Service

We shall provide the RICS Home Survey Level 3 (formerly known as a RICS Full Building Survey), which shall be delivered in accordance with the current edition of the Home Survey Standard RICS professional statement.

 

The RICS Home Survey Level 3 service includes:

 

• a physical inspection of the property (see ‘The Inspection’ below) and 


• a report based on the inspection (see ‘The Report’ below). 


 

The Surveyor who provides the RICS Home Survey Level 3 service aims to give you professional advice to: 


 

• help you make a reasoned and informed decision when purchasing the property, or when planning for repairs, maintenance or upgrading the property 


• provide detailed advice on the condition

• describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden 
defects, and 


• make recommendations as to any further actions or 
advice which needs to be obtained before committing to purchase. 


 

Any extra services not covered by these terms and conditions and which must be covered by a separate contract (if required) include:

• schedules of works


• supervision of works


• re-inspection

• detailed specific issue reports

• market valuation and reinstatement costs and

• negotiation 


 

The Surveyor

The service will be provided by an MRICS or FRICS member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who has the skills, knowledge and experience to survey and report on the property. Where the surveyor is also providing a valuation of the property, they have the skills, knowledge and experience to provide such a valuation and are a member of the RICS Valuer Registration Scheme.

 

The Inspection 


Before the inspection, you should tell us if there is already an agreed or proposed price for the property, and if you have any particular concerns about the property (such as a crack noted above the bathroom window or any plans for extension).

 

The surveyor shall carefully and thoroughly inspect the inside and outside of the main building and all permanent outbuildings, recording the construction and defects that are evident. This inspection is intended to cover as much of the property as is physically accessible. Where this is not possible, an explanation is provided in the ‘Limitations on the inspection’ box in the relevant section of the report.

 

The surveyor does not force or open up the fabric of the building. This includes taking up fitted carpets, fitted floor coverings or floorboards; moving heavy furniture; removing the contents of cupboards, roof spaces, etc.; removing secured panels and/or hatches; or undoing electrical fittings.

 

If necessary, the surveyor carries out parts of the inspection when standing at ground level, from adjoining public property where accessible. This means the extent of the inspection will depend on a range of individual circumstances at the time of inspection, and the surveyor judges each case on an individual basis. 


 

The surveyor uses equipment such as a damp meter, binoculars and torch and uses a ladder for flat roofs and for hatches no more than 3m above level ground (outside) or floor surfaces (inside), if it is safe to do so.


 

The Surveyor, if specifically instructed to do so, may use modern drone technology to inspect areas which are not visible from a ground floor perspective, due to obstructed lines of sight and/or access restrictions. The Drone Pilot and Drone will be registered with the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and shall operate under a valid flyer ID and Operator ID, alongside have the relevant public liability insurance.

 

If included as a complimentary service, flying is contingent upon suitable weather conditions. Should flying conditions be unfavourable, the drone survey will not be performed. Any subsequent re-attendance to complete the drone survey will incur a separate, agreed-upon charge.

 

When relying on drone imagery to assess the condition of the element, it is agreed that our assessment and reporting rely solely on the images the drone provides, which in some circumstances may be limited. It should not be assumed that this form of inspection provides the same level of assessment as a detailed physical inspection, for instance, we will comment on the overall condition of flashings where visible, however, we may not be able to confirm the presence of splits/cracks due to the resolution of imagery.

 

If specifically instructed, we will use thermal imagery aimed to identify, demonstrate and provide valuable insight into key areas of heat loss within the property to enable informed decisions regarding potential improvements and/or issues which otherwise may not have been identified during a visual inspection. This service is not a specific full detailed thermal survey of every area of the property but rather is used and interpreted in conjunction with other diagnostic methods to provide evidenced based advice.

 

If it is safe and reasonable to do so, the surveyor will enter the roof space and visually inspect the roof structure with attention paid to those parts vulnerable to deterioration and damage.

 

Although thermal insulation is not moved, small corners should be lifted so its thickness and type, and the 
nature of underlying ceiling can be identified (if the surveyor considers it safe to do). The surveyor does not move stored goods or other contents.

 

In addition to the physical inspection, the surveyor will also carry out a desk-top study and makes oral enquiries for information about matters affecting the property.

 

Services to the Property

Services are generally hidden within the construction of the property. This means that only the visible parts of the available services can be inspected. The surveyor does not carry out specialist tests. The visual inspection cannot assess the efficiency or safety of electrical, gas or other energy sources. It also does not investigate the plumbing, heating or drainage installations (or whether they meet current regulations); or the internal condition of any chimney, boiler or other flue.

 

 

Outside the Property

The surveyor inspects the condition of boundary walls, fences, permanent outbuildings and areas in common (shared) use. To inspect these areas, the surveyor walks around the grounds and any neighbouring public property where access can be obtained. Where there are restrictions to access (e.g. a creeper plant prevents closer inspection), these are reported and advice is given on any potential underlying risks that may require further investigation.

 

Buildings with swimming pools and sports facilities are treated as permanent outbuildings and are therefore inspected, but the surveyor does not report on the leisure facilities, such as the pool itself and its equipment internally and externally, landscaping and other facilities (for example, tennis courts and temporary outbuildings).

 

Where the property includes extensive grounds or acreage, a full inspection of the entire site is not practicable. Our inspection is strictly limited to the immediate gardens, permanent outbuildings, and principal access routes. The remaining land will be viewed only from accessible vantage points close to the main dwelling. We will not traverse the whole estate, woodland, or overgrown areas, nor will we inspect boundaries, fencing, or agricultural land in detail. Consequently, we cannot report on defects, contamination, or invasive species present in these outlying areas.

 

Flats

When inspecting flats, the surveyor assesses the general condition of the outside surfaces of the building, as well as its access and communal areas (for example, shared hallways and staircases that lead directly to the subject flat) and roof spaces, but only if they are accessible from within or owned by the subject flat. The surveyor also inspects (within the identifiable boundary of the subject flat) drains, lifts, fire

alarms and security systems, although the surveyor does not carry out any specialist tests other than their normal operation in everyday use.

 

External wall systems are not inspected. If the surveyor has specific concerns about these items, further investigation will be recommended before making a legal commitment to purchase.

 

Dangerous Materials, Contamination and Environmental Issues
The surveyor does not make any enquiries about contamination or other environmental dangers. If the surveyor suspects a problem, they should recommend further investigation.

 

The surveyor may assume that no harmful or dangerous materials have been used in the construction, and does not have a duty to justify making this assumption. However, if the inspection shows that such materials have been used, the surveyor must report this and ask for further specialist advice.

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The Surveyor will carry out a visual inspection of the grounds for the purpose of identifying any specific defective features and other matters associated with grounds, examples include assessing walls, paths and fences. We do not carry out a plant-by-plant check for Japanese Knotweed. Difficulty will be experienced with larger plots and the surveyor will only carry out a general check to main amenity spaces, generally within 5-10m of the property. Limitations will be experienced where planting is dense or where areas are concealed by boundaries/hedges in addition to constraints imposed by season and weather conditions on the day of the inspection. Invasive plants may be concealed or be present below ground. We do not accept liability where invasive plants are concealed on the day of our inspection for any reason whatsoever.

 

The surveyor does not carry out an asbestos inspection and does not act as an asbestos inspector when inspecting properties that may fall within The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (‘CAR 2012’). However, the report should properly emphasise the suspected presence of asbestos containing materials if the inspection identifies that possibility.

With flats, the surveyor assumes that there is a ‘dutyholder’ (as defined in CAR 2012), and that there is an asbestos register and an effective management plan in place, which does not present a significant risk to health or need any immediate payment. The surveyor does not consult the dutyholder.

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The Report

The surveyor produces a report of the inspection results for you to use but cannot accept any liability if it is used by anyone else.

 

The report is aimed at providing you with a detailed understanding of the condition of the property and will give our advice and recommendations on issues identified. This is aimed at allowing you to make an informed decision on serious or urgent repairs, and on the maintenance of a wide range of reported issues. If you decide not to act on the advice in the report, you do this at your own risk.

 

Purely cosmetic and minor maintenance defects that have no effect on performance might not be reported. The report is not a warranty.

A market valuation and buildings insurance cost is not included with this report. Should this be desired, this will be under a separate instruction under a separate terms of engagement.

House to Home Surveys Ltd. Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance surface processes only, for example grammar & spelling check, converting dictated notes into plain English, structuring report content and assisting with research. The material impact is low.

Condition Ratings

The surveyor gives condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the main building, garage and some outside elements. The condition ratings are described as follows: 


 

• Condition rating 3 – Defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently. Failure to do so could risk serious safety issues or severe long-term damage to your property. Written quotations for repairs should be obtained prior to legal commitment to purchase. 


• Condition rating 2 – Defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered to be either serious or urgent forming part of your medium to long term maintenance plan.


• Condition rating 1 – No repair is currently needed. The property must be maintained in the normal way. 


• NI – Elements not inspected. 
The surveyor notes in the report if it was not possible to check any parts of the property that the inspection would normally cover. If the surveyor is concerned about these parts, the report tells you about any further investigations that are needed. 


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The surveyor has not prepared the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) as part of the RICS Home Survey – Level 3 service for the property. Where the EPC has not been made available by others, the most recent certificate will be obtained from the appropriate central registry where practicable. If the surveyor has seen the current EPC, they will review and state the relevant energy efficiency rating in this report.

 

Where possible and appropriate, the surveyor will include additional commentary on energy related matters for the property as a whole in the Energy efficiency section of the report, but this is not a formal energy assessment of the building.

Checks will be made for any obvious discrepancies between the EPC and the subject property, and the implications are explained to you. As part of the Home Survey – Level 3 service, the surveyor, if required, may advise on the appropriateness of any energy improvements recommended by the EPC.

Summary of Repair Costs

Where able to do so, we may provide an outline estimate of costs for repairs. This is a summary only and not a full and detailed specification of works. This aims to provide you with a helpful overview however, costs are not itemised and may not include all associated costs such as for access (scaffold etc), professional fees or VAT. Cost estimates may not be provided where the scope of the works is not known until the intrusive investigations have been completed, e.g. works to concealed floor structures.

 

Estimates for building works vary significantly for several reasons and you should obtain formal quotations prior to your commitment to purchase.We can accept no liability should actual costs be higher or lower than that estimated by House to Home Surveys Ltd.

 

Issues for Legal Advisers

The surveyor does not act as a legal adviser and does not comment on any legal documents. If, during the inspection, the surveyor identifies issues that your legal advisers may need to investigate further, the surveyor may refer to these in the report (for example, to state you should check whether there is a warranty covering replacement windows).

 

This report has been prepared by a surveyor merely in their capacity as an employee or agent of a firm, company or other business entity (‘the Company’). The report is the product of the Company, not of the individual surveyor. All of the statements and opinions contained in this report are expressed entirely on behalf of the Company, which accepts sole responsibility for them. For their part, the individual surveyor assumes no personal financial responsibility or liability in respect of the report, and no reliance or inference to the contrary should be drawn.

Nothing in this report excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury (including disease and impairment of mental condition) resulting from negligence.

Risks

This section summarises defects and issues that present a risk to the building or grounds, or a safety risk to people. These may have been reported, and condition rated against more than one part of the property or may be of a more general nature. They may have existed for some time and cannot be reasonably changed. The RICS Home Survey – Level 3 report will identify and list the risks, explain the nature of the problems and explain how the client may resolve or reduce the risk.

 

If the property is leasehold, the surveyor will give you general advice and details of questions you should ask your legal advisors.

Terms of Payment and Delivery of Service

You agree to pay our fee and any other charges agreed in writing.

 

The visit to the property will be made by the Surveyor once payment has been made.

We do not hold monies in a client account for the purpose of survey instructions although your money is protected by our cancellations policy as stated in these terms of engagement.

Once the visit has been made, the report will be subsequently compiled and sent via email. 

If a bound hard copy is required, this will be charged at £75 per copy which includes postage. Reports are posted recorded delivery. We hold no responsibility for reports not being received once they have been mailed.

Reports are normally prepared, checked and sent to you electronically 7-10 working days following the inspection taking place, dependent on the complexity or size of the property, with hard copies usually printed and delivered within 14 days of the inspection.

Cancelling this contract

You should seek advice on your obligations under The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (‘the Regulations’) and/or the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in accordance with section 2.6 of the current edition of the Home survey standard RICS professional statement. Upon signing the terms, you agree to waiver your 14 day cooling off cancellation rights to ensure the survey can proceed without delay. 

 

We allow 2 working days (this does not include weekends) before the date of the visit to the property to cancel your instruction to us so we can reduce our risk of loss of income. If you choose to cancel the survey or amend the date of the survey after this time your fee will become non-refundable.

 

Once a visit has been made, a report will be produced by the surveyor and the agreed work will have been completed in accordance with RICS regulation and our Terms and Conditions. No amendments to the original agreement can be made after this time.

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Missed Appointments

Missed appointments are charged at £200 per occasion.  

 

Missed appointments include any circumstances in which the surveyor is unable to carry out the full instruction on the day and time which the appointment has been booked and confirmed as per these terms and conditions or as per any subsequent amendments.

Circumstances leading to missed appointments include but are not limited to:

• The surveyor not being granted access by the vendor, agent, tenant or any other involved party 

• The agent, tenant, vendor or other involved party being obstructive to the duties of the surveyor and the client's instruction 

• The agent providing the wrong keys or not providing access to the property which results in the survey not being able to take place at the agreed time/date.

• Any other circumstances leading to a missed appointment which is no fault of House to Homes Survey Ltd.

Although we realise sometimes these circumstances are not the fault of the client, it is advised the client does everything possible to ensure agents, tenants, vendors, and any other involved party behaves in a way which is conducive to the normal duties of an independent surveyor. Clients should be aware of the reasons why any of the people involved may obstruct the duties of an independent surveyor working on behalf of a property buyer.

In addition, we also advise that in these circumstances, if you as the client becomes subject to these fees where the fault is not your own, you should pursue the cost with the person or company who has obstructed the process.

 

 

Liability

The report is provided for your use, and the surveyor cannot accept responsibility if it is used, or relied upon, by anyone else. 


No third-party liability is accepted, meaning no other parties other than the Client named within the report may rely upon its content. We do not hold any liability to any third party.

This report is for use in the UK.

Referral Fees:

It may be that your case was introduced to us by a third party (i.e. previous customer, agent or financial services provider). It is common practice for a proportion of our fee to be paid to the introducer. If you wish to be provided with details of any commission payment payable to the introducer, please contact our office prior to returning this document.

Conflict of Interest

We are not aware that there is any conflict of interest with any known parties in this transaction. If you become aware of any conflict of interest, please notify us immediately.

Complaints Handling Procedure

A copy of our Complaints procedure is obtainable on written request from: The Complaints Administrator, Unit 4C Gattinetts Business Park, Hadleigh Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6QT.

Any successful claim (such as negligence or not identifying urgent or serious defects) made against House to Home Surveys Ltd will be limited up to a maximum of £25,000.

In the event of a claim, we must be provided reasonable opportunity to investigate the grounds of the claim. This includes ensuring that all relevant evidence of faults or issues are preserved and not removed or repaired prior to the company's inspection. Should there be no visible signs of issues at the time of the claim, the company reserves the right to reject the claim as unsubstantiated.

 

Note: These terms form part of the contract between you and the Company.