RICS Home Survey Level 1 (condition overview)
RICS Home Survey Level 1
What a RICS Home Survey Level 1 covers, the properties it suits, and when to step up to Level 2 or 3 instead. Ask KJ before you instruct.
Last reviewed 31 August 2026
What is a RICS Home Survey Level 1?
A Level 1 is the most concise service in the RICS Home Survey Standard. The surveyor inspects the visible, accessible parts of the property and reports the condition of each main element, plus urgent risks and matters for your legal adviser. It is generally intended for conventional properties in apparently reasonable condition. It does not include a valuation, repair costings or an opened-up investigation.
At a glance
- Report style
- Condition ratings by element, with brief commentary.
- Best suited to
- Conventionally built, apparently well-maintained homes with no obvious concerns.
- Valuation
- Not included at Level 1.
- Common step-up trigger
- Age, extensions or alterations, unusual construction, or visible defects.
What the surveyor actually does at Level 1
The inspection is visual and non-intrusive. The surveyor walks the property, looks at the roof from ground level and from any safely accessible roof space, checks the visible parts of walls, floors, joinery and services, and records the condition of each element.
The report then summarises what is in reasonable order, what needs attention and what should be raised with your conveyancer before exchange. It is deliberately concise: it tells you the condition, not the full history of every defect.
Why Level 1 is not a default choice
Level 1 is the right service for a narrow set of properties. It assumes the building is conventional in construction and appears to be in reasonable condition, so a short overview is proportionate.
If the property is older, has been altered or extended, is of unusual construction, or already shows signs of damp, movement or roof failure, the concise format will not answer the questions you will end up asking. In that situation the standard points to Level 2 or Level 3.
- No repair costings or prioritised works schedule
- No valuation or reinstatement figure
- No lifting of floor coverings, no opening up, no testing of services
Level 1 against the alternatives
A short comparison of scope, not of surveyor competence.
| Service | Depth of reporting | Typical trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Condition ratings, brief commentary | Conventional property, apparently reasonable condition |
| Level 2 | Condition plus repair, maintenance and legal commentary | Most standard homes where more detail is wanted |
| Level 3 | Construction described, defects diagnosed, works prioritised | Older, larger, altered, unusual or run-down property |
Who this is for
A good fit if
- Buyers of modern, conventionally built houses and flats in apparently good order
- Owners wanting a short, plain condition overview of a familiar property
- Anyone who wants a professional second look before committing to a purchase
Not the right choice if
- Period, altered, extended or non-traditionally built properties
- Anyone who needs a market valuation or an insurance reinstatement figure
- Buyers who already suspect damp, movement or a roof problem
Deciding whether Level 1 is proportionate
Three checks that usually settle it before you instruct anything.
1.Check age and construction
Traditional brick and block, built in the last few decades, no obvious alterations — Level 1 may be proportionate. Anything else usually is not.
Compare all three survey levels2.Check what you already suspect
If the viewing raised a question — a stain, a crack, a bowing wall — a concise overview will not answer it.
Look at a specific defect survey3.Check whether you need a figure
If you need a market value for negotiation or a lender-adjacent purpose, a condition-only service will not provide one.
Level 2 with valuation
When to bring in a specialist
- Suspected asbestos-containing materials: instruct a competent asbestos surveyor before any disturbance.
- Signs of structural movement needing calculations or design: instruct a structural engineer.
- Electrical, gas, drainage or fire safety concerns: instruct the relevant competent professional.
Common questions
Limitations and sources
- Any survey is limited to what the surveyor can see and safely reach on the day. Areas behind finishes, under floors or beneath stored belongings are not opened up.
- A Level 1 report does not include a valuation of any kind.
- Nothing on this page is a professional opinion about a specific property. KJ Surveyors has not inspected your building, and general guidance cannot replace an inspection and report.
Source: RICS · checked August 2026
Source: UK Government · checked August 2026
Last reviewed 31 August 2026.
Where to go next
- the surveys hub — compare all three levels side by side before you instruct.
- Level 2 in detail — the usual step up when a property is not perfectly conventional.
- survey costs — how fees are built up and what moves them.
Not sure Level 1 is enough?
Tell KJ the property age, construction and anything you noticed at the viewing. KJ will say which level fits, and when it would be wrong to go light.
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KJ gives general guidance only and has not inspected your property. A professional opinion follows an inspection by a surveyor.