RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Horsham

A RICS Level 3 Survey is the most detailed RICS report we offer for an older house in Horsham, West Sussex. We carry out the most detailed visual inspection of all accessible parts, then comment on construction, materials and defects that matter now and later. In a house near Market Square, that can mean checking whether a bowed wall is cosmetic, weather-related, or part of something more serious.

Our reports explain what is wrong, why it matters, how urgent it is, and what repairs should come next. They also set out the consequences of leaving a defect alone, which is useful if you are weighing a tired roof in The Causeway against a dry-looking one on a newer estate in RH12 4SE. That detail helps you plan cash for maintenance rather than discovering the hard way that a slipped tile, rotted fascia board or failing gutter has already sent water into the fabric.

We do not open up the structure, lift carpets, cut into finishes or carry out destructive investigation. Drainage CCTV, electrical testing, gas checks and specialist damp surveys sit outside the standard inspection, so they come in later if the report flags movement, moisture or ageing services. On Horsham's Weald Clay, that separation matters because a visible crack can need a structural engineer, while a damp patch near a bay window may need a drainage or roof follow-up instead.

• Loft space
• Roof coverings and flashings
• External walls and openings
• Accessible floors, sub-floor areas and visible services

Horsham's housing stock leans on red brick, tile hanging and, in older pockets, timber-frame and rendered finishes. In the town-centre conservation area, around The Causeway and Market Square, a Level 3 often has to sort ordinary wear from age-related movement, especially where a solid-wall or early cavity property has been patched over with paint. Damp can come from failed pointing, leaky rainwater goods or bridging around windows, and older internal finishes can hide what is happening beneath.

The ground matters as much as the masonry. Horsham sits on Weald Clay, which swells and shrinks, so subsidence and heave are real issues where foundations are shallow or large trees sit close to the house. Surface water flooding and drainage pressure also matter, because the River Arun, the River Adur and Boldings Brook can all influence nearby water behaviour after heavy rain. There is no significant deep mining history in the immediate Horsham area, so coal-related subsidence is not the usual concern.

A lot of the town's housing came through the 1950s-1970s expansion and again from the 1980s onwards, and those periods bring their own defects. In the post-war estates, wall ties, insulation, flat roofs and earlier concrete details can be tired; in newer homes, poor ventilation can feed condensation and black mould behind furniture. home.co.uk's active schemes at Highwood Green, Broadacres, The Maples and Orchard Gate in RH12 4SE show modern development is still happening, but new brickwork does not remove the need to check workmanship, drainage and roof detailing.

• Subsidence and heave
• Rising or penetrating damp
• Timber decay and woodworm
• Roof, flashing and gutter defects