Which survey is right for you?
Put simply, there are four main products available to you. As a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Castle Surveyor’s service provides all four reports via our qualified surveyors – all of whom are local to your home.
We’ve been helping customers with their home purchases for many years now so we’re confident that we can help you make the right choice for your next move.
The table below shows you the main differences between each of the four reports, and gives you a snapshot comparison of the key differences.
You can also view and print off a copy of the Description of ServiceDownload
| Survey Level 1 RICS Condition Report | Survey Level 2 RICS Homebuyer Report (Survey) Service | Survey Level 2 RICS Homebuyer Report (Survey & Valuation) Service | Building Survey | |
| Describes the construction and condition of the property on the date of the inspection. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aims to identify any problems that need urgent attention or are serious. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aims to identify things that need to be investigated further to prevent serious damage. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aims to tell you about problems that may be dangerous. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aims to show up potential issues and serious defects, before any transaction takes place. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aims to help you decide whether you need extra advice before committing to purchase. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Aims to enable you to budget for any repairs or restoration. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Aims to advise you on the amount of ongoing maintenance required in the future. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Provides a reinstatement cost to help you avoid under or over-insurance. | Yes | upon request | ||
| Provides a market valuation. | Yes | upon request | ||
| Aims to establish how the property is built, what materials are used and how these will perform in the future | Yes | |||
| Aims to describe visible defects, plus exposing potential problems posed by hidden defects. | Yes | |||
| Aims to outline the repair options and give you a repair timeline, whilst explaining the consequences of not acting. | Yes | |||
| Where practical and agreed, provides an estimate of costs for identified repairs. | Yes | |||
| Provides specific comments on energy efficiency. | Yes |