What do Survey Condition Ratings Actually Mean?

Home surveys have been around for a very long time, but the way that they are presented and the condition ratings provided within them can sometimes cause confusion. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) specifies that our survey reports are structured in a way that enables our clients to locate required information easily. To do this, Hill Home Survey uses RICS’s recommended report format which breaks the house down figuratively into a series of elements such as the roof, walls, floors, windows, doors, services, etc.  Once this has been done, the report provides space for the surveyor to describe the element, describe its condition in plain English without the use of excessive jargon, provide advice appropriate to the level of survey being commissioned and to provide a numerical rating for the condition of that element.

The condition ratings within a survey act something like a traffic light system to draw the attention of the client and are numbered one to three, where elements with no issues are Condition Rating 1, or green; those with issues which require non-urgent attention are Condition Rating 2, or amber; and those with issues which require urgent attention are Condition Rating 3, or red.  

Condition Rating 1 is for elements with no current issues, where no repair is currently needed and where we would expect that the element could be maintained in the normal way.

Condition Rating 2 is given to those elements that require attention but where this is not serious or urgent.  The elements will have one or more defects that need repairing or replacing, but are not considered to be either serious or urgent. Examples of these might include a difficult to lounge window or minor cracks to wall surfaces which require surface repair but are not likely to deteriorate significantly.

Condition Rating 3 is for elements that require urgent attention, with defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently and where failure to do so could risk serious safety issues or severe long-term damage to the property.

In the case of elements which have been assigned a Condition Rating of 3, it is important to read the text of the report to see why that condition rating has been given.  In some cases, there may be a visible defect which requires urgent attention to prevent any further deterioration or damage to the property, whereas in others, the element may not have a visible defect but nonetheless requires urgent investigation.

Take a gas fired central heating boiler for example: Gas Safe Register is the only official gas registration body for gas businesses in Great Britain. It recommends that all gas appliances are checked once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer as the risks from unsafe appliances include the poisonous gas carbon monoxide, fires and explosions. As surveyors are generally not Gas Safe registered engineers, we are unable to confirm whether or not a boiler is in satisfactory condition and due to the potential consequences from using an unsafe boiler, an urgent check by a third-party specialist is required which means that a Condition Rating 3 is assigned.  

It is important to note that survey reports are based on the condition of the property at the time of the surveyor’s inspection.  This means that as some time can pass between the inspection and the point that the client takes possession of the property, it is possible in certain circumstances for an item designated as a Condition Rating 2 to deteriorate to one which would then be considered a Condition Rating 3 and similarly for those ranked Condition Rating 1 at the time of the inspection.

We work hard to make sure our reports are factual and unambiguous, and separate fact from opinion. Nevertheless, the resulting reports we produce can be lengthy and on occasion can cause some confusion or concern which is why Hill Home Survey offers friendly post-report clarification calls to all of our survey clients to make sure that any concerns can be properly addressed, any confusion or uncertainty cleared up in order provide clarity about your purchase.

If you are considering a home purchase and want to discuss your survey options for the property, please contact us for a free, friendly and no-obligation chat.

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© Hill Home Survey, 2024. All rights reserved.
The content within this blog is strictly for information only. It is not intended to be and must not be construed as advice. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.
For further information and to discuss the correct survey type for the property you are buying and/or your valuation options, please contact Hill Home Survey on 01733 855232