Level 3 Building Survey – Islington

A Level 3 Building Survey is ideal if you have plans to extend or undertake alterations to the property. With the high prices of property in Islington, it makes very good sense to invest in a Building Survey to ensure you are fully informed about the property before progressing with a purchase.

The purpose of a building survey is to investigate a property and inform you of the condition of the building, highlighting any major concerns to minimise risk and provide peace of mind. This is particularly relevant when looking to buy a home in London, the most expensive place to purchase a property in the UK.

At Easton Bevins, building surveys are not just a ‘tick in the box’ exercise; they are tailored to the property and to meet your specific requirements. The high standard of service and advice that we provide can help you reduce risk and protect your London property investment.

A Level 3 Building Survey covers both major and minor defects, potential maintenance issues, as well as remedies, associated timescales, and an estimated budget for repairs. It also provides a more detailed description and analysis of the construction of the property than a Level 2 Building Survey, including decorations, internal fixtures and fittings, and detached outbuildings. Energy efficiency improvement advice is also included.

The aim of a Level 3 Survey is to:

• help you make a reasoned and informed decision when purchasing your home, or when planning for repairs, maintenance, or upgrading of the property
• provide detailed advice on condition
• describe the identifiable risk of potential or hidden defects and, where practicable and agreed, provide an estimate of costs for identified repairs
• make recommendations as to any further actions or advice which need to be obtained before committing to purchase.

To find out more, request a quote or arrange a Level 3 Building Survey, call 0204 548 9835, email or complete our request a quote form.

On a Level 3 Building Survey we inspect the inside and outside of the main building and all permanent outbuildings. We also visually inspect the parts of the electricity, gas/oil, water, heating, drainage and other services that can be seen -although these are not tested other than for normal operation in everyday use.

Where practicable and agreed, we will report on the cost of any work for identified repairs and make recommendations on how these should be carried out.

What is included in a Level 3 Survey?

• Detailed visual inspection of the property
• Legal considerations
• Short term maintenance concerns
• Structural assessment of the property
• Condition assessment of the property
• Boundaries and outside issues
• Permanent attached outbuilding inspection
• Detached outbuilding inspection
• Decoration, fixtures and fittings appraisal
• Energy efficiency improvement advice
• Describe potential hidden defects
• Minimises further investigations
• Cost advice for short term defects
• Future maintenance advice
• Advice on future alterations

The money spent on the survey can save you thousands of pounds when purchasing a house, flat or warehouse conversion in Islington, making it a very worthwhile investment. You may decide to reconsider your purchase or negotiate a price reduction to address costs to repair defects.

We do not generally consider the sale price, rather the complexity of the building, and the estimated time needed to thoroughly inspect the property, consider any defects and issue a report.

Although we cannot guarantee a reduction in sale price, most of our clients use the findings of our report in negotiations with the vendor. You may find that the reduction in the price of the property more than covers the cost of the building survey. Even if the vendors are unwilling to adjust their price, you can make a more informed decision about your purchase.

For more information about full building surveys, view our FAQs.

To find out more, request a quote or arrange a Level 3 Building Survey, call 0204 548 9835, email or complete our request a quote form.

Our building surveys are not just a ‘tick in the box’ exercise, they are tailored to the property and to meet your specific requirements. The high standard of service and advice that we provide can help you reduce risk and protect your Islington property investment.

• Qualified surveyors – All of our surveys are carried out by RICS accredited, qualified surveyors.
• Time on-site – We always make sure we allow the right amount of time on-site to carry out a thorough survey.
• Detailed reports – Our detailed, thorough reports cover everything you need to allow you to make an informed decision on how to proceed with the purchase of your new home.
• Reflection time – Our reports are not rushed and issued on the day they are produced. We allow sufficient reflection time before delivering the report, which is a requirement of RICS.
• Quality assurance – All our survey reports are peer reviewed internally by a second highly qualified surveyor.
• After care service – We speak to clients before and after producing our survey reports and are available to discuss findings and answer any questions they might have after the report has been issued.

This area of North London is arguably the best in the entire city for Georgian and Victorian properties. However, that popularity means homes like these can sometimes be in short supply.

It’s a far cry from post-war Islington, where more than 3,000 traditional homes were lost in bombings. But surviving period homes were developed and restored, and slowly but surely, Islington transformed from a settlement for the poor into one of London’s most sought-after and fashionable boroughs from the 1960s onward. House prices in Islington have an overall average of £831,550 over the last year.

Flats remained the most common type of property sold in Islington in 2024, with an average sale price of £644,149. Terraced properties commanded higher prices, averaging £1,623,812, while semi-detached homes sold for approximately £1,974,523.

Over the last year, sold prices in Islington have declined by 5% compared to the previous year and are 4% lower than the 2022 peak of £869,690. Given these figures, ensuring the structural integrity of a property before purchase is crucial to avoid unexpected repair costs.

With extensive knowledge and experience, our Gray’s Inn surveyors can provide expert advice to support anyone looking to purchase a property in and around London.

Our well-established practice is renowned for its honest approach and clear, concise advice. We are also a proud member of RICS, helping assure you receive the highest standards of professional support.

For prompt, professional, expert advice call 0204 548 9835, email or complete our request a quote form.