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RICS Home Surveys in Cheshire and Staffordshire.
You have had an offer accepted. Before you exchange contracts, a Home Survey from Greenarcha will help you understand the true condition of the property, identify any defects that need attention, highlight their urgency, and give you the information you need to proceed, or to re-negotiate with the seller where appropriate.
Which survey do I need?
RICS Home Surveys come in different levels. We will help you choose the right one for the property you are buying and will always recommend the most appropriate option. If a Level 2 Survey is sufficient, we won’t encourage you to pay for a Level 3.
RICS Home Survey levels explained.
What each level inspects, what the report covers and which homes it suits.
RICS Level 1
Level 1 Home Survey
A RICS Level 1 Survey provides an overview of a property’s condition using easy-to-understand traffic-light condition ratings. It is typically suitable for newer homes that appear to be in good condition and have not undergone significant alterations.
The survey offers a useful snapshot of the property’s overall condition, helping buyers and homeowners identify any visible issues and areas that may require attention. It can also draw attention to potential concerns at an early stage, enabling informed decisions before committing to a purchase or putting a property on the market.
Suitable for what type of property?
Recommended for more modern conventional houses, flats and bungalows, typically built from the 2000s to the present day, from common building materials and in reasonably good condition.
Key features
A basic level of report which focuses purely on the condition of the property:
- InspectionVisual inspection of the external and internal elements of the property
- ReportRICS traffic-light condition ratings (no images)
- DefectsSummary of the condition. Identifies defects and risks affecting the property, highlighting issues that require urgent attention, further investigation or repair
- Typical homesModern properties, post-2000s, modern flats
- FeeFixed, agreed at booking
RICS Level 2 · Most popular
Level 2 Home Survey
A RICS Level 2 Survey is the most popular choice for homebuyers. It provides a detailed assessment of the property’s condition, highlighting defects, maintenance issues and areas that may require further investigation. The report also includes practical advice on repairs, maintenance and ongoing upkeep.
Suitable for most conventional properties built using common construction methods and materials, a Level 2 Survey helps you understand the condition of the property before committing to the purchase. It identifies significant defects, outlines their implications and highlights matters that may require attention, enabling you to make an informed decision and avoid unexpected costs after moving in.
Suitable for what type of property?
Recommended for most conventional houses, flats and bungalows built after the 1930s using common construction methods and materials. A Level 2 Survey is typically suitable where the property appears to be in reasonable condition and has not been significantly altered or extended.
What’s included?
- Clear traffic-light condition ratings throughout the report
- Photographs to illustrate important findings
- Significant defects and risks that need urgent attention
- Advice on repairs and future maintenance
- Areas requiring further investigation to prevent serious damage
- A summary of urgent issues that may affect your decision to proceed
- InspectionExtensive visual inspection of the elements, including accessible lofts and cellars
- ReportRICS traffic-light condition ratings, with photos to highlight important findings
- DefectsCondition and importance described. Identifies defects and risks affecting the property, highlighting issues that require urgent attention, further investigation or repair
- Typical homesConventional properties, post-1930s, flats
- FeeFixed, agreed at booking
Why choose a Level 2 Survey?
For many buyers, a Level 2 Survey provides the ideal balance between detail and cost. It offers greater insight than a Level 1 Survey without the depth and complexity of a Level 3 Survey, making it suitable for the majority of modern and traditionally built homes in reasonable condition.
Focus and limitations of the service
The Level 2 Survey focuses on the condition of the main elements of the property, highlighting significant defects, maintenance issues and potential risks that could affect its value or future resale. The report highlights matters requiring attention and provides practical advice to help you make an informed decision before proceeding.
The inspection is visual and non-invasive. No testing of services such as electricity, gas, plumbing or heating installations is carried out. However, the surveyor will inspect all readily accessible areas and visible components to form an overall assessment of their apparent condition and identify any concerns that may require further investigation.
RICS Level 3
Level 3 Home Survey
A RICS Level 3 Survey is the most comprehensive survey available, providing a detailed assessment of a property’s construction and condition. It identifies significant defects, potential hidden problems and associated risks, helping you understand not only what issues are present, but also their likely causes, implications and recommended remedial action.
The report includes practical advice on repairs, maintenance and any further investigations that may be required, giving you the information needed to make an informed decision before committing to the purchase.
Is a Level 3 Survey right for my property?
We’ll always recommend the survey that best suits the property you’re buying. If a Level 2 Survey is sufficient, we won’t suggest a Level 3 simply because it’s more comprehensive. Our advice is honest, impartial and tailored to your circumstances, so you receive the right level of inspection without paying for more than you need.
Suitable for what type of property?
Recommended for older, larger or more complex properties, homes that have been significantly altered or extended, properties showing signs of defects or disrepair, and any home where major works are being considered:
- Period properties
- Timber-framed or non-standard construction
- Significantly altered or extended homes
- Signs of movement, dampness or other significant defects
- Properties where major renovation is planned
What’s included?
- InspectionDetailed visual inspection of the elements, including accessible lofts and cellars; services observed in operation (subject to permission)
- ReportConstruction and condition, with photographs
- DefectsIdentifies defects, hidden defects, probable causes, priorities and risks affecting the property
- Typical homesOlder Victorian and Edwardian properties, large properties, extensively altered properties
- FeeFixed, agreed at booking
What a Level 3 Survey aims to do
- Identify any problems that need urgent attention or are serious
- Identify things that need further investigation to prevent serious damage
- Tell you about problems that may be dangerous
- Show up potential issues and defects before any transaction takes place
- Help you decide whether you need extra advice before committing to a purchase
- Enable you to budget for any repairs or restoration
- Advise on the amount of ongoing maintenance required in future
- Establish how the property is built, what materials are used and how these will perform
- Describe physical defects and expose potential problems posed by hidden defects
- Outline repair options and a repair timeline, and explain the consequences of not acting
- Provide specific comments on energy efficiency
Why choose a Level 3 Survey?
A Level 3 Survey provides the greatest level of detail and technical insight available from a pre-purchase survey. It is designed to help buyers fully understand a property’s condition, identify potential risks and liabilities, and avoid costly surprises after completion.
Based in Alsager, on the county border
Local knowledge of Cheshire and Staffordshire homes.
From Victorian terraces in Crewe to farmhouses under Bosley Cloud, David has inspected the housing stock across both counties first-hand. That local knowledge goes into every report.
Jodrell Bank, Cheshire
What you get with every Home Survey.
Every survey is carried out in person by David (AssocRICS MRPSA MFPWS). Nothing is subcontracted, passed to a panel surveyor or handled by a call centre. The person you speak to on the phone is the same person who visits the property, climbs into the loft with a torch, inspects the building and writes your report.
Our aim is simple: to give you a clear understanding of the property’s condition, any defects that need attention, and the confidence to proceed with your purchase. No call centre. No survey panel. No hand-offs.
How it works.
Home survey questions from Cheshire buyers.
What Cheshire survey clients say.
Rated 5.0 from 13 reviews on Google.
Home surveys across Cheshire and Staffordshire.
We carry out RICS Level 1, 2 and 3 Home Surveys throughout Cheshire and Staffordshire from our base in Alsager, on the county border. Congleton, Crewe, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent are minutes away; Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, Knutsford, Wilmslow and Chester are regular trips. Not sure if we cover your area? Just ask, we can usually help.
Biddulph, on the Staffordshire side of the border