RICS Level 2 Survey in Farnham

A Level 2 survey gives you a visual inspection of the accessible parts of the house. We look at roofs, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, visible services and the parts of the structure that can be reached without lifting carpets or moving furniture, which suits a 1960s semi on the edge of Lower Bourne or a post-1980 detached home off Old Park Lane. It is a practical report, not a strip-out exercise.

The report uses condition ratings 1, 2 and 3. Rating 1 means no repair is needed right now, rating 2 points to issues that need attention soon, and rating 3 flags defects that need urgent investigation or repair. That traffic-light structure helps a buyer compare a small roof repair on a GU9 terrace with something more serious on an older house in the Castle Street area.

It does not include destructive testing, opening up walls, checking beneath floor finishes or testing systems by running them. We also do not lift carpets, dismantle joinery or move stored items, so hidden issues can stay hidden until a specialist is called in. For a listed cottage near West Street, a property with heavy alterations in GU9 0AN or a home with unusual timber framing, we would usually point you towards a Level 3 instead.

• Roof coverings
• Brick, stone and render
• Damp signs and ventilation
• Drainage, gutters and visible services
• Windows, doors and joinery

Farnham's housing stock is split between older houses in the town centre and a large wave of 1945 to 1980 and post-1980 homes. The figures show 35.8% detached, 28.1% semi-detached, 20.1% terraced and 15.6% flats or maisonettes, so we are often inspecting family houses in GU10 as well as flats near the centre. That mix matters because one street can move from solid wall construction to modern cavity wall building in a few minutes on foot.

The town centre is a large conservation area, with more listed buildings around Castle Street, West Street and Downing Street, including Farnham Castle. Those homes often need lime mortar, breathable finishes and careful roof repairs, which is why a Level 2 survey is not the right fit for a listed property or one with heavy extensions. We would usually steer those buyers towards a Level 3.

Gault Clay can drive movement in dry summers and wet winters, while the River Wey and surface water both bring damp risk after storms. There is no significant deep mining history here, though local sand and gravel extraction has occurred, so our survey focuses on foundation movement, drainage and old repairs rather than mining subsidence. Farnham does not have a coastal erosion issue, as the town sits inland.

• Town centre conservation area
• River Wey flood risk
• Gault Clay shrink-swell risk
• Post-1945 cavity walls
• New-build render and cladding