Choosing a survey level
Why does a lender’s valuation visit not become a Level 2 if the valuer stayed an hour?
Because the instruction is different. MoneyHelper explains that a mortgage valuation is for the lender, to decide what the property is worth as security. It is not a survey of condition for you. Time on site does not change the contract. A Level 2 is a RICS home survey with condition ratings and advice. You are not the client of the lender’s valuation unless the paperwork says you are.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Buyers are sometimes copied a one-page figure and told they have been “surveyed”. They have a number for the lender. They do not have rating 1, 2 and 3, and they do not have a limitation section written for them. RICS levels are chosen by you in England and Wales. Do not import that habit into a purchase that already came with a different pack. Ask which document is the valuation and which, if any, is the condition report.
If you want condition advice, instruct it. The fee is separate. There is no rule that the lender’s fee can be converted into a Level 2 after the event. Do not raise a complaint that the valuation “missed” a defect it was never instructed to report to you.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Who is the client of the document I have been sent?
- Does it contain condition ratings?
- What survey would I still need to instruct myself?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the valuation as a valuation.
- Instruct a home survey if you want condition advice.
- Do not rely on the lender to describe the roof for you.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Can a valuer mention a defect?
They might, if it affects the security. A mention is not a Level 2. Ask for the home survey if you need the detail.
Does a down-valuation mean the house is rating 3?
No. A lower value is the lender’s figure. It may have nothing to do with a condition rating. Ask why it moved.