COMPLETE GUIDE / HOME SURVEY LEVEL 2
The standard choice,
properly explained.
The Level 2 — formerly the HomeBuyer Report — is the survey most buyers need. Here is exactly what your £425+ buys, and what it deliberately does not.
Price a Level 2 now →THE ANSWER / READ THIS FIRST
Everything visible and accessible, rated and explained — for conventional homes built after about 1930.
A Level 2 is a thorough visual inspection delivered as traffic-light ratings with plain-English advice. It is the right survey for most conventional houses, bungalows and flats in apparently reasonable condition — and the wrong one for old, altered or unusual buildings.
01 / THE INSPECTION
Where the surveyor actually looks.
- 01Roof — from ground level, and the roof space internally: timbers, insulation, signs of leaks
- 02Walls, floors and ceilings — cracking, movement, damp staining, moisture readings at vulnerable points
- 03Windows, doors and joinery — condition, operation spot-checked, rot
- 04Visible services — electrics, gas, heating and drainage observed as far as visible (not tested)
- 05Outside — chimneys, gutters, damp-proof course, garages and permanent outbuildings
- 06Grounds — anything bearing on the property, like trees near foundations or raised ground levels
02 / THE REPORT, INTERACTIVE
Tap a rating.
Read the report.
Every element gets a 1, 2 or 3. Around the ratings the report explains each defect, flags specialist investigations, and lists the points for your conveyancer. Try all three.
03 / THE BOUNDARY
What it is not.
The surveyor does not lift floorboards, move furniture or open up the structure — it is visual and non-invasive. Services are observed, not certified. Concealed areas stay concealed. There is no valuation. And where a Level 2 says the bay is cracking, rating 3, explaining why it is cracking and your repair options is Level 3 territory. None of this is corner-cutting — it is the defined scope, and the skill is how much a good surveyor reads from what is visible.
04 / THE UPGRADE TRIGGERS
Six things that
change the answer.
Pre-1930 construction. Extension or conversion. Non-standard build — stone, timber frame, concrete. Listed or conservation-area. Visibly tired or long empty. Major work planned. Any one of these moves you to a Level 3 — and around Yorkshire, where so much of the stock is pre-1919 stone terrace, they apply more often than the national averages suggest.
05 / COST + TIMING
Fixed before
we ask your name.
From £425 fixed, quoted instantly from five property facts. Inspection usually within days of booking, 2–4 hours on site, report in a few working days — and your named surveyor on the phone afterwards to talk it through. Full UK pricing guide →
06 / USE IT PROPERLY
Ambers are homework. Reds are action.
Read the whole report, get quotes for every rating 2 and 3 before exchange, do the recommended investigations while you still have leverage — and renegotiate where the findings justify it. See a real example report →
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Before you ask.
01What is included in a Level 2 survey?+
A visual inspection of all visible and accessible parts of the property — including the roof space — with traffic-light condition ratings for each element, explanations of defects, advice on repairs, and flags for anything needing specialist investigation or your conveyancer's attention.
02Does a Level 2 survey include a valuation?+
No. The RICS Home Survey Level 2 is a condition report. A valuation is a separate service, and your mortgage lender's valuation is for the lender's benefit, not yours.
03Does the surveyor go into the loft on a Level 2 survey?+
Yes — the roof space is inspected internally where there is safe access, including the roof timbers, insulation and signs of leaks or infestation.
04How long does a Level 2 survey take?+
Around 2–4 hours on site, with the report typically delivered within a few working days of the inspection.
05Is a Level 2 survey enough for an old house?+
Usually not. For properties built before roughly 1930, or anything extended, altered, unusual or in poor condition, a Level 3 survey is the appropriate choice — it analyses causes and repair options, not just symptoms.