The RICS Home Survey Standard sets three levels. Level 1 is a condition report with ratings and little commentary. Level 2 is the mid level survey most buyers of a conventional house choose. Level 3 is the building survey, which investigates and explains. The levels are about depth of inspection and depth of advice, and the right one is decided by the building rather than by the price.
Level 1: the condition report
A visual inspection with condition ratings and minimal advice. It suits a modern property in evident good order where the buyer wants a sanity check rather than a discussion. It will not tell you why something is rated as it is.
Level 2: the home survey
The mid level. Visual inspection of everything accessible, condition ratings, commentary on defects and their implications, and advice on repairs and ongoing maintenance. Optionally with a valuation. This is the level most conventional houses need.
Level 3: the building survey
Extends the inspection, allows investigation of what can be safely reached and requires the surveyor to explain cause, urgency and remedy. It is the level for older, altered, unusual or visibly troubled buildings.
Choosing between them
Age, alterations, construction type and anything you have already noticed. A 1930s semi that has never been extended is a level 2. The same house with a loft conversion, a rear extension and a crack over the bay is a level 3, and the extra fee is a fraction of what the crack might cost.
Questions people ask about home survey
What is a home survey?
An inspection of a property you are buying, carried out by a surveyor and reported at one of three levels under the RICS standard.
What is the house survey checklist?
Level, chartered status, insurance, inclusions and exclusions, who the report addresses, dates and the fee including VAT. Those seven answers make quotes comparable and protect you afterwards.
Is a level 2 survey enough for a flat?
Often yes, and the lease and the common parts matter as much as the flat itself. Ask the surveyor to comment on the building and the service charge implications, not only the demise.