earliest date possible (it depends upon our workload and the vendors’ diary)
Please take a quick view of the video below to get a greater understanding of them:
The layout and style of the reports follow a very similar layout and inspection process. It is the amount of information that we put into the report that changes.
The Inspection
The surveyor inspects the inside and outside of the main building and all permanent outbuildings, but does not force or open up the fabric. This means that the surveyor does not take up carpets, floor coverings or floorboards, move furniture, remove the contents of cupboards, roof spaces, etc., remove secured panels and/or hatches or undo electrical fittings. If necessary, the surveyor carries out parts of the inspection when standing at ground level from public property next door where accessible. The surveyor may use equipment such as a damp-meter, binoculars and torch, and may use a ladder for flat roofs and for hatches no more than 3 metres above level ground (outside) or floor surfaces (inside) if it is safe to do so.
Services to the Property
Services are generally hidden within the construction of the property. This means that only the visible parts of the available services can be inspected, and the surveyor does not carry out specialist tests. The visual inspection cannot assess the efficiency or safety of electrical, gas or other energy sources; plumbing, heating or drainage installations (or whether they meet current regulations); or the inside condition of any chimney, boiler or other flue.
Outside the Property
The surveyor inspects the condition of boundary walls, fences, permanent outbuildings and areas in common (shared) use. To inspect these areas, the surveyor walks around the grounds and any neighbouring public property where access can be obtained. Buildings with swimming pools and sports facilities are also treated as permanent outbuildings, but the surveyor does not report on the leisure facilities, such as the pool itself and its equipment, landscaping and other facilities (for example, tennis courts and temporary outbuildings).
Flats
When inspecting flats, the surveyor assesses the general condition of outside surfaces of the building, as well as its access areas (for example, shared hallways and staircases). The surveyor inspects roof spaces only if they are accessible from within the property. The surveyor does not inspect drains, lifts, fire alarms and security systems.
Dangerous materials, Contamination and Environmental issues
The surveyor does not make any enquiries about contamination or other environmental dangers. However, if the surveyor suspects a problem, he or she should recommend a further investigation.
The surveyor may assume that no harmful or dangerous materials have been used in the construction, and does not have a duty to justify making this assumption. However, if the inspection shows that these materials have been used, the surveyor must report this and ask for further instructions.
The surveyor does not carry out an asbestos inspection and does not act as an asbestos inspector when inspecting properties that may fall within the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. With flats, the surveyor assumes that there is a ‘duty holder’ (as defined in the regulations), and that in place are an asbestos register and an effective management plan which does not present a significant risk to health or need any immediate payment. The surveyor does not consult the duty holder.
The Level 2 Report
The surveyor produces a report of the inspection for you to use, but cannot accept any liability if it is used by anyone else. If you decide not to act on the advice in the report, you do this at your own risk. The report focuses on matters that, in the surveyor’s opinion, may affect the value of the property if they are not addressed.
The report is in a typical format and includes the following sections.
Understanding the Level 2 Survey Process
Introduction to the report
About the inspection
Overall opinion and summary of the condition ratings
About the property
Outside the property
Inside the property
Services
Grounds (including shared areas for flats)
Issues for your legal advisers
Risks
Surveyor’s declaration
What to do now
Level 2 Survey Condition Ratings
The surveyor gives condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the main building, garage and some outside elements. The condition ratings are described as follows.
Condition rating 1 – no repair is currently needed. The property must be maintained in the normal way.
Condition rating 2 – defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered to be either serious or urgent. The property must be maintained in the normal way.
Condition rating 3 – defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.
NI – not inspected.
NA- Not applicable
Our page here gives you more information on each survey level.
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