How our surveys compare with a RICS survey

Most people assume a RICS Level 3 survey is the best survey money can buy. For a modern house it may be all you need. An old, listed or timber-framed building is different: it is built from different materials, it handles moisture differently, and its history and legal status matter. That is where our surveys go much further.

Side by side

Our pre-purchase surveys start from the same point as a RICS Level 3 survey. The difference is depth, hands-on experience of old buildings, and a proper understanding of moisture – the single biggest cause of damage to an old building.

	A typical RICS survey of an old building	A Heritage House survey
Who carries it out	A chartered surveyor, often a generalist with little hands-on experience of traditional construction.	Historic building surveyors who repair, take apart and rebuild old buildings themselves.
Time on site	Often a few hours. The report is usually completed the same day.	A full day on site, then one to three days analysing and writing up.
The report	Largely standard wording, with many caveats: “we could not lift this, we could not reach that”. Meaningless photos too small to see properly.	Written for your building, often 50 to 60 pages or more, with up to 200 photographs. No cut and paste.
Measuring moisture	Usually a hand-held “damp meter”, which gives misleading readings in old walls.	Thermal imaging, thermo-hygrometers and carbide testing. Pete co-wrote the RICS moisture investigation methodology (JPS).
Damp and timber	Often recommends a separate timber & damp report, usually from a company that sells treatments.	We find the real cause ourselves. We do not sell damp-proofing or chemical treatments.
Listed buildings	Checking the listing and past consents is usually left to your solicitor, who cannot see the building.	We research the listing, planning history and consents, and flag unauthorised works you would inherit.
Traditional materials	Limited training in lime, timber framing and how old walls handle moisture.	Our everyday work: lime mortars and plasters, oak framing, sympathetic repair.
Repair costs	Rarely given.	An indication of what repairs will cost, based on years of doing them.
Equipment	Often little more than a damp meter, ladder and torch. Meaningless damp readings trigger a ‘Timber and Damp’ report from someone else.	Around £10,000 of kit: thermal imaging camera, thermo-hygrometer, pole camera, drone. And the skills to use it properly.
After the survey	Usually ends with the report.	We hold your hand as you move into your new home. Can help with specifications, Advice on materials, trusted craftsmen and, if it comes to it, expert witness support.
Surveyor skills	Generic RICS membership. Invariably zero Conservation skills. Never have skill in understanding and diagnosing moisture and dampness in buildings.	Our team are all Conservation trained and accredited with demonstrated history of working with old buildings. Highly trained in science of water and diagnosing damp issues.

Why it matters

A lot of our work is expert witness work for buyers whose low-cost RICS survey missed serious problems with an old building. In one recent case, a timber-framed manor house worth around a million pounds was surveyed by a RICS conservation-accredited surveyor who missed structural problems with the frame – problems were visible from the road. The owner is now claiming nearly £400,000 from the surveyor.

Here is a very typical example of the problems faced by buyers and sellers:  A modest terraced property near London, part brick and part stone has been sold for around £300,000.  The RICS valuation surveyor demanded a ‘PCA timber and Damp survey’. Rising damp was inevitably diagnosed by a PCA contractor on behalf of the buyer, and a quote for £7,000 for damp proofing was handed to the vendor of the property. The buyers told the vendor they wanted a price reduction. The vendor was certain that his property had no damp problems and needed assistance to demonstrate that there were no issues. On visiting the property, damp meter pinpricks were found and carbide samples were taken at these exact locations which showed the property was dry and needed no damp proofing. The purchasers were given a copy of the report that conclusively eliminated any problems. The damp contractor had used a resistance meter to claim that the property was damp, and gain £7,000 worth of fraudulently misdiagnosed work. The sale completed without price reduction.

A survey quoted at around £900 cannot cover a day on site and several days of analysis. We are not the cheapest, but on what is probably the largest purchase you will ever make, the difference in fee is small next to the cost of a missed defect. See what our fees cover →

Questions to ask any surveyor

Whoever you choose, ask these before you book. The answers will tell you a lot.

• How will you measure and report moisture in the building?
• Have you ever restored or rebuilt an old building yourself?
• Do you understand timber framing, lime mortar and breathability?
• Will you check the listing and planning history, or leave that to my solicitor?
• How long will you spend on site, and how long writing the report?

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