RICS Level 2 Survey in Aberdeen

A Level 2 survey is a visual inspection of accessible parts only. We look at the roof, chimneys, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, drains and visible services without lifting carpets or opening up the structure. In Aberdeen, that means checking slate roofs on older terraces, brick or rendered walls in 1960s estates, and the condition of sash and case windows where they still survive. Every report follows the RICS Home Survey Standard and comes from a RICS-registered surveyor.

The report uses RICS condition ratings 1, 2 and 3. Condition 1 means no urgent repair, Condition 2 means defects that need attention or routine repair soon, and Condition 3 flags serious matters that need repair, investigation or your solicitor’s attention before you commit further. Our surveyors write in plain English, so you can see at a glance what matters on a flat in Ferryhill or a semi in Bridge of Don.

What it does not do is just as important. A Level 2 is not a destructive survey, so we do not move furniture, lift floors, test electrics, test the boiler, or carry out intrusive opening up. For a listed granite building in Old Aberdeen, or a heavily extended house in Cults, a Level 3 usually gives the extra depth you need because it can explain causes, repair options and likely follow-on costs in more detail.

• no lifting carpets
• no opening up walls or floors
• no electrical or gas testing
• no intrusive investigation or sampling

Aberdeen's housing mix leans towards flats, maisonettes or apartments at 44.2%, with detached houses at 18.2%, semi-detached at 17.6% and terraced homes at 16.9% according to the 2021 census. That sits within a city of 227,560 people and 106,738 households, and it explains why we see such a spread of stock, from pre-1919 granite tenements in Old Aberdeen and Rosemount & Golden Square to post-1980 homes in Countesswells and Grandhome. Hazelwood on Countesswells Road, AB15 8LX, is useful context too, because a new development asks different questions from a flat off Bon Accord Street.

Flooding deserves direct attention here. The River Dee and River Don can affect low-lying plots, and parts of the coastline face storm surge pressure, while heavy rain can push surface water into city centre streets where drainage is already working hard. We also check paving falls, external gullies, basement walls and any staining that points to past water ingress, especially where a lower-ground room has been fitted out as living space.

Conservation controls matter across the centre. Old Aberdeen, Ferryhill, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Rosemount & Golden Square and Union Street all sit within conservation areas or around dense clusters of listed buildings, and that can limit the way you replace windows, roofs or external finishes. A listed property usually needs a Level 3 Building Survey rather than a Level 2, and granite beds do not remove the need to check for movement where superficial clay or old made-up ground sits beneath the walls.

New-build activity is also concentrated in clear pockets. Countesswells carries homes from £250,000 to over £600,000, Grandhome from £280,000 to over £500,000, Hazelwood from £200,000 to over £500,000, and Den of Pitfodels in Cults from £450,000 to over £600,000. Fresh plaster and new fittings still need a survey, because settlement cracks, drainage defects and snagging issues appear early.