RICS Level 2 Survey in CM6

The RICS Level 2 Survey is the standard home buyer report recommended for most conventionally built properties in good condition. For CM6, this includes the broad range of post-war semi-detached houses and 1970s and 1980s estates found throughout Great Dunmow, as well as the newer builds appearing on developments like those at Stortford Road in Dunmow.

Our surveyors carry out a detailed visual inspection of the following elements during a Level 2 inspection:

• Roof structure, covering, and chimney stacks
• External walls, render, and pointing
• Windows, doors, and external joinery
• Gutters, downpipes, and drainage outlets
• Internal walls, ceilings, and floors
• Roof space and loft insulation condition
• Damp and moisture levels throughout
• Built-in kitchen appliances and fitted furniture condition
• Services including gas, electricity, water, and drainage (visual inspection only)

Each element is rated using the RICS traffic light system: condition rating 1 (no repair required), condition rating 2 (defects that need attention but are not urgent), and condition rating 3 (serious defects requiring immediate action). Ratings of 2 or 3 are the ones you should use when negotiating the purchase price or requesting remediation works before exchange.

With detached houses in CM6 averaging £637,399 and semi-detached properties at £428,804, the stakes in any CM6 purchase are high. The cost of a RICS Level 2 Survey is a fraction of the purchase price, but the findings can directly influence how much you pay - or whether you proceed at all.

Consider a few common scenarios our inspectors encounter in the CM6 area:

• A 1930s semi-detached property in Great Dunmow with a defective chimney stack and failed pointing - repair costs can reach £3,000 to £6,000 depending on height and scaffold access
• A post-war terraced house with rising damp and a failed damp-proof course - remediation can range from £2,500 to £8,000 depending on extent
• A 1970s detached house with cavity wall tie corrosion throughout - a problem that is invisible from outside but can cost £6,000 to £10,000 to fix with specialist wall tie replacement
• A Victorian cottage in a Dunmow village with original single-glazed windows and no evidence of a damp-proof membrane at ground level - common across CM6 rural properties

In each case, the survey finding became a negotiation tool. Many CM6 buyers use condition rating 3 items to renegotiate the purchase price or have the vendor complete remedial works before exchange. Our report gives you the leverage to do this with factual, RICS-backed evidence.

CM6 covers a varied area of north-west Essex, anchored by Great Dunmow as the main market town and extending into a network of smaller villages and rural communities. The property market reflects this variety, with asking prices ranging from starter flats at around £211,339 through to large detached homes and character cottages trading at well above £600,000.

Rightmove data shows that CM6 house prices have risen approximately 3% over the last 12 months, tracking the national trend of recovering activity following the 2022 peak. At the sub-postcode level, CM6 1 has seen a marginal 0.5% fall in prices over the same period, suggesting some softening in Great Dunmow itself while the wider postcode remains positive.

The property mix in CM6 leans heavily towards owner-occupied family housing. Detached properties account for the largest share of sales by volume, followed by semi-detached, terraced, and a smaller flat market. This pattern holds true across the villages and rural portions of the postcode as well as the Dunmow town centre streets.

For buyers, the combination of rising prices and a significant proportion of older housing stock makes a proper survey especially important. A property priced at £526,926 on average carries risks that a mortgage valuation - which exists to protect the lender, not you - will not assess. Our Level 2 Survey bridges that gap and gives you independent professional guidance on the property's condition.