RICS Level 2 Survey in E6

Known formally as the RICS Home Survey Level 2, our homebuyer report sets out what our surveyor can see and safely access at the property. We inspect the structure, roof, walls, floors, windows, doors, and permanent fittings, then give each part a rating of 1 for no action needed now, 2 for repair or maintenance, or 3 for a serious defect that needs urgent attention.

E6 housing brings its own set of risks, so we do not treat the survey as a box-ticking exercise. In Victorian and Edwardian terraces, our surveyors look closely at the damp-proof course, roof coverings, structural condition, timber floors and roof timbers, plus cracking or movement that may point to subsidence linked to the London Clay beneath the area.

For flats in E6, the inspection focuses on the accessible parts of the individual home, while also commenting on visible shared elements where they affect condition or future cost. That means the roof, external walls, communal areas, and any obvious maintenance issues leasehold buyers should raise with the management company before relying on service charge projections.

• Roof structure and covering condition assessment
• External wall, chimney, and rainwater goods inspection
• Damp and timber checks throughout accessible areas
• Internal wall, ceiling, and floor condition ratings
• Windows, doors, and permanent fittings assessment
• Visible plumbing, drainage, and heating review
• Ground movement and subsidence indicators
• Surface water flood risk commentary
• Legal matters section for your conveyancer

The finished report does more than list defects. It ranks risks by severity, recommends any further specialist investigations, and points out legal matters to discuss with your solicitor. Many buyers then use those findings to negotiate the purchase price or ask for remedial works before exchange.

Terraced houses make up nearly half of all E6 properties, with most dating from the Victorian and Edwardian periods. East Ham grew quickly as a residential suburb in the late 1800s and early 1900s, helped by the extension of the District Railway and the wider growth of east London’s industrial and commercial economy. Those same terraces now sit at the centre of the E6 housing market.

The typical construction is solid brick external walls, usually 9-inch thick London stock brick, with timber roof structures, slate or clay tile coverings, timber sash windows, and timber floor joists. Internally, plaster on lath was standard. These materials were never intended to be maintenance-free for the lengths of time modern buyers often assume, so a property now approaching or beyond 100 years old deserves a careful look.

In E6 Victorian terraces, we often see rising damp where damp-proof courses have failed, penetrating damp through worn pointing in exposed brickwork, and roof problems caused by tired slates, defective lead flashings, and blocked gutters. Timber rot can affect floor joists when ground-level ventilation has been blocked. Asbestos-containing materials may also be present where properties were altered between the 1940s and late 1990s.

Party walls matter in E6’s terraces. Neighbouring works carried out without party wall agreements can damage shared structures, and our surveyors pay close attention to differential movement where party walls meet the rest of the building.

Older electrical installations in E6 homes need proper scrutiny. Many Victorian and Edwardian houses have been rewired at some stage, but age and workmanship vary from one property to the next. During the survey, we note the visible condition of the consumer unit and accessible wiring, then recommend an Electrical Installation Condition Report where the system appears dated or inadequate.

Damp is the defect our surveyors most often find in E6’s older homes. Failed or deteriorated damp-proof courses cause rising damp in terraces across East Ham, while defective pointing, leaking gutters, and roof defects bring in penetrating damp. Condensation damp is also more common now, as insulation and draught-proofing reduce the natural ventilation older solid-wall properties once relied on.

Roof condition in E6’s Victorian terraces varies sharply with maintenance history. Some are sound, others show worn or missing slates and tiles, poor lead flashings around chimney stacks, and damaged or blocked gutters. Where original clay tiles have been swapped for heavier concrete tiles, we also check for roof timber spreading caused by extra weight the structure was not designed to carry.

London Clay geology makes subsidence and ground movement a recurring issue for E6 homes near mature trees. Separate from clay movement, general settlement cracking is also common in properties over 100 years old. Our surveyors separate historic, stable cracking from signs of active movement that call for specialist investigation.

• Rising and penetrating damp in Victorian terrace properties
• Roof deterioration: worn slates, defective flashings, blocked gutters
• London Clay subsidence near trees in dry periods
• Timber rot in floor joists and roof timbers due to damp
• Asbestos-containing materials in pre-2000 altered properties
• Outdated electrical wiring systems requiring EICR inspection
• Surface water drainage issues in lower-lying E6 areas
• Party wall movement and differential settlement in terraces

Each defect we identify is given a condition rating from 1 to 3 in the report. Condition 3 items are the serious defects needing urgent attention, and they give buyers clear evidence for a price renegotiation or for asking the seller to carry out repairs before exchange.