RICS Level 2 Survey in Hungarton

Hungarton’s housing stock needs careful reading before anyone commits to a purchase. Much of the village was rebuilt in the 1760s and 1770s, so a notable share of homes are now over 250 years old. In LE7 9JR, the main property type is period housing built between 1800 and 1911, long before many of the standards modern buyers take for granted. That age brings character and charm, but it can also hide defects that only a professional survey is likely to pick up.

On Main Street, detached homes have an average sold price of £773,650, while semi-detached properties average £318,333 and terraced homes £383,250. Against figures like these, the modest outlay for a Level 2 survey, typically from around £395 for standard properties in the Leicestershire area, makes sense. homedata.co.uk shows prices in Hungarton have risen by 49.1% over the last decade, so buyers need to know the property is sound and not carrying hidden problems that could be expensive to put right.

For conventional homes in reasonable condition, which covers a good deal of Hungarton’s housing, we usually recommend a RICS Level 2 survey. The report uses a simple rating system, Condition Rating 1 for no issues, Condition Rating 2 for defects needing attention, and Condition Rating 3 for serious defects needing urgent attention. It is a practical way to sort what matters most after purchase, and it can also strengthen your hand in negotiations where major issues come to light.

Main Street, Church Lane and the surrounding lanes are all places where we have inspected homes and seen the same local themes appear again and again. Even period properties that seem well cared for can conceal defects that are easy to miss without training. Our surveyors check everything from original Swithland slate roofs to the condition of solid brick walls, bringing local experience to each inspection.

To assess property properly in Hungarton, it helps to understand how the village was built. Red brick houses in Flemish bond are a defining feature, and the lighter headers give many of these buildings their recognisable look. A good number still have original Swithland slates on the roof, a traditional material closely associated with this part of Leicestershire. They are durable, certainly, but they still need regular maintenance and a careful eye.

Under the village, Hungarton sits on Mercia Mudstone, a Triassic clay formation with real implications for buildings. This clay has shrink-swell behaviour, expanding in wet conditions and contracting in dry ones. Paired with the shallow foundations common in older period homes, that can create a risk of subsidence and structural movement. Our surveyors are trained to spot the tell-tale signs, including cracking, distorted door and window frames, and uneven floors. It matters even more here because the village includes a designated Conservation Area and many listed buildings, among them Quenby Hall (Grade I) and several Grade II* properties.

Many Hungarton properties have solid 9-inch brick walls with lime mortar joints rather than modern cavity walls, and that changes how we assess them. Solid walls can be long-lasting, but they need a different approach to insulation and damp resistance. We check for damp-proof courses where they exist, note where they do not, review ventilation, and look for modern alterations that may have upset the breathable construction of these older homes. We often find that badly specified insulation or double-glazing has trapped moisture in period buildings, creating damp issues that outweigh the intended energy savings.

Barkby Brook rises to the north of Hungarton, so flood risk is another point we keep in mind during an inspection. Leicestershire is generally a low flood risk area, but we still note signs of past water ingress or drainage trouble where they appear. Because we know how the brook sits within the local topography, we can comment on concerns affecting properties in the lower-lying parts of the village.

Some defects show up more often than others in Hungarton, largely because of the age of the housing stock. Dampness is one of the most frequent, appearing as rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation. Many of these older homes were built before effective damp-proof courses became standard, and later renovation work that cuts down natural ventilation can make moisture issues worse in breathable period buildings. We inspect walls, floors and windows carefully for damp staining, mould growth and musty smells that suggest water is getting in.

The roof is another area we examine with particular care, not least because original Swithland slate remains common in the village. With proper maintenance these roofs can last over a century, but ageing materials, slipped or cracked slates and failing lead flashing can all let water in. Where access allows, we inspect the roof space and look at rafters, battens and insulation. We also check chimney stacks and parapet walls for movement or deterioration, both common sources of leaks in older homes.

Movement in a building is not always severe, but in Hungarton it deserves careful attention. Mercia Mudstone clay soils combined with shallow foundations can leave properties open to subsidence, especially where trees stand close to the structure. Our surveyors look for diagonal cracking, uneven floors and distorted door and window frames that may point to movement. We have seen several cases where tree roots affected foundations, which is a real consideration in a village known for mature gardens.

Older electrical and plumbing systems can also present problems, both in terms of safety and cost. We note the condition of consumer units, check for modern earthing where visible, and assess the state of exposed pipework. In Hungarton, plenty of period homes still contain original lead pipes or dated electrical installations that would benefit from updating.