Written by Billy Clarke MCIOB AssocRICS – independent building surveyor with 23 years’ experience in residential construction, at B.C Surveying Hertfordshire Ltd, an RICS-regulated firm.
If you’ve had an offer accepted on a home in St Albans, one of the first decisions you’ll face is which survey to book. The two options most buyers consider are the RICS Home Survey Level 2 and the RICS Level 3 Building Survey. Both are carried out under the RICS Home Survey Standard, but they are designed for different types of property – and choosing the wrong one can leave you either paying for detail you don’t need, or missing problems that a more thorough inspection would have picked up.
In this guide I explain the difference in plain English, and how I’d approach the choice for the kinds of homes found across St Albans. If you’d rather talk it through, my St Albans building surveyor page explains how I work locally.
Contents
- Why the Choice Matters in St Albans
- What a RICS Home Survey Level 2 Covers
- What a RICS Level 3 Building Survey Covers
- Which St Albans Homes Need a Level 3?
- When a Level 2 Is Usually Enough
- Mortgage Valuations Are Not Surveys
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why the Choice Matters in St Albans
St Albans has an unusually wide range of housing for a single city. Around the cathedral and the older streets of the centre there are timber-framed, Georgian and other historic buildings, many of them listed. Beyond the centre are large areas of Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas, followed by inter-war semi-detached houses, post-war estates and modern infill and flats.
That variety is exactly why the survey choice matters. A survey that is perfectly adequate for a 2010s house can be far too limited for a 120-year-old terrace that has been extended twice.
What a RICS Home Survey Level 2 Covers
A RICS Home Survey Level 2 (previously known as the HomeBuyer Report) is a visual inspection of the accessible parts of the property. Its key feature is a simple condition rating for each element of the building:
- Condition rating 3 – defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently
- Condition rating 2 – defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered serious or urgent
- Condition rating 1 – no repair is currently needed
- NI – not inspected
The report also flags matters for your conveyancer to look into and recommends further investigation by specialists where needed. It is concise and easy to read – but by design it says less about why a defect has happened or how it should be repaired.
What a RICS Level 3 Building Survey Covers
A RICS Level 3 Building Survey (formerly a full building survey or full structural survey) is the most detailed survey in the RICS range. The inspection is more extensive, and the report goes further: it describes the construction of the property, explains defects and their likely causes, sets out the consequences of leaving them, and discusses appropriate repairs.
My own Level 3 reports also include costs of repairs and additional repair advice, so you can see not just what is wrong but roughly what it may take to put right. A sample Level 3 report is available on request.
Which St Albans Homes Need a Level 3?
For most of the older housing stock in St Albans, I recommend a Level 3 survey. In particular, I would advise a Level 3 if the property:
- Is Victorian, Edwardian or older – which covers a large share of St Albans’ terraces and villas
- Is listed, in a conservation area, timber-framed or of other traditional construction
- Has been significantly altered – rear or side extensions, loft conversions, removed chimney breasts or knocked-through rooms
- Shows visible signs of trouble such as cracking, damp staining, sagging rooflines or uneven floors
- Is one you plan to renovate or extend after buying
For period homes specifically, my guide to buying a Victorian or Edwardian home in St Albans goes through the defects I most often find.
When a Level 2 Is Usually Enough
A Level 2 survey can be the right choice for a more modern, conventionally built home in reasonable condition – for example a relatively recent house or flat that hasn’t been heavily altered. It is quicker to read and is designed for exactly that kind of property.
If a Level 2 survey raises a specific concern, a specific defect survey can investigate that issue in more depth without commissioning a full Level 3.
Mortgage Valuations Are Not Surveys
A mortgage valuation is carried out for your lender, to confirm the property is adequate security for the loan. It is not a survey of the property’s condition and is not written for you. Many buyers only find out what that difference means after they’ve moved in.
Whichever survey you choose, book it as soon as your offer is accepted, so there is time to act on the findings – whether that means further investigations, quotes for repairs, or renegotiating the price – before you exchange contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Level 3 survey the same as a full structural survey?
Yes. “Full structural survey” and “building survey” are older names for what RICS now calls the Level 3 survey.
Which survey do you recommend for a St Albans terrace?
For most Victorian and Edwardian terraces I recommend a Level 3 survey, because of their age, solid-wall construction and the alterations they have usually had.
Can I add a drone or drainage inspection?
Yes. A drone roof and chimney inspection or a CCTV drainage survey can be added to either level of survey where it would be useful.
How do I get a price?
Use the instant survey quote, or call 01727 222560 with the address and property details.
