Whether you are planning to buy a home or a buy-to-let, as a property owner you will benefit from having valuable information about the condition of the property you have your eye on. A RICS Level 1 Survey, previously known as the Condition Report, is a basic level of building inspection that provides an overview of the general condition of a property and may be the right choice for you.
Is The RICS Level 1 Survey right for me?
In order to know whether the property purchase price is reasonable, you need to know whether the property is in good condition. A survey will give you this information – and can save you thousands of pounds.
Depending on the type of property you are thinking of purchasing, there are three levels of RICS home survey available from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The RICS Level 1 Survey, formerly called the Condition Report, is the lowest priced, entry level survey and is typically used for newer properties and conventional homes in good condition.
This type of survey is often recommended for homebuyers or sellers who want to gain a general understanding of the property’s condition without commissioning a more detailed and costly survey. Choose this report if you’re buying a conventional house, flat or bungalow built within the last 20 years from common building materials and in reasonable condition. It focuses purely on the condition of the property by setting out the following:
- Clear ‘traffic light’ ratings of the condition of different parts of the building, services, garage and outbuildings, showing problems that may require varying degrees of attention;
- A summary of the risks to the condition of the building; and
- Advice on planning and Building Control matters for your legal advisers.
- It does not give repair advice
Why choose Gowers Surveyors?
With offices in Cambridge, Stamford and Peterborough and over 25 years’ experience in all types of property surveying, Gowers Surveyors should be your first port of call for any survey requirement in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.
The company is run by Paul Gowers, a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Chartered Association of Building Engineers and the Faculty of Building. He is a RICS Registered Valuer under the RICS Accredited Valuer Registration Scheme. For your complete confidence and peace of mind, we are regulated by RICS guidelines and protocol.
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Client Testimonials
Ben Green24 May 2023Having used Paul's services for a survey on our upcoming listed building purchase I can assure you that you will get the most thorough, professional and helpful service that you could wish for. The report tallied over 100 pages covering all aspects of the house, walls, frames, windows, roof space, drainage, outbuildings, render, roof tiles, water tanks, electrics, insulation, listed building consent, health and safety and much more. Not only that but Paul's report also told us how to best maintain the house going forwards, using what materials and how often things need doing. This was most definitely worth every penny and has allowed us to make an informed decision on the purchase going forwards. A+ rating from me!
James Marron19 May 2023I could not recommend Paul Gowers highly enough. Excellent service and a very comprehensive, clear report. An extremely knowledgeable and helpful professional.
Brian Scull15 September 2021I have just had a Survey completed by Gowers of Stamford. I have to say that the team there are superb. From the first contact with Catherine who was courteous, professional and helpful and who also arranged everything. To the surveyor Paul who was marvellous, the report was clear and well presented and easy to understand. Paul was extremely helpful and prepared to spend time discussing all the sections and any issues i had.He was very professional and a pleasure to deal with. I don’t normally do revues but felt compelled on this occasion because they deserve enormous praise and i would thoroughly recommend them.
Cameron Bauldry7 July 2021I needed a building survey doing at short notice after red flags were raised once receiving searches and the sellers paperwork back. Unfortunately Gowers and everyone else I checked with were all booked up for months however Paul took time out of his busy day to speak to me, listen to my situation and provide me with some fantastic advice which I very much appreciate. He is very knowledgeable and the advice given has helped me in the next steps of my house purchase. Thank you again.
Neil Crees18 March 2021The value of using Paul, a local well known professional, was huge. I received immediate personal feedback allowing me to take timely action to avoid what could have been an expensive mistake.
Sam Paul10 December 2019We engaged Gowers to carry out a building survey for an old residential property with multiple issues. Paul Gowers was excellent in his response time to our questions and the level of professional reporting. The service we received was reassuring for us and we would certainly use Gowers again.
Mandy Ingram6 June 2018We recently used Gowers Surveyors for a building project involving the Party Wall Act. It was applicable on both boundaries and Paul acted as Agreed Surveyor on one side and Building Owner Surveyor on the other. The build itself was fairly straight forward, but the Party Wall process was definitely not... Paul is the consummate professional. Knowledgeable, reliable, calm and level headed he always made himself available whether in person or at the end of a phone or email to ourselves and our contractors. The project lasted 8 months and he continued to deliver the highest level of professionalism and advice throughout. Cannot recommend him highly enough!
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