§ Building Survey
Comprehensive reports, with added detail on defects and property characteristics
My Home Buyers Building Survey Report is the more comprehensive and explanatory of the two RPSA reports — built for unusual, older, historic, extended or poorly maintained homes.
§ Brief
A short orientation — what the report covers, how it reads, and what it's for.
My Building Survey goes further than a standard Home Buyers Condition Report. I explain construction, identify defects and their causes, and give detailed advice on repairs — with options, likely sequencing and where I think specialist follow-up is worth it.
Expect added notes on compliance with statutory regulations and poor building practice. Along with a more detailed explanation of defects and risks than you'd get from my Condition Report.
§ Why choose it
A Building Survey is more suitable for older houses.
§ Method
A careful, methodical pass through the house.
Comprehensive external
Roof structure and coverings, chimneys, flashings, gutters, external walls, pointing, render, windows, doors, extensions and outbuildings.
Thorough internal
Ceilings, walls, floors, staircases, internal joinery and built-in fittings — checked for movement, dampness and defects.
Roof space
Where safely accessible: structure, timbers, insulation, ventilation, tanks, and evidence of past or present ingress.
Below ground
Accessible cellars and basements, foundations where visible, and any evidence of structural, damp or ventilation issues.
Services
Visual assessment of electrical, heating, plumbing and drainage. Specialist follow-up flagged where useful.
Technical analysis
A technical but readable report explaining construction, materials, the significance of defects and advice on repairs.
§ Report
What arrives in the document.
Detailed analysis
- ◆Construction methods and materials
- ◆Condition rated element-by-element
- ◆Defects explained, not just listed
- ◆Context and significance
Comprehensive record
- ◆50–100 context photographs
- ◆RPSA Skyline Templates
- ◆Traffic-light condition ratings
- ◆Plain-English summary
Repair guidance
- ◆Options with priorities
- ◆Indicative sequencing
- ◆Specialist follow-up flags
- ◆Pragmatic, not alarmist
§ Further investigation
Flagged where it matters, not by default.
I may recommend follow-up by specialist contractors or trades — for extensive dampness, structural cracking, elevated health & safety risks, or a lack of safety documents — where their advice is essential.
§ Plates
From recent files.
A handful of recent properties — composition and crop only, no identifying detail.
Pl. 01 — Historic pink cottage
Pl. 02 — Stone cottage
Pl. 03 — Country house
Pl. 04 — Green winter cottage
Get in touch
Ready to commission a Residential Survey or EPC
Send the address and the type of report you're after. A fixed fee and likely inspection window follow the same working day.