RICS Level 2 Survey in G65

The G65 postcode covers Kilsyth and surrounding communities in North Lanarkshire, an area with a genuinely mixed housing stock. Flats dominated sales in G65 over the past year, many of them traditional tenement-style properties built well before 1970. These older buildings can carry hidden costs that only a professional survey will uncover - from aging roof structures and shared stairwell maintenance issues to damp penetration and outdated electrical installations.

Our RICS Level 2 survey is specifically designed for conventional properties in reasonable condition. It does not involve intrusive investigation, but our inspectors examine all visible and accessible elements of the building: the roof, walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, drainage, and services. Every issue is rated using the RICS traffic-light system: Condition Rating 1 (no action required), Condition Rating 2 (defects that need attention but are not urgent), and Condition Rating 3 (serious defects requiring immediate attention or investigation).

With G65 prices up 26% year-on-year, buyers are committing to larger sums than ever before. A Level 2 survey can help you renegotiate the purchase price if significant defects are found, or set a realistic budget for repairs before you commit. In many cases, the survey fee pays for itself many times over in savings negotiated at the point of purchase.

The G65 housing market has two quite distinct segments that require different survey approaches. On one hand, the Croy area is home to active new-build development. Miller Homes is building at Constarry Gardens in Croy, with properties including five-bedroom detached villas and three-bedroom semi-detached homes. The Hillside development in Croy also has new semi-detached homes available.

For new-build properties, buyers sometimes assume a survey is unnecessary because the property is brand new. We recommend a snagging survey for new builds specifically - this documents any defects before you move in while the builder is still liable to fix them under your NHBC warranty. For resale properties, a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey is the right tool depending on the age and condition of the building.

For the older housing stock in Kilsyth and the surrounding areas - including traditional tenement flats that make up a large proportion of G65 sales - a RICS Level 2 survey is the minimum we recommend. These properties were built using construction methods that have specific vulnerabilities: solid stone walls are prone to penetrating damp, older roof structures may have deflected or been altered over time, and shared roof spaces in tenement blocks create maintenance obligations that are not always visible to a buyer. Our inspectors have seen all of these issues across G65 properties and know where to look.

Our surveyors regularly inspect properties across the G65 postcode and the issues we find reflect the character of the local housing stock. For the traditional Kilsyth housing - stone-built terraces and tenement flats - the most common findings relate to damp, roof coverings, and shared maintenance.

• Penetrating damp through solid stone external walls, particularly on north-facing or exposed elevations
• Flat roof defects on rear extensions and outbuildings, which are common in terraced properties across the area
• Shared roof maintenance arrears or disputes in tenement blocks where common areas have not been kept up
• Original single-glazed timber sash windows requiring replacement or overhauling
• Outdated electrical consumer units (fuse boxes) without modern RCD protection in properties not rewired since the 1990s
• Condensation and poor ventilation in converted or subdivided flats with limited external wall area
• Pointing and render defects on older masonry that allow water ingress over time

On newer properties - including the semi-detached and detached homes in Croy built in the 2010s and 2020s - our surveyors more often find issues related to drainage, ground movement around new foundations, or minor defects in finishes. The key principle is the same: knowing about these issues before you complete your purchase puts you in a much stronger position than discovering them after the keys have changed hands.