RICS Level 2 Survey in Wells

Our surveyors carry out a visual inspection of the parts of the property that can be seen and reached safely. That means roof coverings, chimneys, external walls, ceilings, floors, windows, rainwater goods, and visible services, plus the loft if there is safe access. Each element is graded from 1 to 3, so you can see what is fine, what needs attention soon, and what needs urgent action.

In Wells, that approach suits a standard modern house on The Elms or a straightforward terrace off Milton Lane, where the main questions tend to be condition rather than complexity. It is less suitable for a listed building near Vicars Close or a heavily altered home close to the Bishop's Palace, because those properties often need deeper diagnosis, more context, and more repair commentary than a Level 2 report is designed to give.

The report is not a destructive inspection. We do not lift carpets, cut into walls, move heavy furniture, or test electrics, gas, heating, or plumbing. If a buyer on the Wookey Hole Road side of town wants a more forensic read on old masonry, patchy extensions, or long-term movement, we usually point them towards a Level 3 Building Survey instead.

• No lifting carpets
• No opening up hidden voids
• No testing services
• No drilling or breaking finishes

Wells has a compact centre, so the housing stock changes quickly from one street to the next. Around Wells Cathedral, Bishop's Palace, Vicars Close, and the Market Place, the listed building concentration is high, while The Elms, Milton Lane, Charter Way, and Wookey Hole Road bring in much newer homes. That split matters when you choose a survey, because a conventional post-war house can suit Level 2, but a listed property by the cathedral precinct usually needs a Building Survey.

homedata.co.uk records show house prices in BA5 1 rose by 1.2% in the last year, or -1.9% after inflation. home.co.uk shows asking prices have changed by -2.4% over the past 6 months, with the current average listing price at £498,485, up by 6.34% since six months ago. That gap between sold prices and asking prices is one reason buyers ask us to inspect before they commit, especially on homes near the A39 or the A371 Portway.

The ground beneath Wells is not uniform. The city sits on younger Triassic strata and gravel deposits, with Mercia Mudstone and Dolomitic Conglomerate around it, while Carboniferous Limestone rises at Tor Hill and around Stoberry Park. That geology can show up in movement, drainage, and patchy cracking, especially where a later extension meets an older wall or where landscaping has altered how water drains away from the building.

Wells is inland, so coastal erosion is not the issue. Water management still is. The River Axe appears in planning for land west and north-west of the town, and several new developments have attenuation ponds or drainage design built in, which tells you how much attention local sites give to runoff. If a home near the Cathedral quarter, Wookey Hole Road, or the B3139 has damp smells, ponding, or repeated patch repairs, a Level 2 survey will flag it, though a more complex case may still need Level 3.

Listed buildings need special care. A property beside the Bishop's Eye, a cottage near the Church of St Cuthbert, or a medieval front in the centre can have repairs that look neat but hide older movement or poor cement pointing. We often tell buyers that the age and status of the building matter as much as the postcode, because the wrong survey on the wrong house is an expensive mistake.