RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Felixstowe

A Level 3 survey gives the deepest non-invasive inspection in the RICS Home Survey Standard. Our surveyors examine all accessible parts of the building, so a buyer can see how the structure, materials and finishes are behaving rather than just reading a short summary. That matters in Felixstowe, where a weatherboard front close to the sea, a red brick terrace in town and a later extension on a Walton plot can all age in different ways.

We look at the roof coverings, chimneys, walls, floors, ceilings, joinery, loft space and sub-floor areas where they can be reached safely. We also comment on condition, defects, maintenance needs and the repairs that may follow. A slipped clay tile on a coastal house near the Pier can lead to water entry, timber decay and expensive follow-on damage if it is left in place.

The report does not involve destructive investigation. We do not lift floorboards, open walls, remove fitted finishes, drill into the fabric or carry out drainage CCTV and service testing. Those checks sit outside a Level 3 survey and may be recommended separately if the property in IP11 shows signs of movement, damp, poor drainage or ageing electrics.

• Roof coverings, chimneys and rainwater goods
• Loft spaces and visible roof timbers
• Floors, walls, ceilings and joinery
• Accessible sub-floor voids and external openings

Felixstowe's building stock reflects its seaside growth, with late Victorian and Edwardian homes sitting alongside post-war places and newer schemes. Red brick and clay roof tiles are common, and painted weatherboard appears more often closer to the seafront. Traditional sliding timber sash windows also turn up frequently, which is one reason our surveyors spend time checking paint failure, draughts, rot at the sill ends and past repair work around the openings.

The local coastline changes how defects show up. Felixstowe Pier dates from 1905, and the Suffolk coast from the Pier to the Port, including Landguard Point, is a Flood Warning Area. There are significant flood defences, but a Level 3 survey still needs to look closely at ground floors, air bricks, low-level joinery and any signs that salt-laden air has shortened the life of timber, mortar or metal fixings.

Ground conditions are mixed across the peninsula. Crag, glacial sand and gravel dominate much of Felixstowe, which usually means lower shrink-swell pressure than heavy clay districts, although pockets of chalky till clays to the north can still move with moisture change. The result is a pattern of cracks around bay windows, extension junctions and garden walls, especially where an Edwardian front sits beneath a later rear addition.

• Victorian damp in solid walls and cellars
• Edwardian bay movement and cracked lintels
• Clay tile wear, slipped ridges and failing mortar
• Weatherboard decay, peeling paint and rotten sill ends