Level 2 or Level 3 survey for 1930s house with damp stains?

[Newbie1991]

Hello :)

We have just had our offer accepted on a 1930 house, it has beautiful big windows and the house is massive! Need some updating as it was in the same family for years.

I noticed in the second bedroom (there was a chimney above it but that's removed now) that there is some damp stain maybe a mould stain. I suspect there might have been a leak with the chimney so they removed it. There is also some damp in the living room but not much.

I was wondering if I needed a level 2 or level 3 rics report? I am happy to pay for either but want to make sure I am not walking into a money pit lol.

Any advice would be great :) x

In your position I would go for level 3, given the house's age, and that it's clearly had work done - you mention a chimney being removed, and it probably wasn't build with much plumbing. Has it been extended at all?

Do bear in mind that surveys are very negative; some things really do need to be dealt with, but we found that a few could be put off quite a while.

Definitely Level 3.

So the complete chimney has been taken down? They patched up the roof? Usually if people go to this expense, they’d also redecorate the room.

There are plenty of armchair experts here who would be happy to review the RM listing.

Does it need bathroom, kitchen, electrics and plumbing?

I’d always go Level 3 BUT you know there is damp so the survey from that perspective is irrelevant. You need to find the source of the damp and fix that then let the walls dry out, not just disguise it with chemicals. Blocked gutters for example?

You need a person that understands that era of property too. Not a damp company that are selling you the equivalent of Elastoplast.

Hello All!

Thank you for all your messages!

We will go level 3 to be on the safe side. I think they mentioned there was an small extension to add a bedroom but that's the opposite side of the house where the damp mark is.

The bathroom will need to be upgraded because as it was clearly an elderly person lived there before she passed away.

The boiler was serviced, the electrics seem fine.

I tested the water/ toilet they seem to be working fine and checked the cupboards for any issues (past issue with mould which we didn't pick up on with our current house but we sorted now so now cautious)

We will be going back for another viewing in any case so might ask if we can check the attic but wondering if that's cheeky?

The house just need upgraded with the bathroom, kitchen (very out of date and old fashion) and ripping up the carpet/ wallpaper - it doesn't seem to serious yet but I will defo get the level 3 survey.

Should I do this before I have the searches done? Any advice would be amazing :) x

You are spending hundreds of thousands, so no, asking to look in the loft is not cheeky.
Tell them in advance so they can get the ladder out if needed.