RICS Level 2 Survey in CA23

The RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey is the most widely used survey for buyers purchasing conventional properties that appear to be in reasonable condition. Our inspectors carry out a thorough visual inspection of all accessible parts of the building, from the roof to the foundations, and record their findings using the standard RICS condition rating scale.

Condition 1 means the element is in satisfactory order and only routine maintenance is needed. Condition 2 means defects are present that require attention within a reasonable timescale but are not urgent. Condition 3 means serious defects that require urgent attention have been identified, and these are highlighted prominently in the report for your solicitor and lender.

For CA23 properties, our reports include specific commentary on local environmental risks. We note where radon testing is advisable, where flood risk is a relevant factor, and where the proximity to the Ravenglass conservation area or the Lake District National Park boundary creates planning considerations that your solicitor should investigate. The report is delivered in plain English and we remain available to answer follow-up questions from you or your solicitor after it is issued.

• Roof structure, coverings, chimney stacks, and flashings
• Gutters, downpipes, and external rainwater management
• External walls, pointing, render, and cladding conditions
• Windows, external doors, and thresholds
• Internal walls, ceilings, and floor surfaces
• Loft space and roof void (where safely accessible)
• Damp levels including penetrating and rising damp checks
• Timber condition and evidence of wet rot, dry rot, or woodworm
• Outbuildings, garages, boundary walls, and gates
• Local risk commentary including radon, flood, and planning notes

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium in rocks and soils. It is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, and it can build up to harmful concentrations inside buildings that lack adequate ventilation. Cumbria, including the CA23 postcode area, is identified by the UK Health Security Agency as a radon-affected area where concentrations in buildings can exceed the national action level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre more frequently than in lower-risk parts of the country.

Radon enters buildings through cracks in floors, gaps around service pipes, and construction joints. Properties with solid concrete floors or suspended timber floors with limited underfloor ventilation are at particular risk of radon accumulation. Long-term exposure to elevated radon concentrations is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, and the Health and Safety Executive estimates that radon is responsible for a significant proportion of lung cancer cases in the UK annually.

Our Level 2 survey report includes a radon risk note for CA23 properties, based on the local geology and the UKHSA radon maps for the area. Where our inspector identifies a property that is likely to fall in an affected zone, we recommend commissioning a radon measurement test before exchange. These tests involve placing measurement devices in key rooms of the property for a period of three months, and the results determine whether remediation measures such as improved underfloor ventilation or the installation of a radon sump are required. Remediation is straightforward and relatively low cost when identified early.

Radon is not a reason to avoid purchasing a property in CA23, and many properties in radon-affected areas test at levels well below the action threshold. Identifying the risk, testing, and remediating where necessary is the appropriate response. Buyers who purchase without assessing radon risk may face remediation costs after moving in, and in some cases mortgage lenders may require evidence that radon risk has been assessed before lending on properties in designated radon-affected areas.

CA23 house prices fell 2.3% over the past year, with the overall average dropping to £279,842. Semi-detached properties fell 3% and flats by 4%. In a market with only 50 recorded sales in a year, price data is highly sensitive to the composition of the small number of transactions, and individual properties can vary substantially from postcode averages in either direction. Buyers in a cooling market sometimes feel less urgency to proceed with surveys and due diligence, reasoning that they have more time and more negotiating room than in a competitive market.

This reasoning runs backwards from the evidence. In a falling market, sellers may be reluctant to reduce prices further, and a survey report that documents significant condition-2 or condition-3 defects gives buyers a factual, documented basis for requesting a price reduction independent of general market direction. A vendor who will not move on price because of market conditions has to respond to survey findings that quantify specific costs the buyer will face - these are two distinct conversations, and the survey supports the second one in a way that general market commentary cannot.

With transaction volumes as low as 50 sales in a year across the entire postcode, finding comparable sales evidence to justify negotiation in CA23 is genuinely difficult. A survey report that quantifies defect remediation costs provides solid, specific evidence that stands up independently of the challenge of finding comparable sold prices in a thin market. Our reports include estimated ranges for the cost of works where appropriate, giving buyers a clear financial basis for negotiation.