Homebuyer Reports from local RICS-qualified surveyors
Regulated
Hove has a wide spread of housing, from Brunswick Town stucco to newer apartments near Hove Station, so a Level 2 survey needs local eyes. Our RICS-qualified surveyors inspect conventional homes across BN3, flag visible defects, and send a clear report in around 5 working days. For a flat on Kingsway or a terrace off Church Road, that local context matters.
Brighton and Hove recorded 2,918 home sales in 2023, down from 4,339 the year before, and homedata.co.uk records put the average house price at £404,000 in March 2026. Hove also sits inside a city with 34 conservation areas and 72 Grade II* listed buildings, including named areas such as Brunswick Town, Hove Station, The Avenues, and Willett Estate. Those controls can affect external changes, so a proper survey is worth having before you commit.
£404,000
Average house price
2,918
Homes sold in 2023
-3.3%
12-month price change
34
Conservation areas citywide
72
Grade II* listed buildings
Using listing data from home.co.uk and property data from homedata.co.uk
We inspect the accessible parts of the property and report on what can be seen without any destructive opening up. That includes the roof coverings, external walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, chimneys, loft areas that can be reached, and visible services. On a flat near Hove Library or a period house in Brunswick Square, the surveyor will also look for movement, damp staining, timber decay, and signs that something has been altered badly.
The report uses the RICS condition ratings 1, 2, and 3. Rating 1 means no urgent issue was seen, rating 2 means a defect needs attention or monitoring, and rating 3 means the matter is serious enough to need repair or further investigation. The format is designed to be readable, so you can move straight to the sections that matter most.
A Level 2 survey does not test every service, lift carpets, move furniture, or open up hidden parts of the structure. It is a visual inspection only, so a concealed problem behind fresh plaster in Old Hove may not show on the day. If the property is a listed terrace near Adelaide Crescent, has a heavy extension, or uses unusual construction, a Level 3 report is usually the better fit.
Homemove survey pricing for Hove, 2026.
Homes near Kingsway, the seafront, and the streets behind Hove Station face salt-laden wind. We often keep an eye on weathered render, corroded metalwork, tired pointing, and failed seals where spray and wind push moisture into older façades. A Level 2 survey also helps on 1930s semis and post-war flats where flat roofs, parapets, and balcony details can age faster than owners expect.
Brunswick Town and Cliftonville hold many stucco-fronted and terraced homes, so damp patching, cracked plaster, timber decay, and poor ventilation need a careful look. In conservation areas, patch repairs can hide mismatched brickwork or later cement render, and we flag anything visible that suggests movement or long-running water entry. The sea defence work between the King Alfred Leisure Centre and Second Avenue is a reminder that coastal exposure matters here.
Start with the property value and address. A flat in BN3 near Hove Station will sit in a different price band from a larger house off The Drive, so we price it from the actual home you are buying.
Once you are happy with the quote, you instruct the survey through Homemove. Our platform connects you with a RICS-registered surveyor local to Hove, not a remote call centre.
We contact the estate agent or seller to book the inspection. If the sale is on Kingsway, or in a block close to Hove Library, access is handled around the property’s own arrangements.
The surveyor carries out the visual inspection and records what can be seen on the day. They do not lift floorboards or test hidden services, so visible evidence matters.
You usually receive the report in around 5 working days. It sets out the condition ratings, notes urgent issues, and gives enough detail for your next conversation with your conveyancer or agent.
Start with the condition 3 items, because they point to defects that need quick attention or a specialist opinion. If a home near Brunswick Square or a flat off Kingsway comes back with a condition 3 on damp, roof coverings, or movement, move that section straight to your solicitor and your agent.
Hove’s housing stock changes street by street. Brunswick Town, Cliftonville, and the streets around Adelaide Crescent hold many 19th and early 20th century buildings, while the blocks near Hove Station and Kingsway include later apartments and regeneration sites such as Sackville Trading Estate / Moda, Hove Central. That mix matters, because a Level 2 survey suits a conventional home in fair condition, but a heavily altered stucco house or listed frontage usually needs a Level 3.
Flood risk is another local factor. Brighton and Hove faces surface water, groundwater, and sea flooding, and the coastline from Brighton Marina to the River Adur in Shoreham is defended by beaches, chalk cliffs, sea walls, and timber groynes. The ongoing shingle work between the King Alfred Leisure Centre and Second Avenue shows why we pay attention to lower-lying homes near the seafront, ground-floor flats, and basements.
There is also active new-build work in the area. New Wave has 33 private sale apartments and townhouses, Hove Park has 7 luxury apartments, One Hove Park has 71 apartments, Aurum Hove Seafront has 52 apartments, Argentum on Kingsway has 33 apartments, and Kings House Hove Seafront has 69 apartments. For homes in those schemes, a snagging inspection may suit better than a Homebuyer Report, while older buildings in conservation areas such as The Avenues or Willett Estate may need stricter checks on external alterations.
Condition rating 1 is the calm result. It means no serious defect was seen, though a good surveyor may still note small maintenance items at a flat in Old Hove or a terrace off Church Road. Condition rating 2 points to a defect that needs repair or monitoring, such as worn roof coverings, ageing window frames, or damp that has not yet caused major damage.
Condition rating 3 is the one to treat quickly. It means the defect is serious, needs further investigation, or may need work before exchange or soon after completion, especially in exposed homes near Kingsway or within older blocks around Brunswick Square. Start with those items, then pass the report to your conveyancer and ask for specialist quotes if the issue looks structural, electrical, or tied to water ingress.
It checks the visible parts of the home and reports on the condition using RICS ratings 1, 2, and 3. Our surveyors look at the roof, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, chimneys, and accessible loft areas, plus visible services that can be seen without lifting carpets. On a BN3 flat or a house near Hove Library, that gives you a clear picture of what can be seen without opening the building up.
A Level 2 survey is lighter and suits a conventional home in reasonable condition, often built within the last 100 years. A Level 3 goes deeper, with more detail on construction and defects, so it is better for older homes, listed buildings, heavy extensions, or unusual construction such as a heavily altered property in Brunswick Town or around Adelaide Crescent.
Our Hove pricing starts at £450 for homes under £300,000. Properties priced at £300,000 to £500,000 are £550, £500,000 to £750,000 are £650, £750,000 to £1M are £750, and homes over £1M are £850. Many flats in Hove sit in the lower bands, while larger houses near The Drive or in conservation areas can move into the higher tiers.
We usually deliver the report within 5 working days of the inspection. That is useful if your purchase is moving quickly on a flat near Hove Station or a house closer to Kingsway, because you can review the findings before the next conveyancing step.
In most purchase cases, the buyer pays for the survey. Sellers do not usually fund a Level 2 report for the buyer, and the fee is normally paid once the survey is instructed through Homemove.
Treat it as a priority and read that section first. If the condition 3 item is on damp, movement, roof coverings, or a similar issue, ask your conveyancer about it and get a specialist quote before you commit to exchange, especially if the property is exposed to coastal weather near the seafront.
No. A mortgage valuation is for the lender, so it tells them what the property may be worth for lending purposes, not what you need to repair. A homebuyer report on a flat off Church Road or a house in Brunswick Square is far more useful if you want to know about defects.
It does not involve destructive testing, lifting floorboards, moving furniture, or testing every service. Hidden problems behind plaster, under floors, or inside closed-up voids may stay unseen on the day, which is why some older or heavily altered homes in Hove are better matched to a Level 3 survey.
They can. If the report picks up roof repairs, damp work, or window replacement on a home in Hove, you and your conveyancer can use that evidence in later negotiations. The stronger the defect and the clearer the report, the easier it is to raise the issue with the seller or agent.
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Homebuyer Reports from local RICS-qualified surveyors
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Homemove is a trading name of HM Haus Group Ltd (Company No. 13873779, registered in England & Wales). Homemove Mortgages Ltd (Company No. 15947693) is an Appointed Representative of TMG Direct Limited, trading as TMG Mortgage Network, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 786245). Homemove Mortgages Ltd is entered on the FCA Register as an Appointed Representative (FRN 1022429). You can check registrations at NewRegister or by calling 0800 111 6768.
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