Rutherford Residential Surveying
You've got the survey. Now find out what it actually means.
Send us the Level 2 or Level 3 report from any firm. Within two working days you get a plain-English written summary and a 20-minute call with a RICS surveyor who spent 25 years in the building trade: what matters, what's boilerplate, what it's likely to cost, and what to go back to the seller with.
Level 2 (HomeBuyer) report — £145
Level 3 (Building Survey) — £195
20-minute call with the surveyor — Included
Turnaround — 2 working days
Fixed fee. UK-wide. No site visit needed.
Three steps. No site visit, no waiting for a slot.
1. Send the report
Upload the PDF and tell us the agreed price, what you plan to do with the property, and anything you're already worried about.
2. We read the report properly
Every condition rating, every "further investigation", every caveat. We separate what needs action from what is standard wording the surveyor puts in every report.
3. You get a summary and a call
A two-page written summary in plain English you can forward to your solicitor or use in negotiation, then a 20-minute call to go through it and answer your questions.
The bit about survey report doesn't tell you
Surveyors write for their professional indemnity insurers as much as for you. A review turns the report back into advice.
Priority order. Which findings need dealing with before exchange, which can wait, and which are noise.
Realistic cost brackets. Not "seek quotes from a contractor". Actual ranges for the South East, from someone who has priced and built this work.
Negotiation points. What a reasonable price reduction or retention looks like for the defects listed, and how to put it to the agent.
Further investigations, decoded. Whether the drain survey, damp specialist or structural engineer is really needed or is a standard disclaimer.
Questions for your solicitor. Anything in the report that touches on legal matters: boundaries, building regulations, guarantees, flying freeholds.
A 20-minute call. Once you've read the summary, talk it through with the surveyor who wrote it.
What this is not
It is not a new survey. We haven't visited the property and can only comment on what the original surveyor recorded.
It is not a valuation, and cannot be used for mortgage or lending purposes.
It does not replace the original surveyor's liability to you. If the report missed something, that remains their responsibility.
Cost figures are indicative brackets to inform negotiation, not quotations.
Reviewer — Gary Rutherford, AssocRICS
Regulation — RICS Registered Valuer · RICS-regulated firm
Practice — Rutherford Residential Surveying Ltd, Kent and East Sussex
Background — Carpentry, site management and project management; still runs a building and refurbishment contracting business
Insurance — Professional indemnity insurance held
Most surveyors have never priced a job or run a site. Most builders have never written a survey. Gary has done both for a long time, which is why he can look at a paragraph about "localised elevated moisture readings to the rear addition" and tell you whether that means a £300 gutter repair or a £9,000 tanking job, and what he'd want to see before deciding.
RRS carries out Level 2 and Level 3 surveys across Kent and East Sussex every week. The review service exists because buyers outside that area, or buyers who already have a report, kept asking the same question: is this bad?
Quote: A survey report tells you what was found. A review tells you what to do about it.
Before you book
My survey was done by another firm. Is that a problem?
No, that's the point. We review reports from any RICS-regulated firm and will not criticise the surveyor for the sake of it. Where a report is thorough we'll say so. Where it's thin, we'll tell you what's missing and whether it's worth going back to them.
Can you review the survey before I've received it?
Not usefully. If you haven't instructed a survey yet and the property is in Kent or East Sussex, book a Level 2 or 3 with RRS directly and the plain-English walkthrough is included.
How is the review delivered?
The written summary comes as a PDF by email. We then book the call at a time that suits you, usually within a day or two of the summary going out.
Can I use the review to renegotiate?
Yes, and that's how most people use it. The written summary is set out so you can forward the relevant section to the agent. Note that the original survey remains the formal document; our review is an opinion to help you act on it.
What if I have questions after the call?
Short clarifications by email are included at no charge. If the report is amended or you get further investigation results, we can review those for a reduced fee.
Do you review Level 1 condition reports or mortgage valuations?
Level 1 reports, yes, at the Level 2 fee. Mortgage valuation reports contain too little detail to be worth reviewing; we'll tell you that and refund you if one is sent by mistake.
If you buy it and the work needs doing
Intro:
For properties in Kent and East Sussex, RRS can run the repairs for you as an independent project manager. This is a separate service with its own terms and fee, offered only where it makes sense.
Schedule of works. The survey findings turned into a written scope contractors can price against, so quotes are comparable.
Tender and appointment. Two or three suitable contractors invited to quote, quotes checked line by line, a recommendation, and a simple written contract.
Stage inspections. Site visits at the points that matter, with photographs and a short note after each one.
Payment control. Contractors are paid on our confirmation that the work is done to standard, not on their say-so.
Snagging and sign-off. A final inspection and a list of anything outstanding before the last payment goes out.
Independence
We do not carry out the building work ourselves and we take no payment from contractors. Our only fee is the one you pay us.
Start small if you prefer: the schedule of works and tender stage can be bought on its own for a fixed fee.
Fees are agreed in writing before any work starts. Ask on your review call and we'll send a proposal.
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Send us the report
Fill this in and we'll email you a secure upload link and payment request.
Nothing is charged until we've confirmed we can help.
Prefer email? Send the report straight to enquiries@rrsurveying.co.uk with the property address in the subject line.