RICS Level 2 Survey in Westward Ho!

Our RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report gives you a close visual inspection of the property's condition across the main accessible parts of the building. We look at the walls, roof, floors, windows, doors and internal joinery, picking up defects that could affect value or lead to repair costs later on. In Westward Ho!, our surveyors are especially alert to damp and timber decay, both of which are common in coastal settings where salt-laden air can speed up the deterioration of building materials.

You will see the results set out with a simple traffic light system for each main element, Red for urgent defects, Amber for items likely to need repair in future, and Green where the condition is satisfactory. We also include a market valuation and an insurance rebuild cost estimate, both useful for mortgage purposes and for checking that your building insurance cover is adequate. Any major defect is explained in plain English, so you can see what may need doing, and how soon.

Westward Ho! has its own local quirks. With many homes close to the coast or inside the AONB, we note visible evidence of coastal erosion, the condition of the sea wall and any drainage issues that may matter to buyers here. We also consider possible flooding risks linked to the village's seaside position and point out the enquiries worth raising before you move ahead. For conventional properties in reasonable condition, Level 2 is usually the right middle ground, thorough without being overcomplicated.

We also review the visible condition of key services during the inspection, including plumbing pipework, electrical installations where we can access them, and heating systems. Any obvious safety issue is recorded, such as exposed wiring, missing smoke detectors or signs that a gas installation may be compromised. Where we find defects, our surveyors take photographs and add them to the report, so you can match our comments to what we have actually seen.

• Wall and roof structure inspection
• Damp and timber decay assessment
• Windows, doors, and joinery check
• Plumbing and electrical visible condition
• Market valuation and rebuild cost
• Traffic light defect ratings

Life on the North Devon coast has its appeal, but it does shape the way buildings age in Westward Ho!. Many homes are exposed to hard coastal weather, with salt air that can speed up corrosion on metal fittings, encourage timber decay in outside joinery and wear down render and brickwork. Our surveyors know what these patterns look like in practice, and we can tell the difference between surface-level wear and more serious structural problems that need attention.

Ground conditions matter here as well. Homes on the slopes running down towards the sea can have different foundation considerations from those on flatter land nearer the village centre. Westward Ho! is not known for the mining subsidence seen in some other UK regions, but we still stay alert for cracking, movement or settlement that may point to foundation trouble, especially in older properties exposed to many years of coastal weather.

Sea views are one of the big draws in Westward Ho!, but living so close to the shoreline comes with upkeep. We check sea-facing windows, doors and external walls for signs of deterioration that may call for maintenance, and we pay attention to drainage too, as coastal systems can be influenced by the water table and the sea itself. If the property sits within the AONB designation area, we can also flag visible issues that may connect to conservation considerations or affect later renovation plans.

The housing stock in Westward Ho! spans a wide range of ages, and plenty of homes date back to the Victorian and Edwardian years when the village grew as a seaside resort. Those older buildings often have solid wall construction rather than modern cavity wall insulation, which can affect both thermal efficiency and how the property handles damp. We are used to assessing these traditional forms of construction and can talk you through the likely impact on heating costs and future renovation work.

Westward Ho! is shaped in part by tourism, so some properties have been run as holiday lets or kept as second homes. That history can show up in different ways, from heavier wear caused by a frequent turnover of guests to maintenance issues that build up during longer vacant periods. We take that into account in our assessment and point out the kinds of condition issues that often come with this sort of use.