Guides
Plain-English guidance from an RPSA-certified surveyor — how to choose the right survey, understand common property defects, and know what to expect before you commit to a purchase.
Settlement is downward movement under the building's own load, usually early and not progressive. Subsidence is downward ground movement unrelated to that load — often clay shrinkage, drains or trees — and can be progressive. Heave is upward ground movement. Only some movement is structurally significant; diagnosis needs expert assessment.
RPSA (Residential Property Surveyors Association) and RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) are both recognised professional bodies, and a surveyor certified by either can carry out residential surveys using the same Level 1/2/3 Home Survey framework. RPSA members specialise purely in residential property. In practice the quality and independence of the individual surveyor matters far more than the badge. Anslow is RPSA-certified — Chris Anslow MRPSA, member ANS3259.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant that can affect mortgage lending and may carry legal responsibilities if it is allowed to spread. Presence does not necessarily prevent a purchase, but it should be identified, professionally assessed, and managed under a treatment plan — usually with an insurance-backed guarantee — before you commit.
There are three main categories of damp commonly referred to in residential property. Condensation is commonly encountered and comes from moist indoor air meeting cold surfaces. Penetrating damp is water getting in through the building fabric. Rising damp is ground moisture rising through porous masonry, usually where a damp-proof course is absent, ineffective or bridged. Correct assessment matters before deciding on remedial works.
Many cracks are minor or cosmetic and may be caused by thermal movement, drying shrinkage or seasonal effects. Surveyors judge significance by a crack's width, direction, location, and especially whether it is progressing. Fine, stable, irregular cracks are usually minor; wider, diagonal, tapering cracks around openings or visible inside and out warrant investigation.
Most survey findings fall into a handful of recurring categories: roof coverings and chimneys at the end of their serviceable life, moisture reaching the building fabric, movement and structural distortion, decaying timber, and drainage that has quietly failed. Every photograph on this page was taken by Chris Anslow on a real inspection, and each one shows what those categories actually look like in practice.
A lintel is the beam that bridges an opening such as a window or door, carrying the weight of the wall above and transferring it to the masonry either side. When a lintel fails you often see cracking, sagging or displaced brickwork above the opening. It's a common survey finding, so a surveyor visually assesses accessible lintels and the evidence around openings, and recommends further investigation where a lintel can't be seen directly.
Non-standard construction means any home not built with the usual brick or block cavity walls and a tiled or slated pitched roof — think concrete (PRC), steel or timber frame, prefab, single-skin brick, cob or thatch. These properties can affect mortgages, insurance and resale, so a detailed Level 3 Building Survey to identify the construction type and its condition matters more here than on a conventional home.
How much does a building survey cost? It depends mainly on the survey level and the property. As a guide, our Level 1 Home Surveys start from £325, Level 2 Home Surveys from £395, and Level 3 Building Surveys from £495 — so most home and house surveys fall in the low-to-mid hundreds. Home survey costs and house survey fees reflect property size, age, type and access, and the fixed price is confirmed before you book.
House foundations transfer the weight of a building down to stable ground. The common foundation types are strip, trench-fill, raft, pad and pile, chosen to suit the soil and structure. A survey can't see below ground, so it visually assesses the above-ground evidence of foundation movement and recommends further investigation where subsidence or settlement is suspected. Where movement is a concern, a Level 3 Building Survey (from £495) is the right level.
After booking, the surveyor carries out a non-invasive inspection of the property — typically two to six hours depending on the survey level and property. You don't need to attend. A clear written report follows, usually within five working days, with a free follow-up call to talk through the findings.
Level 2 and Level 3 reports rate each element 1, 2 or 3. Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed; Rating 2 means a defect that needs attention but is not serious or urgent; Rating 3 means a serious and/or urgent defect needing repair, replacement or further investigation. ‘NI’ means not inspected.
Yes — new-builds still benefit from independent inspection. Before legal completion, a snagging survey lists defects and unfinished work for the developer to put right. Later, or for an already-completed newer home, a Level 1 Home Survey gives an independent condition check. They serve different purposes and timings.
Choose a Level 2 Home Survey for a conventional property in reasonable condition, and a Level 3 Building Survey for older, altered, extended or unusual properties, or where you already suspect problems. Level 3 is a deeper, more detailed investigation; Level 2 is the right balance for most standard homes.
A ‘HomeBuyer Report’ is the older name for what is now a Level 2 Home Survey; a ‘full structural survey’ or ‘Building Survey’ is the older name for a Level 3 Building Survey. The terms describe the same two tiers — a mid-level survey for conventional homes and a detailed survey for older or complex ones.