Targeted condition surveys for Glasgow's sandstone tenements, period flats, and residential properties
Glasgow has around 77,000 pre-1919 homes, most of them sandstone tenement flats built with solid walls and lime mortar. These properties develop specific issues as they age — penetrating damp through weathered stone, rusting iron fixings embedded in masonry, and dry rot in timber floors and joists. A RICS Level 2 Survey gives you a clear, traffic-light-rated assessment of the property's condition before you commit to buying. With Glasgow's average house price at £192,000 and rising 5.8% year-on-year, the cost of a Level 2 survey is a small fraction of what you stand to lose if defects go undetected.
£192,000
Average House Price
77,000
Homes Built Pre-1919
Mostly sandstone tenements
From £335
Level 2 Survey Cost
Glasgow pricing
1,800+
Listed Buildings
Across 26 conservation areas
Glasgow's housing stock is dominated by tenement flats — 73% of the city's dwellings are flats, far above the Scottish average of 38%. Most were built between 1850 and 1914 using blonde sandstone from local quarries in Bishopbriggs and Giffnock, or red sandstone shipped by rail from Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire after 1890. These solid-walled buildings have no cavity insulation, making them prone to heat loss and condensation. The lime mortar joints degrade over time, allowing rainwater to penetrate. Cast iron fixings embedded in the stonework rust and expand, cracking the masonry around them. This survey identifies these visible defects and rates their severity so you know exactly what you are taking on.
The RICS Level 2 Survey uses a condition rating system: Rating 3 flags serious defects needing urgent attention, Rating 2 marks issues requiring repair but not immediately critical, and Rating 1 indicates no current concerns. For a typical Glasgow tenement flat, the surveyor will visually inspect the interior and exterior — walls, ceilings, roof (where accessible), windows, doors, and services including gas, electric, water, and drainage. The report also covers legal matters such as shared ownership obligations for common areas, which are particularly relevant in Glasgow tenements where maintenance of closes, roofs, and external walls is a shared responsibility among flat owners.
Scotland operates a Home Report system where sellers must provide a survey pack before marketing a property. This includes a Single Survey (broadly equivalent to a Level 2 assessment), an Energy Report, and a Property Questionnaire. However, that survey is commissioned and paid for by the seller, not the buyer. Many Glasgow buyers choose to arrange their own independent Level 2 survey for additional assurance — particularly when the seller's Home Report is several months old, or when the property has visible signs of damp, stone decay, or timber issues that warrant a fresh, impartial assessment.
Source: Scotland's Census 2022 and Glasgow City Council housing data.
Glasgow has nearly 25,000 buildings with stone facades, most dating back over 100 years. Experts estimate that 389,000 tonnes of replacement stone is needed across the city to address ongoing deterioration. Previous repairs using cement mortar — known as "plastic repairs" — have accelerated the damage by trapping moisture inside the stone, causing it to crack and flake during freeze-thaw cycles. Your survey report will identify the extent of stone decay on the property you are buying and flag whether specialist stone conservation work is likely to be needed.
| Survey Type | Glasgow | National Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICS Level 2 | From £335 | From £395 | -£60 |
| RICS Level 3 | From £525 | From £619 | -£94 |
| Valuation Only | From £200 | From £250 | -£50 |
RICS Level 2
Glasgow
From £335
National Avg
From £395
Difference
-£60
RICS Level 3
Glasgow
From £525
National Avg
From £619
Difference
-£94
Valuation Only
Glasgow
From £200
National Avg
From £250
Difference
-£50
Prices based on average 3-bed property. Glasgow prices reflect Scottish market pricing, which tends to be lower than the national average.
The RICS surveyors we work with in Glasgow have hands-on experience with the city's dominant property types — from blonde sandstone tenements in the West End to red sandstone flats in the Southside, and post-war housing across the north and east of the city. They understand Glasgow-specific construction methods, know what condition issues to expect at each age of building, and can interpret the shared maintenance obligations that come with tenement ownership. Locally based surveyors can typically inspect your property within days of booking.
Enter the property details — address, type, approximate age, and number of bedrooms. You'll receive a price straight away. If the property is suitable for a Level 2 survey, you can book and pay online. We contact the seller or their agent within 24 hours to arrange access to the property.
A local RICS surveyor visits the property and carries out a visual inspection. For a standard Glasgow tenement flat, the visit typically takes 2-3 hours. Semi-detached and detached houses in areas like Bearsden, Newton Mearns, or Pollokshields may take 3-4 hours depending on size. The surveyor also inspects accessible communal areas in flatted buildings.
The completed Level 2 report arrives within 2-6 working days. It uses the traffic-light condition rating system to clearly highlight defects and their severity. Our bookings team can talk you through the findings and help arrange follow-up specialist inspections — such as a damp survey or timber report — if the surveyor flags any concerns.
Glasgow sits within the historic Lanarkshire coalfield. At least 30 mines were operating in or around the city in 1914, and several residential areas — including parts of Drumchapel, Knightswood, and the east end — are built over former workings. In 2011, four houses on Crusader Avenue in North Knightswood were lost when a former pit shaft collapsed. A coal mining search from the Coal Authority costs around £40 and reveals whether the property sits above recorded mine workings. Your surveyor can advise whether one is recommended based on the property location.
Glasgow's residential architecture tells the story of the city's industrial rise. The tenement — a three-to-five storey flatted building with a shared stairwell — became the defining housing form during the Victorian era, when Glasgow was the "Second City of the Empire" and its population surged past one million. Before 1890, builders used blonde sandstone quarried locally in Bishopbriggs and Giffnock. Once the railway network connected Glasgow to quarries in Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire, red sandstone became the material of choice — harder wearing and less prone to impurities than its blonde counterpart. Today, these two colours divide Glasgow's neighbourhoods: the honey-toned West End and the warm red of the Southside each carry different construction characteristics and different patterns of wear.
This matters for your survey. Blonde sandstone tends to weather faster, with surface erosion and salt crystallisation being common in exposed areas. Red sandstone is more durable but can still suffer from frost damage and biological growth in Glasgow's wet climate. Both types were originally pointed with lime mortar, which allows the stone to breathe. Many tenements had their mortar replaced with hard cement during 20th-century repairs — a well-intentioned fix that actually accelerates stone decay by trapping moisture. A Level 2 survey picks up these visible issues and rates them, giving you a practical understanding of the building's current condition and what maintenance may lie ahead.
Explore our full range of property services available in Glasgow
From £525
A more detailed structural survey for Glasgow's older or non-standard properties, including pre-1919 tenements needing in-depth assessment.
From £450
Thorough building inspection covering all accessible elements — suitable for Glasgow properties with extensions or significant alterations.
From £60
Energy Performance Certificate for Glasgow properties — required for sales and lettings across Scotland.
From £250
RICS valuation for Help-to-Buy equity loan repayment or remortgaging in Glasgow.
Glasgow's average house price stands at £192,000 — a figure that has climbed 5.8% in the past year alone. Starting from £335, the survey represents less than 0.2% of that purchase price. Set against the cost of common Glasgow property repairs, the survey quickly pays for itself. Replacing a failed sandstone lintel on a tenement bay window typically costs £3,000-£5,000. Treating dry rot in a ground-floor flat — one of the most frequent defects in Glasgow's older housing stock — runs between £2,000 and £8,000 depending on severity. Shared roof overhauls on tenement buildings can cost each flat owner £5,000-£15,000 as their portion of the communal works.
Without a survey, these costs arrive as unwelcome surprises after you have already completed the purchase. The Level 2 report gives you the information to negotiate a lower price, request repairs before completion, or walk away from a property with problems you are not prepared to take on. In Glasgow's tenement market, where shared repair obligations mean your costs can be influenced by the condition of the whole building rather than just your flat, this information is particularly valuable.
Expect to pay from around £335 for a standard 2-bed Glasgow flat. Prices increase with property size and value — budget £400-£600 for larger properties or those valued above £250,000. Glasgow pricing sits below the national average of £395 due to lower property values compared to southern England. The exact cost depends on the number of bedrooms, property type, and the property's age and condition.
In Scotland, sellers must provide a Home Report before marketing, which includes a Single Survey broadly equivalent to a Level 2 assessment. However, that report is paid for by the seller and may be several months old by the time you make an offer. Many Glasgow buyers commission their own independent survey for additional reassurance — particularly when the Home Report was completed more than three months ago, when the property shows visible damp or stone decay, or when you simply want a surveyor working solely in your interest rather than the seller's.
For a typical Glasgow tenement flat, the on-site inspection takes around 2-3 hours. Semi-detached and detached houses in the suburbs — Bearsden, Milngavie, Newton Mearns — may take 3-4 hours depending on size. The surveyor also inspects accessible shared areas such as the close, roof space, and back court in tenement properties. The written report is delivered within 2-6 working days of the inspection.
Rising and penetrating damp are among the most common defects flagged in Glasgow Level 2 surveys. Penetrating damp is particularly prevalent in sandstone tenements — the solid walls have no cavity, so driven rain on the west-facing elevations can soak through. Many older properties lack an effective damp-proof course, and previous cement pointing can trap moisture inside the stone. Visible damp indicators — water staining, mould, efflorescence (salt deposits), and peeling plaster — are all documented in the report, with recommendations for specialist investigation where needed.
Yes. The surveyor will inspect accessible communal areas including the close (shared entrance), stairwell, and roof space where access is available. This is particularly important in Glasgow tenements because repair and maintenance costs for communal elements — the roof, external walls, close, and drainage — are shared among all flat owners under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004. Your survey report will note the condition of these shared elements and flag any significant communal repairs that may result in costs being apportioned to you as an owner.
For most pre-1919 Glasgow tenements in reasonable condition, a Level 2 survey provides sufficient detail. It covers all visible defects and rates them by severity using the traffic-light system. If the property shows signs of more serious structural concerns — significant cracking, notable movement, or extensive damp and timber decay — your surveyor may recommend upgrading to a Level 3 survey, which allows for more invasive investigation. Around 77,000 Glasgow homes date from before 1919, and a Level 2 is the standard starting point for assessing them.
The Level 2 survey includes a visual assessment for signs of structural movement, including subsidence. Glasgow sits within the historic Lanarkshire coalfield, and several residential areas are built over former mine workings. During the inspection, crack patterns, floor levels, and any signs of ground movement are all assessed. If subsidence is suspected, the report will recommend further investigation — typically a structural engineer's assessment and a coal mining search from the Coal Authority, which costs around £40 and reveals whether recorded mine workings exist beneath the property.
A Level 2 survey is a visual inspection that assesses the condition of accessible building elements and uses a traffic-light rating to highlight defects. It suits standard properties in reasonable condition. A Level 3 survey goes much further — the surveyor opens up areas where possible, lifts floorboards, examines behind service installations, and provides a detailed structural narrative of the building. For older Glasgow properties with complex construction, extensive alterations, or visible signs of serious defects, the Level 3 gives you a more complete picture. Your surveyor can advise which level is right for the property you are buying.
Most surveyors take 1–2 days to quote.
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