INDEPENDENT ARTICLES, CLEAR INSIGHTS, STRAIGHTFORWARD ADVICE FOR INFORMED PROPERTY DECISIONS.
Our Guide To Schedule of Condition Reports
A Schedule of Condition report is one of the most effective, low-friction ways to protect property owners when building activity is taking place nearby. Its strength is simple: it provides an objective, time-stamped record of a property’s visible condition, creating a...
Making sure your Level 3 Survey fully informs your decision
A Level 3 Survey (Building Survey) is designed to give you the most comprehensive, practical understanding of a property before you commit to purchase. But the truth is: the value you get from it depends heavily on preparation, access, and how you use the report...
Licence for Alterations for hard floor coverings
Hard floor coverings (engineered timber, laminate, LVT, tile, stone) are one of the most common reasons leaseholders need a Licence for Alterations — and also one of the most common triggers for noise complaints in blocks of flats. That’s because changing from carpet...
Licence for Alterations: a straightforward overview
A Licence for Alterations (sometimes called a licence to alter) is a formal written permission from a freeholder/landlord that allows a leaseholder (or tenant) to carry out certain works that would otherwise breach the lease. It is most commonly needed for leasehold...
Level 3 Surveys are the most comprehensive pre-purchase survey on the market
When you’re buying a property, you’re not just buying square footage—you’re buying the building’s condition, its future maintenance burden, and the risks that come with its age, construction, and history. That’s exactly why many buyers choose a Level 3 Survey (often...
Level 3 Survey vs “Full Building Survey”: same service, modern name
For most home buyers, a “Full Building Survey” and a “Level 3 Survey” are the same thing in practical terms. RICS introduced the Home Survey Levels (1, 2 and 3) to standardise survey descriptions, and Level 3 is the most comprehensive option. RICS also explains that...
Level 3 Survey Damp Checks
Damp is one of the most common concerns raised in home surveys—because it can be expensive to fix, disruptive, and (when misunderstood) easy to treat the wrong way. A Level 3 Survey (Building Survey) includes a thorough, building-led assessment of moisture risk across...
Level 2 and Level 3 Surveys: what happens when the surveyor can’t inspect an area?
It’s very common for a surveyor to be unable to inspect something during a Level 2 or Level 3 Survey—lofts packed with storage, flat roofs with no safe access, drains with sealed covers, locked outbuildings, or rooms full of furniture. When that happens, it doesn’t...
Keeping Licence for Alterations agreements smooth
A Licence for Alterations agreement can be quick and painless — or it can become slow, expensive and frustrating. The difference usually isn’t the works themselves. It’s how well the process is managed, how clearly the risk is addressed, and how professionally...