RICS Level 2 Survey in KT1

A RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report is the survey most buyers choose for residential properties in reasonable condition. Across most KT1 homes, from Victorian terraces near the town centre to modern riverside apartments and 1930s semis, it gives practical, thorough coverage of the visible and accessible parts of the building, so we can give you a clear view of what you are actually buying.

We start outside and work methodically. Roof coverings, chimney stacks, gutters and downpipes, external walls, windows, doors, and boundary structures are all inspected. In KT1, that often means close attention to older brick and tile construction, the state of pointing in Victorian and Edwardian houses, and timber joinery on homes that have passed through multiple owners over more than a century. We also look for visible movement or differential settlement in external walls, which matters here because this postcode carries a London Clay subsidence risk.

Inside, we go through the property room by room, covering all accessible areas. We use damp meters on all ground floor rooms and external walls, with extra care given to basements and lower ground floor spaces, which are common in larger Kingston terraces and villas. We check ceilings, floors, and internal walls for staining, cracking, and any signs of movement. Visible services are also recorded, including the electrical consumer unit, boiler and heating system, plus accessible pipework and drainage.

• Roof covering, ridgeline, valleys, flashings, and chimney stacks
• Gutters, downpipes, and external drainage
• External walls, brickwork, pointing, and render condition
• Windows, doors, sills, and external joinery
• Damp readings across all ground floor and external wall rooms
• Structural movement and cracking patterns in walls and ceilings
• Basement and lower ground floor inspection where accessible
• Electrical consumer unit and visible wiring
• Heating system and accessible pipework
• Outbuildings, garages, garden walls, and boundary structures
• Traffic-light condition ratings for every building element

Every element in the report is given 1 of 3 Condition Ratings. Condition Rating 1 means no repair is needed at the time of the survey. Condition Rating 2 points to defects that need attention, but are not urgent at present. Condition Rating 3 marks serious defects needing urgent repair or specialist investigation. If we identify Condition Rating 3 issues, we set out the type of specialist to speak to, structural engineer, damp specialist, electrical engineer, or another professional, so you can line up follow-up checks before exchanging contracts.

Subsidence is one of the big survey issues in KT1. Across Kingston upon Thames, the bedrock geology is mainly the Thames Group, clay, silt, and sand, and a large share of homes sit on London Clay. That matters because it is one of the most shrinkable soil types in the UK, swelling when wet and contracting sharply when dry. The Clay Research Group places Kingston upon Thames among the highest domestic subsidence risk boroughs in the country, well above the national average, and the London Clay beneath much of the borough is the reason why.

Shrink-swell clay movement usually affects the upper 1.5 to 2 metres of soil. In places with heavy tree cover, it can reach 5 metres, as roots pull moisture from deep within the clay layer. On buildings, that can show up as diagonal cracking to external and internal walls, sticking doors and windows, uneven floors, and, in the more serious cases, structural distortion that calls for underpinning or other major remedial work. Hot, dry summers speed up clay shrinkage, then long wet periods make the clay expand again. Over time, that cycle can cause progressive structural damage.

In KT1, we pay very close attention to the pattern of any cracking we see. The key point is separating ordinary cosmetic shrinkage cracks from signs of active or historic structural movement. If the cracking suggests subsidence or significant settlement, we flag it as a Condition Rating 3 issue and recommend an assessment by a specialist structural engineer. Knowing that before exchange gives you choices, you may want a structural report, a price reduction, or simply a clearer basis for deciding whether to proceed.

Trees close to a building can raise subsidence risk sharply in London Clay locations. Large deciduous trees, especially poplars, willows, oaks, and elms, within 15 to 20 metres of the property are linked with materially higher risk. That is not just an issue for houses with big trees in their own garden. Street trees, or trees in neighbouring gardens near shared boundary walls and foundations, can matter just as much.

KT1 runs alongside the River Thames, so flood risk is not a theoretical issue for lower-lying parts of Kingston and Hampton Wick. The Royal Borough's Strategic Flood Risk Assessment says around 6,764 properties across the borough are at risk from river flooding. The Thames is a key factor, but so are the River Hogsmill, Surbiton Stream, and Beverley Brook. Central Kingston, Canbury Gardens, Albany Park Road, and Queens Promenade all sit among the identified flood warning zones.

River flooding is only part of the picture. Surface water flooding is a separate risk, and an estimated 5,612 properties across the borough are exposed where heavy rainfall outstrips drainage capacity. Homes do not have to sit near a river or watercourse to be affected, because this kind of flooding depends on the performance of the local drainage infrastructure, not only distance from water. Climate change projections point to wetter winters and more intense summer downpours, which is expected to increase both fluvial and surface water flood risk over the coming decades.

There is also groundwater flooding in some parts of the borough, where water levels below ground rise above the surface. Basements and lower ground floor rooms can be affected, particularly in properties built on permeable geology. Many mortgage lenders now ask for a formal flood risk assessment on homes in known flood risk zones, so it makes sense to check that with your lender early in the purchase. Our Level 2 survey will record visible signs of water ingress and note closeness to known flood risk areas, but for full flood due diligence, specialist flood risk assessments and conveyancing searches are the right route.