RICS Level 2 Survey in EX11

Ottery St Mary has been a settlement for over a thousand years. Archaeological excavations in the town have uncovered a medieval longhouse dating to AD 1250-1350, and the surrounding area has properties spanning every era of construction from the medieval period right through to modern new builds on the edge of town. When you are buying in EX11, the age and construction method of the property you have chosen will make a significant difference to the risks you face. Our RICS Level 2 survey is designed precisely to identify those risks before you commit.

The geology of the East Hill area of EX11 includes Upper Greensand sandstone of Cretaceous age, capped by clay, silt, sand, and gravel from the Quaternary Clay-With-Flints Formation. The presence of clay in the local geology is relevant because clay soils are subject to shrink-swell movement - they expand when wet and contract when dry, which over time can contribute to foundation movement and subsidence in properties built on or near these soils. Our inspectors will check for signs of structural movement, cracking, and settlement during the survey.

Ottery St Mary sits on the River Otter, and properties close to the river carry a real risk of fluvial flooding. This is not a theoretical concern - the River Otter regularly rises after heavy rainfall, and low-lying properties in and around the town can be affected. We will note flood risk in our report and recommend you check the property's specific flood risk designation with the Environment Agency before proceeding. For properties near the river, knowing the flood history and flood zone classification is essential information before you buy.

Beyond geological and flooding risks, many properties in EX11 are genuinely old. Traditional construction in East Devon typically involves solid stone or brick walls, lime mortar, and slate roofs - all of which require specialist knowledge to assess correctly. Unlike modern cavity wall construction, older solid-wall properties manage moisture differently, and damp can present itself in ways that are easy to misinterpret without the right training. Our assessors work with traditional construction regularly and understand how to read the signs.

Ottery St Mary is one of the more historically significant towns in East Devon, and a large part of the town sits within a designated Conservation Area. Within that Conservation Area are numerous listed buildings of different grades, including the Grade I listed Church of St Mary, the Grade II* listed Chanter's House, and a range of Grade II listed properties on Silver Street, Gold Street, Cornhill, Paternoster Row, Alfington Road, and Mill Street. Knightstone Manor, built in 1380, is considered one of the best-preserved medieval houses in Great Britain and is also located in this area.

If you are buying a listed building or a property within the Conservation Area, a RICS Level 2 survey will give you a good baseline assessment of condition. However, for Grade I or Grade II* listed buildings, or properties that have undergone significant alterations using non-traditional materials, we recommend considering a RICS Level 3 Building Survey instead. The Level 3 survey provides a far more detailed investigation and is better suited to complex older structures where understanding the construction method and the history of alterations is essential to interpreting what the surveyor finds.

Properties in the Conservation Area that are not listed still benefit from a survey that understands traditional construction. Many unlisted properties in the town centre were built in the 18th and 19th centuries using materials and techniques that are very different from post-war construction. Solid brick walls, lime plaster, and timber suspended floors all need to be read correctly to distinguish normal historic behaviour from genuine defects. Our assessors bring that understanding to every inspection we carry out in the EX11 area.

New build activity in EX11 has been ongoing in recent years. Bovis Homes has developed Kings Reach and Salston Grange in Ottery St Mary, offering 2 to 5 bedroom houses from around £225,995. Otter View on Mill Street - a small development of just 8 properties with 3 and 4 bedroom homes - has also been marketed in the area. New build properties are typically sold with a developer's warranty such as NHBC Buildmark, but a new build snagging survey carried out before legal completion is still a wise investment, as it documents any defects that the developer is responsible for rectifying before you move in.

For new builds, a separate snagging inspection is more appropriate than a RICS Level 2 survey, as the construction is modern and the focus is on identifying incomplete or substandard work rather than assessing long-term condition. However, if you are buying a property that is only a few years old on one of these developments but is being sold second-hand, a RICS Level 2 survey is still worthwhile - particularly to check that any defects identified at the time of original sale were properly remedied and that no new issues have emerged since the developer's warranty period ended.

The cost of a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey in EX11 depends primarily on the value and size of the property. Nationally, the average cost of a Level 2 survey is around £455, with a typical range of £400 to £639 for standard residential properties. For higher-value properties in EX11 - where the average detached house price is £640,665 - the survey cost will sit at the upper end of this range. Properties priced above £500,000 average around £586 for a Level 2 survey.

To put the cost in context: a RICS Level 2 survey will often pay for itself many times over. If our inspector identifies a defect such as a failing flat roof, signs of damp penetration, or structural cracking, you have the information you need to renegotiate the purchase price, ask the vendor to carry out repairs before completion, or simply make an informed decision about whether to proceed. The cost of a survey is a fraction of the cost of discovering a major defect after you have moved in and the conveyancing is done.

• Properties up to £200,000 - survey typically from £384
• Properties £200,000 to £500,000 - survey typically £400 to £500
• Properties above £500,000 - survey typically from £586
• Listed or unusually complex properties may require a Level 3 Building Survey
• All our quoted prices include VAT with no hidden extras