Condition Report
A basic 'Level 1' surveyIt only takes a few seconds to appear on your screen. If you wish, you can then contact them directly to book a date for carrying out your Condition Report.
This is a completely FREE service to use.
Condition Report
Also known as Home Condition Reports or HCRs
Condition Reports are basic ‘Level 1’ surveys that are suitable for modern houses where no significant problems are anticipated. This is the cheapest and least detailed survey designed to give an overview of a property’s condition and flag up any obvious defects. RICS Homebuyer Surveys provide a more detailed ‘Level 2’ assessment and are the most popular type of survey.
Condition Reports were originally designed for sellers to identify any defects prior to putting their property on the market, but they can also be useful for buyers who want a budget survey. The report is shorter than an RICS Homebuyer Survey, but it gives you more information than a mortgage lender’s valuation report.
Condition Reports are prepared by accredited Home Inspectors, who may or may not also be qualified chartered surveyors, although there is an RICS version called the ‘RICS Condition Report’ (N.B. Home Inspectors will be members of an Accreditation Scheme run either by SAVA or The BRE).
What’s the difference?
The inspection is more limited than for Homebuyer Surveys and the report is written in a standard format with very brief descriptions, although it uses the same easy-to-understand ‘traffic light’ condition ratings to grade defects.
But unlike a ‘Level 2’ Homebuyer Report no advice is provided on the causes of defects or suggested repairs/solutions, and there’s no option to include a market valuation or a buildings insurance reinstatement calculation.
Key differences between ‘Level 1’ Condition Reports and more extensive Homebuyer and ‘Level 3’ Buildings Surveys include:-
Drains: The surveyor does NOT lift inspection chamber covers to accessible drains, which for Homebuyer and Building Surveys are inspected.
Roof spaces: Only assessed with a ‘head & shoulders’ look via the loft hatch (the view may be limited by stored objects etc) – rather than physically entering the loft to inspect the structure for Homebuyer and more comprehensive Building Surveys.
Services: Only a ‘sample’ area of each of the services is inspected, compared to ‘all parts that can be seen’ for Homebuyers and ‘operating services where possible’ for Building Surveys.
Grounds: Only a ‘cursory’ inspection of the grounds is made, compared to a ‘thorough’ assessment for Homebuyers and ‘comprehensive’ for Building Surveys