Hi Folks,
We’ve had an offer accepted on a 1950s semi-detached in the Midlands, solid walls, original timber windows on the first floor (the ground floor ones were replaced with uPVC at some point), and a flat-roofed rear extension that looks like it was added in the 70s or 80s. The roof on the main house appears to be the original concrete tiles.
The question is whether to go for a full building survey (Level 3) or whether a HomeBuyer report (Level 2) would be sufficient. I’ve had a Level 2 done before on a more modern property and it was fine, but this one has a few things that make me wonder:
- The flat roof extension. No idea when it was last re-covered. The vendor says it doesn’t leak but they’ve only been there three years.
- Some cracking around the bay window at the front. Could be settlement, could be nothing, but it’s visible from the pavement.
- The original windows upstairs. I’m not especially worried about these from a functionality standpoint but I want to know if they’re affecting the structure around them, e.g. rotten lintels.
The price difference is significant. I’ve been quoted £650 for a Level 2 and £1,100 for a Level 3 in this area. I know the standard advice is always “get the full survey” but I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s actually been through this with a similar age property and whether the Level 3 told them anything the Level 2 wouldn’t have.
Thanks in advance.
Our place is 1952 and I went through exactly this decision. Get the Level 3, no question. The £450 difference sounds like a lot until you discover something that costs five figures to put right.
The flat roof is the big one. A Level 2 surveyor will note its existence, possibly comment on the age of the felt, and move on. A Level 3 will actually get up there with a ladder, poke around the upstands and flashings, and tell you whether the deck underneath is sound or rotting. Ours turned out to need a full strip and re-cover within two years of moving in, which would have been obvious to anyone who’d actually inspected it properly.
The bay window cracking is worth a proper look too. On houses of that age it can be the lintel above failing rather than general settlement. A Level 2 will say “further investigation recommended” and leave you none the wiser; a Level 3 should actually give you a view on what’s causing it.
Short version: for £1,100 on a purchase of presumably several hundred thousand pounds, it is a rounding error. Spend the money.
Had a Level 3 done on a place I bought in 2004. Cost a fortune at the time and the surveyor still missed a knackered DPC. They cover themselves with caveats on every page so you cant actually hold them to anything.
If its the flat roof and the bay window cracking that worry you, get a decent local builder to look at those two things specifically. Probably cost you £150 and youll get a straight answer rather than ten pages of “we recommend further investigation.”
I would be cautious about the suggestion of getting a builder to inspect specific items instead of a surveyor. A builder has a direct commercial interest in identifying work that needs doing, because he is the person who will be quoting to do it. That is not the same thing as an independent assessment.
A Level 3 surveyor is professionally indemnified and regulated by the RICS. If the surveyor misses something that should have been obvious on a competent inspection, you have recourse. If a builder tells you the flat roof is fine and it is not, your recourse is precisely nothing.
On a 1950s semi with a flat roof extension, visible cracking around the bay, and original timber windows, you need the full survey. The property has at least three areas of potential significant expenditure and a Level 2 report will not give you sufficient detail on any of them. The £450 difference is not a reason to take a lesser service on what is probably a purchase of £250,000 or more.
Hi, thanks all for the replies. Sounds like the consensus is to go with the Level 3, which is what I was leaning towards anyway. @ChrisChrisChrisUK fair point about the builder having a commercial interest, that hadn’t occurred to me but it’s obvious now you say it.
One follow-up. The first floor windows are original single-glazed timber, and they’re clearly past their best. Will a Level 3 surveyor actually comment on the condition of the windows in any useful detail, or will it just be a generic “timber windows showing signs of age” type remark? I’m trying to work out whether I need a specialist joiner to look at them separately or whether the survey will give me enough to negotiate on.
TIA.
Can’t speak to what the surveyor will or won’t say but just on the windows. The originals on our place looked fine from inside, bit draughty but nothing dramatic. Got a joiner round for something else entirely and he pointed out the bottom rails were rotten through on two of them. Would never have spotted it myself. Cost about £800 each to replace, and that was three years ago so probably more now. Get someone who knows timber windows to have a look regardless of what the survey says 
The surveyor will say something like “original timber windows at end of serviceable life, budget for replacement” and give you a red or amber rating. Thats about it. They dont get up ladders and poke at putty. If you want actual costings to negotiate with you need a joiner or window specialist to quote, and at that point youre spending money before youve even exchanged on a house you might not buy.