Soar & Wreake Survey Guide

About Soar & Wreake Survey Guide

What this site is

We explain property surveying to people across Leicester and Leicestershire who are about to commission one, or trying to read a report they've already got. The aim is to take the jargon out and leave the useful detail in.

What we cover

Some of it is general: what a full building survey at RICS Level 3 includes, how the Level 2 home survey differs, and when a valuation is actually the thing you need rather than a survey.

The rest is local. We've written about the housing stock buyers meet in Hinckley, the checks that matter for older homes near Melton Mowbray, conservation-area considerations in Market Harborough, and the ground conditions that make Coalville surveys worth reading carefully.

  • Choosing between survey levels
  • Period, rural and conservation-area homes
  • Damp, timber and party wall matters
  • Measured and topographical surveys for development

How we write it

Plainly, and from the point of view of the person paying. We try to be specific about what affects cost and risk, and honest about where a survey has limits. Where a topic is technical, we explain the term rather than hide behind it.

Who it's for and getting in touch

Mostly first-time buyers, people moving within the county, and anyone planning an extension or a development. If something is unclear or you think we've got a detail wrong, write to me at [email protected].

About the area

Leicester, in Leicestershire, has plenty of history of its own. For background on the town itself, its Wikipedia page is a good place to start.