RICS Level 2 Survey Redcar and Cleveland

Our RICS-qualified surveyors carry out a visual inspection of the accessible parts of the building, then set out the findings using the familiar Condition 1, 2 and 3 ratings. We look at the roof, chimneys, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, rainwater goods, visible services and the outside areas that can be seen without opening the structure up. In a borough with homes spread from the Redcar seafront to Guisborough, Saltburn-by-the-Sea and Loftus, that matters because the same report has to make sense of a coastal terrace, a post-war semi in Eston and a newer home at Beaconfield Rise.

A Level 2 is a visual report, not a destructive investigation. We do not lift carpets, move furniture, open up walls, test electrics, test the boiler, or run water through drainage systems. That is why the report works best for homes in reasonable condition, usually built within the last 100 years and of conventional construction. If a buyer is looking at a property with obvious movement, major damp, heavy extensions or unusual building methods, a more detailed Level 3 survey is normally the better match.

The difference between the two survey levels is about depth and context. A Level 2 tells you what is visibly wrong and how serious it appears to be, while a Level 3 explains the likely cause, the likely repair path and the risks that come with delay. If you are buying a listed building near Coatham Road, a house in one of the borough's 17 Conservation Areas, or a property that has been extended more than once, the extra detail from a Level 3 is usually worth the higher fee.

• roofs and chimneys
• external walls and pointing
• ceilings, floors and internal joinery
• visible services and drainage components
• damp, movement and timber defects

Redcar and Cleveland is not one housing type in one street. The borough stretches from the seafront at Redcar to Marske-by-the-Sea, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Loftus, Brotton and Guisborough, with a mix of conventional semis, terraces, flats and newer energy-efficient homes such as Beaconfield Rise in Marske-by-the-Sea. homedata.co.uk records show the average price paid by first-time buyers was £139,000 and the average for homes bought with a mortgage was £161,000 in March 2026. The borough also saw 1,609 sales in the last 12 months sample, so our surveyors read a lot of different house types here.

Flood risk is a real local factor. Redcar and Cleveland faces long-term risk from rivers, the sea, surface water and groundwater, and the council's SFRA identifies drainage problems in Redcar, Eston and Guisborough. Coastal areas have a sharper exposure to high tides and bad weather, while flash rainfall can overwhelm drains and leave water sitting around paths, walls and low thresholds. The Environment Agency issues flood alerts for rivers and sea risk, and a Level 2 survey can flag signs of past water ingress, but it will not replace a specialist drainage or flood assessment where the history is more serious.

Local earnings also shape what buyers can borrow and what they can justify spending on repairs. Median full-time earnings in Redcar and Cleveland were £25,000 in 2018, compared with £29,869 in England, and the house price to earnings ratio was 5.3 against 8.0 nationally. That gives buyers less room to absorb unexpected repair bills, especially on homes close to the coast or in streets with older stock. The borough's economic picture is mixed, with Teesworks still the largest industrial site in the UK and the Redcar Town Deal bringing £25 million into local projects, so a survey can be the difference between buying with confidence and buying into a hidden repair bill.