Tel:  0788-400-1170

email:   palmerssurveyors@yahoo.co.uk

Geoff Palmer BSc MRICS DIPArb.

Choosing a survey that’s right for you

level three survey

• The “Full building survey”
• For older or more complex building
• 100 + photographs
• Drone often used depending on site/ flight paths etc.
• Defects analysis in some cases
• Longer time spent at the property & a more detailed report

Terms of Engagement

I agree to the following Terms of Engagement.

Palmer’s Surveyors Limited (PSL) Terms of Engagement:

Client’s agreement to this contract:

* The Clients confirm that they have read, understood and accepted the scope of engagement and the supporting terms and conditions of engagement.

* Please provide details of any additional clients. They should also confirm agreement to the terms.

* Nature of the Service: Please confirm if a level two or three of survey is required.

* Likely delivery date and format: via e mail, normally the next working day. I do not send a printed or posted copy.

* The liability cap is £25,000 in the event of any claim. This is the limit to any claim for negligence or breach of contract, superseding any legislation. The Client agrees to any dispute being resolved entirely by the RICS approved Alternative Dispute Resolution provider CEDR.

* Referral fees: £25 -£50 are paid to the introducer of business. I confirm that survey reports are written without fear or favour.

* Cancellation right: Superseding any legislation there is no refund of fees paid after we have undertaken the survey. Please inform us 48 hours in advance so that I can book alternative work.

* The survey fee is taken in advance is not client money and not subject to the RICS “client money protection scheme.”

* The service is delivered in accordance with the Home survey standard RICS, RICS professional statement and its equivalent level (Level two or three).

* I follow the RICS and Health & Safety Executive guidance on surveying safely. For instance, I do not walk on flat roofs, lift insulation or test things etc.

* I carry out only a visual inspection; I do not take up floor coverings, move furniture, remove the contents of cupboards, remove secured panels or undo electrical fittings or drain covers etc.

* Roofs, chimneys and other surfaces on the outside of the building from ground level and, if necessary, from neighbouring public property and with the help of binoculars or drone (level three) at my discretion.

* I try to note in our report if there are significant parts of the property that the inspection would normally cover.

* I do not report on the cost of any work to put right defects as costs can vary. However, I may suggest that repair work would be expensive.

* I do not report on all materials or their health implications;

* The report is illustrated with many photographs (at the discretion of the seller and myself). The photographs in the report show the depth of inspection undertaken and aim to be transparent about what I do.  If you do not want photographs, please let us know. A sample are labelled but not comprehensively. Copies of photographs in large format are not provided for data protection.

* I do not undertake an inspection under the Control of Asbestos legislation but may comment on any obvious asbestos that we find.

* When inspecting flats, I assesses the general condition of outside surfaces of the building, as well as its access areas (for example, shared hallways and staircases). Not all of the block is therefore inspected and if there is more than one block, only the block in which the flat is located.

I inspect roof spaces only if they are accessible from within the property. The surveyor does not inspect drains, lifts, fire alarms and security systems.

Fire safety: I do not provide advice on fire precautions or fire safety. If detailed fire safety compliance reporting is required in terms of FRisk Assessment, including Fire Risk Appraisals of External Wall (FRAEW) by the client, then this is outside the scope of the Service and will be covered in external guidance such as PAS 9980.

* Geoff Palmer, BSc DIPArb MRICS MISVA carries out the surveys on behalf of Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd and accepts no personal liability under the terms of this contract. Geoff qualified as a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1986.

* I/ we provide a report for the use of the above named clients only. Should you release information to third parties, this may result in a liability to you. The report should remain confidential. to you and your Legal Advisers in connection with the purchase.  We do not accept liability if it is used by anyone else and would seek to recoup costs from you if breach of this term results in costs.

If you decide not to act on the report, you do this at your own risk.

* The Report:

aims to enable you to:

* be aware of the visible condition of the property;

* to be clear what decisions and actions should be taken before exchange of contracts

* other matters are not reported on.

* we may recommend further investigation where we are unable to reach a conclusion.

* The inspection

* The surveyor inspects the inside and outside of the main building and all permanent outbuildings, but does not force or open up the fabric. This means that the surveyor does not take up carpets, floor coverings or floorboards, move furniture, remove the contents of cupboards, roof spaces, etc., remove secured panels and/or hatches or undo electrical fittings.

* The surveyor may use equipment such as a standard damp-meter, binoculars and torch, and may use a ladder for flat roofs and for hatches no more than 3 metres above level ground (outside) or floor surfaces (inside) if it is safe to do so. We sometimes use a camera pole on a the level three survey entirely at our discretion.

* Services to the property: Services are generally hidden within the construction of the property. Visible parts of the available services can be inspected; the surveyor does not carry out specialist tests. assess the efficiency or safety of electrical, gas or other energy sources; plumbing, heating or drainage installations (or whether they meet current regulations); or the inside condition of any chimney, boiler or other flue.

* Outside the property

* The surveyor inspects the condition of boundary walls, fences, permanent outbuildings and areas in common (shared) use. To inspect these areas, the surveyor walks around a sample of the grounds and any neighbouring public property where access can be obtained.

* Buildings with swimming pools and sports facilities are also treated as permanent outbuildings, but the surveyor does not report on the leisure facilities, such as the pool itself and its equipment, landscaping and other facilities (for example, tennis courts and temporary outbuildings/ sheds).

* Dangerous materials, contamination and environmental issues, planning matters. The surveyor does not undertake to make any enquiries about these matters.

* We assume that no harmful or dangerous materials have been used in the construction, and does not have a duty to justify making this assumption. However, if the inspection shows that these materials have been used, the surveyor must report this and ask for further instructions.

* The surveyor produces a report of the inspection for you to use, but cannot accept any liability if it is used by anyone else. If you decide not to act on the advice in the report, you do this at your own risk. The report focuses on matters that, in the surveyor’s opinion, may affect the value of the property if they are not addressed.

Report contents for level two and three surveys:

Table of main contents:

Introduction

Summary,

Location and environment

Property details

Risks

Structural movement

Timber defects

Dampness

Condensation

Damp Proof Course

Health and safety

Asbestos

The Exterior:

Roof structure and coverings

Chimneys

Rainwater fittings

Main walls

External joinery

External decoration

The Interior:

Insulation

Ceilings

Floors

Internal Walls

Internal joinery

Internal decoration

The Services (no tests):

Electricity

Gas

Water

Sanitary fittings

Heating

Drainage

The Site

Garage and outbuildings

Grounds and boundaries

Condition ratings: These are capable of interpretation and are a judgement call by the surveyor. The client accepts this and should obtain quotations for any work suggested prior to purchase.

* The surveyor gives condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the main building, garage and some outside elements:

* RED: Defects defined as urgent and significant, high cost, serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.

* AMBER: Defects that need maintenance and improvement (repairing or replacing) but are not considered to be either as serious or urgent. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

* GREEN: No repair is currently needed. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

FAQs

What are the main differences between a level two and a level three survey?

Level two survey:

The level 2 service is for clients who are seeking a professional opinion on a standard modern home in good condition.

It is less comprehensive than a three.

Level three:

The level three survey is more comprehensive than the level two survey.

Suitable for older, or complex extended homes.

Spend longer at the property, open more windows, may lift small corners of carpets, small lightweight

possessions.

I may use a drone to inspect high areas; I may ask the owner to turn the heating on or look at drainage flow.

Identification of obvious defects, possible hidden risks, time scales for repair; identification of more costly maintenance areas

* Issues for legal advisers

The surveyor does not act as ‘the legal adviser’ and does not comment on any legal documents. If, during the inspection, the surveyor identifies issues that your legal advisers may need to investigate further, the surveyor may refer to these in the report (for example, check whether there is a warranty covering replacement windows).

www.palmerssurveyors.com

This document is private and confidential and should not be relied upon by third parties. Registered as Palmer’s Surveyors Limited, Registered address: 426- 428, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 9AA: Company No. 6756691. Regulated with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Company number: 0408903 / Member no: 0075522.

* The surveyor gives condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the main building, garage and some outside elements:

* RED:  Defects defined as urgent and significant, high cost (say over £5,000), serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.

* AMBER: Defects that need maintenance and improvement (repairing or replacing) but are not considered to be either as serious or urgent. May ultimately cost over £5,000. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

* GREEN: No repair is currently needed. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

FAQs

What are the main differences between a level two and a level three survey?

Level two survey:

The level 2 service is for clients who are seeking a professional opinion on a standard modern home in good condition.

It is less comprehensive than a three.

Level three:

The level three survey is more comprehensive than the level two survey.
Suitable for older, or complex extended homes.
Spend longer at the property, open more windows, may lift small corners of carpets, small lightweight
possessions.

We may use a camera pole to inspect high areas; We may ask the owner to turn the heating on or look at drainage flow.

Identification of obvious defects, possible hidden risks, time scales for repair; identification of more costly maintenance areas

Issues for legal advisers

The surveyor does not act as ‘the legal adviser’ and does not comment on any legal documents. If, during the inspection, the surveyor identifies issues that your legal advisers may need to investigate further, the surveyor may refer to these in the report (for example, check whether there is a warranty covering replacement windows).

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