RICs Home Surveys Level 3 report

A RICS Level 3 Survey formally known as a Full Building Survey which is a comprehensive report usually suited to old, large, non traditional or largely altered or extended properties.

We aim to give you professional advice to:

• help you make a reasoned and informed decision when purchasing the property, or when planning for repairs, maintenance or upgrading the property

• provide detailed advice on condition

• describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden defects

• propose the most probable cause(s) of the defects, based on the inspection

• where practicable and agreed, provide an estimate of costs and likely timescale for identified repairs and necessary work,

• make recommendations as to any further actions to take or advice that needs to be obtained before committing to a purchase.

Any extra services we provide that are not covered by the terms and conditions of this report must be covered by a separate contract.

About the inspection.

We carry out a desk-top study and make enquiries for information about matters affecting the property.

We carefully and thoroughly inspect the property, using our best endeavours to see as much of it as is physically accessible. Where this is not possible, an explanation will be provided.

We visually inspect roofs, chimneys and other surfaces on the outside of the building from ground level as well as using a ladder if needed upto 3 metres and, if necessary, from neighbouring public property and with the help of binoculars. We also use a 3 metre camera pole which we can use from top floor windows for high level flat roofs.

We inspect the roof structure from inside the roof space if there is access. We examine floor surfaces and under-floor spaces, so far as there is safe access and with permission from the owner. We are not able to assess the condition of the inside of any chimney, boiler or other flues.

If we are concerned about parts of the property that the inspection cannot cover, the report will tell you about any further investigations that are needed.

Where practicable and agreed, we report on the cost of any work for identified repairs and make recommendations on how these repairs should be carried out. Some maintenance and repairs that we suggest may be expensive.

We inspect the inside and outside of the main building and all permanent outbuildings. We also inspect the parts of the electricity, gas/oil, water, heating, drainage and other services that can be seen, but these are not tested other than normal operation in everyday use.

To help describe the condition of the home, we give condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the building, garage, and some parts outside. Some elements can be made up of several different parts.

In the element boxes in sections D, E, F and G, we describe the part that has the worst condition rating first and then outline the condition of the other parts.

Once commissioned to carry out a report on your behalf we will send you Terms of Business which include a total breakdown on what to expect and what is included within a RICs Level 3 report.