Your report has arrived. Where do you actually start?
Not at page one. RICS reports are written to a standard structure precisely so that you can find what you need quickly, but the layout rewards reading it out of order: summary first, then the condition ratings table, then the narrative for anything flagged amber or red, then legal matters. Everything else — the introduction, the general description, the limitations — is context you can skim once and never need again.
The follow-up call with your surveyor is included in every report we produce, and it is not a courtesy extra. It is where a page of dense technical language turns into three sentences you can actually act on. Book it before you make any decision based on the written report alone.
Typical length of a Level 2 or Level 3 report
The ones that actually drive your decision
Included follow-up with your surveyor to talk it through
The three ratings, and what each one means
- 1
Green. No repair currently needed. The element is performing as expected for its age and type — nothing to act on now.
- 2
Amber. Defects that are not urgent, or an element nearing the end of its serviceable life. Worth a plan and a budget line, not a panic.
- 3
Red. A defect that is serious, needs urgent attention, or could cause serious problems if left. This is what a costed quote and a conversation with the vendor are for.
How the report is actually structured
After the introduction and general description of the property, you'll hit the condition ratings table — a room-by-room, element-by-element breakdown (roof, chimneys, walls, floors, damp, drainage, and so on) each given a green, amber or red rating. This table is the fastest way to see the shape of the property's condition at a glance.
Below that sits the narrative: paragraphs explaining why each amber or red rating was given, what caused it, and what your surveyor recommends. This is where the real information lives, and it's the section most buyers skip past on the first read because it looks like the driest part of the document. It's the opposite — it's the part written specifically for you.
The order to read it in
1. The summary. A short overview flagging anything that materially affects your decision to proceed.
2. The ratings table. Scan for red first, amber second. This gives you the shape of the property in under two minutes.
3. The narrative for every red and amber. This is where cause, risk and recommended next step are explained in full.
4. Legal matters. Anything your conveyancer needs to chase — boundaries, guarantees, planning history, restrictive covenants.
What needs action before you proceed
- • Any red rating on the structure, roof or damp-proofing
- • Legal matters flagged for your conveyancer to chase
- • Any specialist referral (electrician, structural engineer, drainage engineer)
- • Anything the report describes as urgent or safety-related
What can usually wait, or be budgeted for later
- • Amber ratings on cosmetic finishes or ageing but functioning services
- • General maintenance advice on elements with plenty of serviceable life left
- • Minor items with no safety or structural implication
- • Anything the narrative describes as “monitor” rather than “act on”
“Buyers who read the summary and stop there miss the report entirely. The summary tells you something is amber; the narrative tells you why, and that's the difference between a fair renegotiation and a guess.”
Turning a red rating into a plan
A red rating on its own is not a number, and it should never be treated as one until you have a quote against it. Take the specific defect described in the narrative to a suitably qualified contractor — a roofer for roof coverings, a damp specialist for damp, a structural engineer for movement — and get a written, itemised quote. That quote is what turns a rating into a negotiating position.
Where the report recommends a specialist referral, follow it before you exchange, not after. It is far easier to negotiate on a known cost than an unknown one, and vendors respond better to a specific figure than to a vague concern.
Had your report back and want to talk it through?
Every report includes a follow-up call with your surveyor — get in touch if you'd like to bring it forward.
Get a quoteReading your report: FAQs
Your next step
If your report has just landed, don't try to absorb all of it in one sitting. Read the summary and the ratings table today, sit with the narrative tomorrow, and book the follow-up call before you make any decision. It is the single most useful ten minutes in the entire buying process.
A step-by-step walkthrough for first-time buyers: what to book, when to book it, how to read the report, and how to renegotiate on defects.
A side-by-side comparison of the RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Report and the RICS Level 3 Building Survey — cost, depth, timing, and when each is the right call.
A survey with red findings isn't the end of a purchase — it's the start of a negotiation. Here's how to run it so you keep the house and the price is fair.