Which Survey?
RICS Level 2 Homebuyers Survey
A thorough survey providing essential insights into property condition and potential issues. It is usually suited to conventional homes in reasonable condition, and the report uses a simple traffic-light style rating to show the urgency of any issues found.
RICS Level 3 Building Survey
A Level 3 RICS Building survey is the most detailed pre-purchase survey available for residential property. It is typically recommended for older, larger, altered, run-down, listed, or non-standard homes, or where major works are planned.
Private Valuation
A private valuation is an independent assessment of a property’s market value carried out by a RICS registered valuation surveyor. It gives an objective figure based on the property’s condition, location, size, and comparable sales evidence, rather than an estate agent’s opinion.
Types of valuation we carry out includes: Legal and tax: probate, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial/divorce. Special schemes: Help to Buy, shared ownership. Valuations are stand alone services but can also be added at the time of a survey.
A private valuation is not the same as an estate agent’s informal market appraisal, and it is not just a number with no supporting process. It is a formal, defensible valuation exercise designed for legal, financial, tax, lending, or similar professional use.
Drone Roof Surveys
Drone roof surveys are a practical way to inspect hard-to-reach roof areas on residential properties using high-resolution aerial imagery instead of ladders or scaffolding. They are often used as a first-stage check to identify defects such as slipped tiles, cracked slates, failed flashing, chimney issues, gutter problems, and signs of water ingress. They are a stand lone service or can be added as part of your home survey.
Main benefits of a drone survey
- Safer than climbing onto fragile roofs.
- Faster than erecting access equipment for many inspections.
- Cheaper than scaffolding for short or targeted surveys.
- Good for evidence gathering, repair quotes, and insurance records.
Note: A drone survey is usually visual only and does not replace a hands-on or intrusive inspection where close-up testing is needed. It can show visible defects, but it cannot confirm hidden construction issues, moisture within build-ups, or defective fixings that are not externally visible.
They are most useful for pre-purchase checks, suspected roof defects, post-storm inspections, landlord maintenance, insurance evidence, and properties where access is awkward or dangerous. In Liverpool and other dense urban areas, they are particularly popular because they avoid scaffold, road disruption, and unnecessary access risk.