Compare Level 2 Home Survey options

A Level 2 Home Survey, formerly known as the Homebuyer Report, is a non-intrusive visual inspection of a residential property carried out by a RICS-qualified surveyor. It is the most commonly requested survey type among UK home buyers and is designed for properties built after 1900 using standard construction methods such as brick, block, stone or render.

During the inspection, the surveyor assesses the visible and accessible parts of the property from ground level and standing positions. They check the roof structure (from inside the loft space where accessible), external walls, windows, doors, internal walls, ceilings, floors, bathrooms, kitchens, services such as electrics and plumbing, and the immediate grounds including boundaries and outbuildings. The surveyor does not move furniture, lift floorboards, or test behind walls. This means hidden defects, such as concealed damp or structural issues behind plasterboard, may not be identified.

You can choose between two formats: a survey-only report that focuses purely on the property's condition, or a survey with valuation that adds the surveyor's opinion of market value and a rebuild cost estimate for insurance. Not every buyer needs the valuation element, especially if your mortgage lender has already instructed its own valuation. For a broader overview of all survey levels and when each is appropriate, read our full guide to house surveys.

A Level 2 survey covers a wide range of the property's internal and external elements, though it stops short of the invasive testing included in a Level 3 Building Survey. The surveyor inspects everything that is visible and safely accessible without moving heavy furniture or lifting fixed coverings. Each area of the property is given a condition rating from 1 to 3, which tells you at a glance how urgent any issues are.

The table below sets out the main areas covered and what the surveyor checks for in each one. Bear in mind that if any area is inaccessible on the day of the inspection, for example a locked loft hatch or furniture blocking a wall, the surveyor will note this as a limitation in the report.

What a Level 2 survey does not include

It is equally important to understand what falls outside the scope. A Level 2 survey does not include lifting floorboards, testing drains with a camera, opening up walls, or specialist testing for asbestos. Electrical and gas installations are assessed visually but not tested. If the surveyor suspects a problem in any of these areas, they will recommend you commission a specialist report before exchange of contracts. If your property is older, listed, heavily altered, or built with non-standard materials such as timber frame or thatched roof, a Level 3 Building Survey is likely the better choice.

The cost of a Level 2 Home Survey depends primarily on the property's value, its size and its location. Surveyor firms set their own fees, so prices vary, but the figures below reflect typical ranges across England and Wales as of early 2026. London and the South East tend to be 10 to 20 per cent higher than other regions, while rural areas with fewer RICS surveyors nearby may also carry a small premium for travel time.

If you choose a survey with valuation rather than survey-only, expect to add roughly £50 to £150 to the base fee. Some surveyor firms offer a combined package that includes a Level 2 survey plus a separate snagging-style checklist for new-build properties, though these are less common.

Is a Level 2 survey worth the cost?

For context, the average repair bill identified by a property survey in the UK is estimated at between £5,000 and £12,000 according to RICS data published in recent years. Even at the higher end of survey fees, the cost of a Level 2 report is a fraction of what you could face if a defect goes undetected. A condition rating 3 finding, such as significant damp penetration or roof damage, can give you the evidence to renegotiate the purchase price or walk away before exchange. For practical advice on using your survey results, see our guide on how to negotiate after a survey.

Choosing the right survey level depends on the property's age, construction type and overall condition. A Level 2 survey covers the majority of standard residential purchases, but it is not the right fit for every property. Understanding how it differs from a Level 3 Building Survey and a basic mortgage valuation will help you decide which report to commission.

A mortgage valuation is carried out for the lender, not for you. It confirms only that the property is adequate security for the loan and may consist of a brief visit or even a desktop assessment. It does not check the property's condition and will not flag defects. A Level 2 survey is your own independent inspection, giving you a detailed condition report with ratings for every element. A Level 3 survey goes further still, involving more intrusive checks and producing a much longer, more detailed report suited to older, larger or non-standard properties.

If you are torn between Level 2 and Level 3, our Level 2 vs Level 3 survey comparison breaks down exactly where the boundary sits. For properties built before 1900, with listed status, or with visible structural issues, a Level 3 Building Survey is almost always the better investment.

A Level 2 Home Survey is suitable for the majority of residential property purchases in England and Wales. It works best for houses and flats built after 1900 using conventional materials, in reasonable overall condition, with no obvious signs of major structural problems. Most standard terraced houses, semi-detached homes, detached houses and purpose-built flats fall into this category.

A Level 2 survey is less likely to be the right choice if the property is listed or sits in a conservation area, is built with non-standard materials such as timber frame, steel frame, or concrete panel construction, has been heavily extended or significantly altered from its original layout, shows visible signs of subsidence, structural movement or major damp, or was built before 1900 with original features that require specialist assessment.

In any of those situations, a Level 3 Building Survey provides the deeper investigation needed to uncover potential issues that a visual-only inspection would miss. If you are not sure if you need a survey at all, our guide walks you through the decision step by step based on the property type, age and your own risk tolerance.

Every element of a Level 2 survey report is assigned a condition rating from 1 to 3. These ratings are standardised by RICS, so they mean the same thing regardless of which surveyor carries out the inspection.

Condition Rating 1 (green): no repair is currently needed. The element is performing as expected and requires only normal ongoing maintenance. Most properties will have several CR1 items across the report.

Condition Rating 2 (amber): defects that need repairing or replacing but are not considered urgent or serious. These are items to address in the short to medium term to prevent further deterioration. Examples include worn guttering, minor pointing repairs, or dated but still functioning electrics. Many buyers use CR2 items as negotiating points to reduce the purchase price by the estimated cost of repairs.

Condition Rating 3 (red): serious defects that are urgent and require immediate further investigation or repair. A CR3 rating means the surveyor has identified something that could be dangerous, cause significant damage if left untreated, or materially affect the property's value. Common CR3 findings include active damp penetration, structural cracking, or a roof that is failing. If your report contains any CR3 items, read our guide to common survey problems explained and consider how to negotiate after a survey before deciding how to proceed.

Understanding when to instruct your survey within the broader buying process helps you avoid unnecessary delays and make the most of the findings. Here is where a Level 2 survey typically sits in the sequence from offer to completion.

Once your offer has been accepted and you have a mortgage agreement in principle or a confirmed mortgage offer, you should instruct a surveyor as soon as possible. Most buyers book the survey within the first week after their offer is accepted. The surveyor will typically visit the property within 5 to 10 working days of being instructed and deliver the report 3 to 5 working days after the inspection. This means you can usually have your survey findings within two to three weeks of your offer being accepted.

While the survey is being carried out, your conveyancing solicitor will be running conveyancing searches in parallel, so the survey does not add time to the overall process unless the findings require renegotiation or further specialist reports. If the survey reveals condition rating 3 issues, you can use the report to renegotiate the purchase price, request that the seller carries out repairs before completion, or withdraw from the purchase entirely. All of this happens before exchange of contracts, the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding.

This parallel workflow is a key reason why instructing your survey early matters. Waiting until searches are complete before booking a survey can add two to three unnecessary weeks to your timeline. For a complete step-by-step breakdown of the buying process from offer to keys, see the full conveyancing timeline.

Booking a Level 2 survey is straightforward, but choosing the right surveyor makes a real difference to the quality and usefulness of the report you receive. Start by looking for a RICS-registered surveyor with experience inspecting properties in the local area. Local knowledge matters because a surveyor familiar with the housing stock in your area will recognise construction methods, common defects and regional issues, such as mining subsidence in parts of the Midlands and North or coastal erosion in certain seaside locations, that a surveyor from outside the region might overlook.

Before you instruct a surveyor, check three things: that they are registered with RICS and hold a current practising certificate, that they carry professional indemnity (PI) insurance which protects you if they miss something material, and that they have experience with properties similar to the one you are buying. Ask for a sample report if you want to see the level of detail they provide before committing. For more on what to look for when selecting a surveyor, read our guide to choosing a RICS surveyor.

If you are buying a property in Scotland, the process is different. Sellers in Scotland are required to provide a Home Report before marketing the property, which includes a single survey, an energy report and a property questionnaire. This means Scottish buyers do not usually need to commission their own Level 2 survey separately. For full details on how the Scottish system works, see our guide to Home Reports in Scotland.