HomeBuyer Survey Vs Building Survey - What are the differences between these two RICS Home Surveys?

In this video I talk about the two main RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) Home Surveys, the HomeBuyer Survey and Building Survey.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors or (RICS) is a professional body that promotes and enforces the highest international standards in almost all aspects of real estate and especially the residential sector.
The RICS recommend that people buying a property have a survey undertaken to find out whether that property has any problems that could cause damage and may need future repairs.
The reason I created this video is because as someone who works in the property industry I find that people are not aware of what these surveys actually are and their limitations.
I talk about what a a level 2 HomeBuyer Survey is, what a level 3 Building Survey is, and what the main differences between them are. I also touch on the likely costs of one of these surveys.
This video will most likely be helpful to people who are looking to buy a property, or are in the process of buying a property but haven't had a survey undertaken.
If you have found this video useful, please do share with people who you think may also find it useful.
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[@RWProperty]

Hey Everyone! Hope you find this video useful about the 2 main types of RICS Home Surveys. If you're buying a property and haven't had a survey yet or looking to buy a property and have any specific questions about them, put the here in the comments 👇🏻👇🏻 and I'll try to help you out as best as I can!

[@zinniazinnia2145]

Thank you for your video! I found it very useful. Is there any chance to see an example completed survey form level2 and level3 on a standard £500,000 house?

[@RWProperty]

@@zinniazinnia2145 Thanks Zinnia! Appreciate your feedback 😁🙏🏻 I may be able to email you a copy of a sample report from the company I work in, for a Level 2 and level 3 of a general property (not necessarily a house at that price), but it will give you an idea of what's covered. If that's of interest, please email me at [e-mail] and I'll get that organised

[@shabz98]

Hello. How long after the letter of intent, does a survey take? When does it happen?

[@blxck3978]

Awesome video! I’m buying a 1930s home and wanted to know if level 2 is okay or if a level is strongly recommended?

[@scienceexperimentsforhomee261]

​@blxck3978 I'm a structural engineer that also does surveys (often as a request from a RICS report) and my opinion is that the difference between level 2 and is about £400. 98% of time you should use a Homebuywrs report. If a defect is picked up by a level 3 and not a level 2 then the level 2 survey is negligent. The only thing you don't get is cist of repairs recommended by Homebuyers report. Well either take builder around with report in hand or just asked surveyor for their ballpark figures.

[@1petrofski]

I worked for a medium sized residential contractor for a number of years and one of the senior managers was certified and did home inspections as a side business. I would definitely say that these inspections have great value as his knowledge and keen eye for defects definitely added value and peace of mind to the prospective home buyer but at a cost. It's useful to then use these reports to base your decision and use them as a reference and tool prior finalizing the purchase. When buying a house the most important areas to check is firstly the roof structure including timber trusses and rafters for any infestations like wood Bora etc. Look internally for any water damage to ceiling which may simply identify a few cracked tiles. SECONDLY - Climb into the ceiling and check condition of the undertile membrane if intact still and also the condition of timber battens where roof tiles / shingles may be laid. Inspect the straightness of the roof structure and if any depressions is noticed the roofing structure will most likely need stripping and replacement. THIRDLY- Check for internal damp which quite often is quickly repaired and covered by sellers prior to selling! ALSO inspect walls for large cracks indicating failed foundations (again these cracks can be patched up and painted by a home seller prior to selling so be careful as the problems of failed foundations can return possibly a year later once you have purchased. Check electrical earth leakage and plumbing items like geysers and services in the roof structure of there is one. Money well spent if you don't have a keen eye for defects prior to signing a deal. A now friend of mine recently purchased an expensive house and I went to do some building work and noticed that a lot of the roof rafters were infested with wood Bora and will need to re roof the residence in the near future costing a lot of money. The roof tiles and ridges also needed stripping and relaying with new mortar and pointing as a lot of water was getting in following storms. I doubt any of these defects were pointed out to him by the previous owner or the estate agent. A simple house inspection prior would have picked these issues up and he could have possibly used the report as a bargaining/reference tool to lower his offer to accommodate these soon to be costly repairs. I guess I'm going to be busy repairing the house now over the next year or two.

[@dannyburns2959]

Brilliant video! Currently tossing and turning over the two survey options. The house I’m hoping to buy was built in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s and I’m confident that the ‘Building Survey’ is the one to go for. Thankfully being from up north or due to the property size and price, the survey isn’t as expensive as you’ve mentioned, which gives me more reason to got for the more expensive survey, just for the peace of mind. Difficult when emotions get involved and you don’t want anything to be wrong! Thanks again!👍🏼

[@RWProperty]

Hey Danny, thank you for the comment! 😁 Glad you enjoyed the video too! Well those are one of the many benefits of being up north (my prices were quite London based), so I would say for peace of mind, on a Victorian property, a level 3 may be worth it. If moneys not the issue, then at least you'll have a deeper understand of any problems that reveal themselves during the inspection and you'll be able to make a better decision based on that. It's very uncommon for people pull out of a sale when minor problems show up, and it's only the bigger problems that scare people away, but not because its a problem in itself, but because they don't have the extra cash sitting around to be able to fix it ASAP. I hope it all goes well, and you get your property without any problems! If you have any other questions, let me know 😁

[@syrus3k]

For the extra £200 yes I'd say it's worth it.

[@Anonymous_1_1]

Interesting video. A few points of pedantry though. No survey includes opening the taps or switching on the lights. Checks for such things as mining, flood risk, etc. are done but only for the general locality, not for the specific exact property. A good Level 2 report does usually come with photos but they arent compulsory. The stated floor area is external, not internal and is in the valuation section of a level 2 so, if you opt for the cheaper version without the valuation, you typically don't get the floor area or insurance rebuild cost either but the surveyor should have the floor area in their notes so just ask and they should happily provide it. The level 3 (building survey) inspection takes much longer than the level 2 (homebuyer survey), typically under 1hr for a level 1, around 2hrs for a level 2 and anywhere from 3hrs to 2 days (yes really!) for a level 3 depending on the property!

[@syrus3k]

Additionally, if you're trying to sell it may be worth getting a survey done. We had our first buyers pull out because they had a level 3 survey done which brought up all sorts of stuff.. ugh.

[@Bodz2023]

Good video, im shortly sitting CeMAP 3, this def helps. Thankyou

[@RWProperty]

Hey James, thank you for the feedback! Great to hear you're sitting the CeMAP 3, it's not easy, so best of luck! You'll definitely smash it 😁👍🏻

[@Bodz2023]

@@RWProperty thanks bud, I passed it today and one of these questions popped up. Your a legend 🙌

[@RWProperty]

@@Bodz2023 Fantastic news James! 😁 Congratulations, wishing you a fruitful career as a mortgage broker!

[@johncranna]

at 7:05 you hit upon the most likely reason for not using a structural survey/level 3 survey when buying a house. I am often asked what is the difference between a level 2 and 3 survey and I answer "about £600". If you are buying a property then both are completely visual surveys and anything picked up on a level 3 survey should also be picked up on a level 2 survey. The essence of any survey is 1)what are the main defects, 2)how do I repair them? 3)what will it cost me. The third might not be given in a level 2 survey but you can always ask the surveyor to include for cost of major repairs in a separate letter.

[@hippopotamus86]

On a house built in 1999, that looks to be in great condition, no cracks, nothing out of place etc, is a homebuyers survey even worth it if they can only look at what I can already see? A lot of people are telling me that it's pretty pointless since if there are problems that we couldn't see, the surveyor isn't going to see them either.

[@marisaharris1717]

Great informative video, thank you!!

[@MissFiyah1]

Really helpful

[@kwanpinglui3916]

thanks for your video

[@goofygirl6270]

I just bought my self a fairly newish flat (under 20 years) and I did not request for a survey. Based on the condition of the flat and the previous owner history, I knew that they were careful owner of the flat and had looked after it really well. Therefore I risk it by not having a survey done. However, although the flat is ok but I wish I went in to have one final look before I signed the contract and I SHOULD have checked if everything in good working order (things like this a surveyor won't picked up anyway...) I found a few minor fault, things like: the PVC window doesn't open, the toilet doesn't flash, a tap dripping...so far (maybe I'll add some more once the cold weather kicks in).

[@DjGiluk]

Great video thanks

[@RWProperty]

Thank you! 😁

[@bonniewong6510]

Thanks and it’s very help

[@roberthales4015]

Thanks for the video insight into surveying. I've already bought a Victorian house and didn't take any survey at the time. Should I go for the level 3 tier or would you advise missing this out and seeking a structural engineers report?

[@2icelollys1goat]

Thank you

[@pitolinmotion]

great vid! Thanks so helpful and engaging

[@Shahinc0]

Nice video

[@hanrealistic]

Hi, The House Im about the buy, had few red alerts when homebuyers survey done, but the most important one is the Dump on the walls. The others are Heating, Gas and electricity as they haven't been tested. Any suggestions will be appreciated 👍

[@deepasreeraj1885]

Hello , Great content . We are planning to buy a house in rugby which was built in 2021(nhbc warranty remaining) by linden homes. Wanted to understand if a level 2 or level 3 for such a property . Any suggestions would be appreciated . Thanks !

[@AzizKhambati]

Thanks for the video. In your experience have you ever found anything found by level 3 which was missed by level 2?

[@RWProperty]

Hey Aziz, that's a good question, and in my experience I would probably have to say that I haven't yet come across something that was found in a level 3 that a level 2 couldn't also find. The surveyor will carry the same inspection whether that be for a Level 2 or level 3, so both should have the same outcome, but it only the detail in the reports that varies. I would say that if hypothetically something were to be found (which should be the same for both) , it would depend to what level of detail the recipient would like to be informed. The level 3, will take an overall approach to try and forsee any hidden problems, which the level 2 doesn't cover, but since these are only "potential risks", the surveyor doesn't actually uncover them.

[@EE-ro4uk]

You forgot material costs and lowering expenditure within building surveyors. Other than that great video!

[@McGillified]

Out of interest, you mention that they would be spending the same amount of time for a level 2 and 3 survey. I thought the level 3 survey was mildly invasive in that it takes up floorboards etc where practical? Is that undertaken in a level 2 survey as well then?

[@RWProperty]

Hey Kyle, so the level 3 isn't invasive either, so they wouldn't rip up floor boards on either of the surveys. If a floorboard is loose and exposed, they will probably get a peak at the timber joists below (regardless of level 2 or level 3), but if thats not an option they can't be invasive, because the property isnt yet owned by the party who commission the survey. The reason they spend the same amount of time at the property is because they need to record enough information just in case the surveyor ends up deciding they likely need to upgrade to level 3 whilst they're there. At quoting stage it's always a challenge to judge what survey is appropriate, but the surveyor who inspects can suggest an upgrade later if he deems is necessary. Hope that helps!

[@McGillified]

@@RWProperty thanks very much the response! The more you know!

[@ourclarioncall]

Hi So what if the is high damp under the floorboards or the joists are rotten? Can you get some other type of surveyor to look under the floorboards before commuting to buy the house ? Or can you only check under the floorboards after you’ve bought the house ? Thanks !!

[@anniereynolds1220]

But there’s no guarantee if something happens we can’t go back to surveyor and complain??

[@RWProperty]

Hi Annie, thanks for the question - that's not necessarily the case. The unfortunate downside to these types of surveys is that they're superficial, so no-one would ever know what problems lurk in the walls, floors and other hidden bits. Where a potential problem is spotted, the surveyor should recommend further investigation. If something goes wrong down in the future, and it wasn't commented on then yes you can complain

[@anniereynolds1220]

@@RWProperty ok. Thanks for letting me know

[@GrahamBridgemanClarke01]

Good effort but, the Hombuyers does have photographs. The other advantage over the Building report is that the Homebuyers has a valuation of the building and an assessment of the rebuilding cost as it is completed by a RICS Registered Valuer. A building report has no. Valuation.

[@RWProperty]

Hi Graham, thanks for your comment! I've looked into this more and spoken with several surveyors and surprisingly the photos are at the discretion of the surveyor. Not all of the surveyors i spoke with put photos in their reports. The valuation and building reinstatement cost is also optional addition for the HomeBuyer, it doesn't come as a standard

[@GrahamBridgemanClarke01]

@@RWProperty Hi I should have mentioned I am a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The RICS Homebuyers reports all come with pictures. There are two Grade two Homebuyers one with a valuation and one excluding. The RICS updated the reports a few years back and again last month. The new Homebuyers can be seen here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/epnciqd6oKxmjtU

[@koolkanya4897]

Hi we are looking to buy a property that is only 6 years old. Is it worth getting a survey done since it’s new build?

[@RWProperty]

Hey Koolkanya, Thanks for the message. This is a tricky question because of course I have not seen the property. It might be worth looking into whether you have NHBC warranty on the new house. Overall, i would say that for peace of mind, spending a bit of money to make sure that your purchase is sound makes sense, even if it's a newer type build. I've seen new build properties that had poor workmanship, and you never know what problems could be lurking. Hope that puts things into perspective. Good luck with the purchase!

[@koolkanya4897]

Thanks for your reply. Property is still under NhBc warranty- 4 years remaining. But I think I will get level 2 survey done anyway to be safe

[@comicbossone2411]

Does the surveyor ever look at the fridge?

[@johncranna]

only if he's hungry!!

[@comicbossone2411]

@@johncranna lol

[@Timjacks01]

Those prices sound cheap!

[@Mattdon558]

Absolutely worst start to a video you could possible have.

[@SuperUnicorn27]

Good video thank you but please keep your hands still. Very distracting.

[@jamezday]

Biggest waste of money, you roll the dice, sold as seen

[@Enjoyyourselfnow]

Awesome video although there is a certain irony in that your spelling of “defects” is defective (defetcs) 😂👍🏻❤️

[@oe5827]

Really helpful