Tel:  0788-400-1170

email:   palmerssurveyors@yahoo.co.uk

Geoff Palmer BSc MRICS DIPArb.

Choosing a survey that’s right for you

level three survey

• The “Full building survey”
• For older or more complex building
• 100 + photographs
• Drone often used depending on site/ flight paths etc.
• Defects analysis in some cases
• Longer time spent at the property & a more detailed report

Terms of Engagement

Choosing your survey

A comparison of our Level 2 and Level 3 services. Please discuss any particular concerns or

requirements with us before the inspection.

Level 2

Generally suitable for conventional properties of standard construction that appear to be in

reasonable condition.

Level 3

A more detailed survey, generally suitable for older, larger, significantly altered, unusual or poorly

maintained properties.

Scope of service

The agreed survey level is confirmed in the instruction. Both services remain subject to the Terms of Engagement

that follow. Services are not tested or operated, and repair-cost estimates are not provided. The comparison does

not guarantee access to concealed or inaccessible areas.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement 1Terms of Engagement

I agree to the following Terms of Engagement with Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd.

General

• The contract is with Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd only.

• Surveys are normally undertaken personally by Geoff Palmer BSc DipArb MRICS MISVA.

• The surveyor acts on behalf of Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd. The report, opinions and recommendations

are those of Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd, and the individual surveyor accepts no personal financial

responsibility or liability arising from the instruction or report. Nothing in these Terms excludes or

restricts liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

• The service provided will be either a RICS Home Survey Level 2 or Level 3, as agreed with the Client

and confirmed in the instruction. The scope and extent of the inspection and report will reflect the

level of service selected and will be undertaken in accordance with the applicable RICS Home

Survey Standard.

• Professional standards and guidance assist the Surveyor in exercising professional judgement and

are not intended to operate as rigid checklists. Their application will depend upon the particular

property, circumstances of the inspection and the Surveyor’s professional judgement.

Purpose of the Report

• The report provides an independent professional opinion regarding the visible condition of the

property.

• The report assists the Client in making an informed purchasing decision.

• The report assumes occupation as a normal private residential dwelling.

• The report is not a guarantee, warranty or certificate of compliance.

• All residential properties contain defects, maintenance liabilities and risks.

• The report should not be interpreted as an exhaustive schedule of every defect.

• The service is a general opinion and does not comment on all matters.

Report Format

The report may include commentary under the following headings:

Introduction; colour-coded summary; location and environment; property details; risks; structural

movement; timber defects; dampness; condensation; damp proof course; health and safety;

asbestos.

Exterior: roof structure and covering; chimneys and flues; rainwater fittings; main walls; external

joinery; external decorations.

Interior: insulation; ceilings; internal walls; internal joinery; internal decorations.

Services: electricity; gas/oil; water/plumbing; sanitary fittings; drainage.

The site: garage and outbuildings; grounds and boundaries; hardstandings.

Date of Inspection

• The report relates solely to the condition observed on the date of inspection.

• The Surveyor accepts no responsibility for subsequent deterioration or changes.

• If exchange of contracts is significantly delayed, updated professional advice should be considered.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement 2Access and Information

• The Surveyor may rely upon information supplied by owners, occupiers, estate agents, managing

agents, legal advisers and other third parties.

• The Surveyor accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies in information supplied by others.

• Inspection may be curtailed where access is unsafe, impractical or unavailable.

Incomplete Access, Aborted Visits and Reattendance

• Areas such as garages, lofts, cellars, locked rooms and outbuildings may occasionally be

inaccessible.

• The Surveyor is under no obligation to return to inspect inaccessible areas.

• Any return visit, supplementary inspection or additional report is entirely at the Surveyor’s

discretion.

Health and Safety

• The Surveyor will not enter areas where, in their opinion, there is a risk to health or safety and

having regard to the RICS Surveying Safely guidance notes.

• Inspection may be abandoned or restricted where safe access cannot be achieved.

Nature of Inspection

The inspection is visual and non-invasive. The Surveyor does not normally:

• lift carpets, rugs or floor coverings;

• move furniture or any household contents;

• remove insulation;

• remove wall coverings;

• remove secured or screwed drainage covers, panels or hatches;

• dismantle building elements;

• undertake destructive investigations; or

• open up concealed parts of the structure.

• The Surveyor may, entirely at their discretion, move lightweight items or lift a small corner of an

accessible floor covering. The Surveyor is under no obligation to do so.

• Concealed defects may exist and cannot always be identified during a visual inspection.

Roofs, High-Level Areas and Remote Imagery

• Roofs and high-level areas are inspected from accessible positions.

• Binoculars, ladders, camera poles and other remotely operated photographic equipment may be

used where considered appropriate, safe and reasonably practicable.

• A drone may be used as a supplementary inspection aid where it is considered appropriate (for a

Level 3 survey only), entirely at the Surveyor’s discretion. Drone inspection does not form a

guaranteed part of the service.

• Thermal imaging equipment is not used as a supplementary diagnostic aid to the visual inspection.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement 3Services

The Surveyor does not test, operate, certify or warrant:

• electrical installations;

• gas installations (gas is not turned on);

• plumbing systems;

• heating systems;

• drainage systems;

• ventilation systems; or

• renewable energy systems.

• Comments are based solely upon visible evidence.

• No representation is made regarding safety, compliance, efficiency or remaining life expectancy.

• Specialist investigations may be recommended.

Building Services and Life Expectancy

• Building services naturally deteriorate with age and use.

• Systems may continue to function beyond their anticipated life expectancy or may fail

unexpectedly.

• References to age or condition should not be interpreted as guarantees of future performance.

Dampness, Timber and Condensation

• Moisture meter readings are indicative only.

• The Surveyor is not acting as a specialist damp or timber consultant.

• Further investigations may be recommended where appropriate.

Grounds, Boundaries and Extensive Land

• The grounds and accessible boundaries are inspected visually as part of the normal survey.

• Where the property includes extensive gardens, grounds, woodland, paddocks or acreage, it is not

practicable to inspect the whole site in detail. Inspection will normally be restricted to the principal

amenity areas surrounding the dwelling, permanent outbuildings and main access routes.

• Outlying land, woodland, agricultural areas, boundaries and fencing may be viewed from

reasonably accessible vantage points but will not normally be walked or inspected in detail.

• Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd cannot confirm the condition of every part of extensive grounds or identify

defects or other matters that are concealed or outside the areas reasonably inspected.

Invasive Plants

• The grounds are visually inspected, but the service does not include a specialist survey for

Japanese knotweed or other invasive plants, or a plant-by-plant inspection.

• Identification may be restricted by the size of the grounds, dense vegetation, hedges and other

obstructions, and by seasonal or weather conditions. Plants may have been cut back, treated,

removed or otherwise concealed, and rhizomes or other invasive growth may be present below

ground without visible evidence.

• Where evidence giving reasonable cause for concern is identified, it will be reported and specialist

investigation may be recommended.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement 4Repair Costs

• The Surveyor does not provide estimates of repair costs, detailed specifications of works, bills of

quantities or costed schedules of repairs. Reliable cost advice cannot be provided without a

detailed specification and an appropriate contractor or cost consultant’s assessment.

Legal Matters

The Surveyor does not provide legal advice. Matters remaining the responsibility of the Client’s legal

adviser include:

• Ownership and title; boundaries; rights of way and easements; restrictive covenants; planning

permissions; building regulation approvals; guarantees and warranties; lease matters.

Excluded Matters

Unless specifically agreed, the service excludes:

• A market valuation.

• An insurance reinstatement assessment.

• The Surveyor reports on materials suspected of containing asbestos where they are reasonably

apparent during the inspection but does not undertake an asbestos survey. Asbestos-containing

materials may be present in areas or materials not visible, accessible or identified within this

report. If there is any concern, particularly before alteration, refurbishment or demolition, specialist

advice and appropriate asbestos testing should be obtained.

• environmental reports.

• contaminated land investigation.

• planning investigations;

• structural calculations;

• specialist engineering reports;

• fire risk assessments; and

• FRAEW assessments.

Condition Ratings

• Condition rating: RED indicates the presence of serious defects that necessitate immediate

investigations or repairs. Additionally, certain items have been identified as potentially requiring

significant expenditure. It is imperative that you consult the relevant section of the report to gain a

comprehensive understanding of the reasons behind this rating and the specific actions that are

required.

• Condition rating: AMBER indicates areas or defects requiring maintenance and improvement,

including repairing or replacing. Regular maintenance of the home is necessary.

• Safety recommendations demand immediate attention, irrespective of the colour rating. The

absence of a service certificate alone does not result in a red rating. Ratings are based on the

surveyor’s assessment of observations, apparent risks, and required actions.

• GREEN: No repair is currently necessary for the assessed element. Regular inspection and

maintenance are still required.

• * Not inspected / not tested / not rated: The element could not be adequately assessed, was not

tested, or has not been assigned a condition rating. These descriptions do not confirm its

satisfactory condition.

• Condition ratings are opinions and assessments of risk only. Different professionals may reasonably

reach different conclusions.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement 5Photographs

• Photographs are intended to demonstrate the extent of inspection undertaken and are not

necessarily labelled.

• Photographs assist the Client’s understanding of the report.

• Original image files and the complete photographic record are not supplied.

• Photographs are not disclosed beyond the report.

• Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd uses digital and artificial intelligence-assisted tools.

Confidentiality and Reliance

• The report is confidential and is prepared solely for the named Client and their professional

advisers. No third party may rely upon the report without the prior written consent of Palmer’s

Surveyors Ltd.

• The report must not be disclosed, copied or provided to any third party, including estate agents,

vendors or other interested parties, without prior written consent. Where consent to disclosure or

reliance is requested, additional terms and/or charges may apply.

• Restriction of liability (cap): The Surveyor will exercise reasonable skill and care in providing

the service. However, having regard to the nature and scope of the inspection and the survey fee

charged, the total aggregate liability of Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd arising from or in connection with

the survey and report is limited to the greater of £50,000 or ten times the survey fee paid, to the

extent permitted by law. This limitation does not apply to any liability which cannot lawfully be

limited or excluded.

Fees and Payment

• Fees are payable in advance.

• Fees are not held as client money.

Cancellation policy and statutory rights

• Clients should provide at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation.

• The contractual 48-hour cancellation policy is separate from any statutory rights that may apply to

a consumer under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges)

Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

• Nothing in these Terms is intended to remove or restrict a consumer’s statutory rights.

Complaints, Claims and Preservation of Evidence

• Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd operates a formal complaint handling procedure available upon request.

• In the event of a complaint or potential claim concerning an alleged defect or omission, Palmer’s

Surveyors Ltd must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect and investigate the matter.

• Relevant evidence should, so far as reasonably practicable, be preserved and should not be

removed, altered or destroyed before Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd has been given a reasonable

opportunity to inspect it.

• This does not prevent urgent works reasonably required to protect health or safety or to prevent

further damage to the property. Where urgent works are necessary, the Client should, wherever

reasonably practicable, retain dated photographs, reports, invoices and other evidence recording

the condition before and during those works.

• Governing Law: The agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Palmer’s Surveyors Ltd | Terms of Engagement

* The surveyor gives condition ratings to the main parts (the ‘elements’) of the main building, garage and some outside elements:

* RED:  Defects defined as urgent and significant, high cost (say over £5,000), serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently.

* AMBER: Defects that need maintenance and improvement (repairing or replacing) but are not considered to be either as serious or urgent. May ultimately cost over £5,000. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

* GREEN: No repair is currently needed. The home must be maintained in the normal way.

FAQs

What are the main differences between a level two and a level three survey?

Level two survey:

The level 2 service is for clients who are seeking a professional opinion on a standard modern home in good condition.

It is less comprehensive than a three.

Level three:

The level three survey is more comprehensive than the level two survey.
Suitable for older, or complex extended homes.
Spend longer at the property, open more windows, may lift small corners of carpets, small lightweight
possessions.

We may use a camera pole to inspect high areas; We may ask the owner to turn the heating on or look at drainage flow.

Identification of obvious defects, possible hidden risks, time scales for repair; identification of more costly maintenance areas

Issues for legal advisers

The surveyor does not act as ‘the legal adviser’ and does not comment on any legal documents. If, during the inspection, the surveyor identifies issues that your legal advisers may need to investigate further, the surveyor may refer to these in the report (for example, check whether there is a warranty covering replacement windows).

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