Choosing a RICS home survey is one of the few decisions in a purchase that can still change the deal. The report is not a formality for the lender. It is your independent account of the building, written to the RICS Home Survey Standard, so you can judge condition, cost and risk before you exchange.
RICS sets out three levels. They are not marketing names. Each level has a defined inspection, a defined report, and a defined purpose. The right choice depends on the age, construction and complexity of the property — not on how keen you are to complete.
What the three levels have in common
Every RICS home survey is a visual inspection of the readily accessible parts of the property. The surveyor looks at the outside and the inside, including the roof coverings they can see, the main walls, floors, windows, doors, and the visible parts of the services.
They do not open up the structure as a matter of course, lift every floorboard, or test every socket. They do report what they can see, what they cannot see, and where that limit matters. Traffic-light or condition ratings are used so defects are ranked, not just listed.
The surveyor’s duty on a home survey is to you, the client. That is different from a mortgage valuation, which exists to protect the lender. If you want advice you can act on — repair, further investigation, or walking away — you need a survey at the correct level, not a valuation copy.
Level 1: a concise condition report
A RICS Home Survey Level 1 is the shortest product. It describes the construction in outline, rates the condition of the main elements, and flags urgent or serious defects. It does not give a running commentary on repair, a budget for works, or detailed advice on how to look after the building.
Level 1 suits conventional houses and flats that are relatively new, built in a standard way, and appear to be in good condition. Think of a modern estate house around Huddersfield, Leeds or Sheffield with no obvious alterations, or a recently converted apartment in a simple block.
It is a poor fit for older terraces, stone cottages, houses with extensions of uncertain age, anything with a history of damp or movement, or a building you already suspect will need work. If the surveyor’s first look at the particulars suggests hidden complexity, they should say so and recommend a higher level.
Level 2: the usual choice for conventional homes
A RICS Home Survey Level 2 is the report most buyers of ordinary houses and flats should start with. The inspection is more thorough than Level 1. The report explains the condition of the building, the significance of defects, and the kind of repair or further investigation that is sensible.
Level 2 still assumes a conventional property in reasonable condition. “Conventional” here means common construction for its age: cavity or solid masonry, a standard roof, services that can be seen without specialist access. It is not a licence to treat every Yorkshire terrace, bungalow or 1930s semi as risk-free. Those houses can hide saturated masonry, failed wall ties, or roofs that are at the end of their life.
What Level 2 will not do is pull the building apart on paper. If the surveyor finds signs of structural movement, a complex alteration, or a roof that cannot be judged from the hatch and the ground, they will say that a Level 3 inspection, or a specialist, is needed. That is the product working as designed, not a failure of the survey.
Level 3: a detailed building survey
A RICS Home Survey Level 3 is the most comprehensive inspection in the standard. It is the right product for older, larger, listed, or heavily altered buildings, and for any house whose construction is not straightforward — including many stone terraces, mill conversions and farmhouses across West and South Yorkshire.
The surveyor spends longer on site, looks more carefully at how the building was put together and how it has been changed, and writes a fuller account of defects, causes, and the options for repair. You should still expect limits: no surveyor can see through a sealed floor or a fully lined roof void. What you buy is judgement and explanation, not X-ray vision.
Level 3 is not automatically “better” for a simple new house. On a straightforward modern property it can be more report than you need. On a Victorian terrace with a loft conversion, a concrete house from the 1960s, or a stone cottage with several phases of work, it is often the only level that matches the risk.
How to choose without guessing
Start with the building, not the fee. Ask: how old is it, what is it built from, has it been extended or converted, and is it listed or in a conservation area? A modern detached house in good order is usually Level 2. A stone terrace, a listed town house, or anything with a patchwork of alterations is usually Level 3. Level 1 is the exception, not the default.
Read the estate agent’s particulars with a surveyor’s eye. Mentions of “character”, “recently updated”, “potential”, or “subject to survey” are not decoration. They often mean changes to the structure, the services, or the moisture balance of the walls. If you are unsure, send the brochure and some photographs before you instruct. A chartered surveyor can tell you which level fits that building.
Book the right survey, not the cheapest one
A survey is useful only if it matches the house. Instructing the wrong level wastes money and, worse, leaves you exchanging on guesswork. If you are buying in Yorkshire and want a clear recommendation, book a survey with The Yorkshire Surveying Co or email lydia@theyorkshiresurveyingco.co.uk with the property address and particulars. We will tell you which RICS level we would use, and why.