Introduction
Buying a home is a significant milestone, and ensuring your prospective property is in tip-top shape is crucial. That’s where a RICS Building Survey Level 3 comes in. This in-depth survey goes beyond basic evaluations, providing a comprehensive look at a property's condition, identifying defects, and offering repair advice. Let's dive into the details of what this survey entails and how it can benefit your home-buying journey.
Understanding the RICS Building Survey Level 3
A RICS Building Survey Level 3 is designed to offer a thorough analysis of a property's condition. Unlike the HomeBuyers Report Level 2, which provides a more general overview, the Level 3 survey delves into the structural integrity and finer details of the property.
Key Components of the Building Survey Level 3
Full Report: The Level 3 survey is the most detailed among the residential property surveys offered by RICS. It includes an extensive evaluation of the property's condition.
Construction Methods: It describes the methods of construction and materials used in the building.
Element Condition: Each element of the house, such as roofs, walls, floors, and windows, is inspected and its condition described.
Defects and Causes: Any defects found are identified along with their apparent causes.
Repair Urgency: The urgency of the repair is highlighted, providing a timeline for necessary actions.
Cost Estimates: Where possible, an indication of repair costs is included.
Ongoing Maintenance: The survey offers advice on ongoing maintenance to prevent future issues.
Specific Concerns: You can request that specific areas of concern be included in the report.
Visible and Accessible Parts: All visible and accessible parts of the building, including roofs, floors, and walls, are inspected.
Additional Areas: This includes looking into cupboards, manholes, and a visual inspection of services like plumbing and wiring.
Further Investigations: If the survey identifies areas needing more detailed investigation, these recommendations are provided. We can often undertake these investigations such as Damp and Timber or Structural Investigations/Calculations
How a Building Survey Level 3 Helps You
Negotiating Purchase Price
Re-Negotiation: If the survey identifies significant issues, it can be used to renegotiate the purchase price.
Future Value Protection
Defect Impact: Knowing about potential defects and their causes can help you understand how they might affect the future value of the property.
Repair Insights
Repair Costs: Being informed about potential repair issues and costs in advance allows for better financial planning.
Suitability for Unique Buildings
Unusual Construction: If the building is constructed in an unusual way, the survey provides insights into its specific needs.
Renovations: It’s also valuable if you plan to renovate or if the property has already been significantly altered.
Why Choose a RICS Building Survey Level 3?
The Level 3 survey is ideal for older or larger properties, buildings in a poor state of repair, or those that have undergone significant changes. It’s designed to give you peace of mind by ensuring that your potential new home isn’t hiding any nasty surprises.
Listed Building?
Don't worry we have specialist Chartered Building Surveyors in the team that can conduct a Historic Building Survey and advise on other matters. See Heritage Services.
What to Expect from the Report
The report, often exceeding 50 pages, includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the property’s condition. It uses a traffic light system to rate the urgency of repairs, making it easy to understand which issues need immediate attention and which can wait. Our team will happily send you an example report.
What Areas do AMS SURVEYS cover?
We cover a vast area of the Northwest and have several Chartered Building Surveyors that cover the areas, so we have great availability and staff have the time to produce excellent reports and discuss the results afterwards, one of many reasons we are rated Excellent on Trustpilot. They cover, Cheshire, Liverpool, Lancashire and Manchester. Specialist surveys such as Heritage Surveys, are carried out by our other Chartered Buildings surveyors and Engineers and they cover a larger area of the North of England and Wales.
Conclusion
In the home-buying process, a RICS Building Survey Level 3 is invaluable. It offers a deep dive into the property's condition, helping you make informed decisions and potentially saving you from costly surprises down the line. Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, or starting fresh, this survey provides the detailed insights needed to ensure your new home is a sound investment.
Answers to Your Burning Questions (FAQ)
FAQs
What is included in a RICS Building Survey (Level 3)?
The survey includes a comprehensive evaluation of the property’s condition, identification of defects, advice on repairs and maintenance, and more.
How does a Level 3 survey differ from a Level 2 survey?
The Level 3 survey is more detailed and focuses on structural integrity, providing in-depth advice, costs and defect diagnosis.
Can repair costs be included in the survey?
Yes, estimated repair costs are included as standard in our Level 3 surveys.
Is a valuation included in the Level 3 survey?
No, a valuation is not included but can be requested for an additional fee.
Why should I choose a Level 3 survey?
It’s ideal for older, larger properties or those in poor condition, providing detailed insights into potential issues and necessary repairs.
For more detailed information on RICS Building Surveys or to book one, feel free to contact us. Happy home buying!
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