Level 2 Home Survey
For conventional, reasonably modern homes that appear to be in decent nick. Detailed enough to be useful; concise enough to remain readable.
Is Level 2 right for me? →Buying a house? Deep breaths…
We find the nasty surprises before you buy them.
Detailed, straight-talking building surveys across Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Warts, woodworm and wildly optimistic DIY extensions included.
Matthew Gardiner MRICSOver 20 years’ experienceOlder buildings enthusiast*
*Yes, even the gloriously wonky ones.
Why Sodbury Property?
Because buying a house is quite stressful enough.
A survey should make the decision clearer—not hand you 80 pages of caveats and wish you the best of luck.
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Plain English, proper expertise
We translate the building science. We don’t remove it.
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Context, not catastrophising
A 1720 cottage is not judged like a 2020 new build. That would be daft.
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A human after the report
You can talk the findings through with the surveyor who actually inspected the property.
Surveying since 2006Hello, I’m Matthew!
I poke around houses for a living.
Chartered Building Surveyor, old-building obsessive and founder of Sodbury Property Consultancy.
I started on the drawing board in 2006 before discovering that I preferred crawling through lofts and side-eyeing suspicious cracks to sketching cornices in CAD. I qualified as MRICS in 2017 and set up this practice in 2020 after years in larger consultancies.
The mission was simple: stop the nonsense. No jargon. No conveyor-belt reports. No pretending every crack is either “just settlement” or imminent apocalypse. Just careful investigation and advice people can actually use.
When I’m not exploring drains or retreating from wasp nests, I co-run an independent bookshop with my wife and get dragged around the Gloucestershire countryside by Hubble, our springer spaniel. He remains unregulated by RICS.
MRICSRICS Expert Witness CertificateRICS-regulated firmLoads of 5-star reviews
How can we help?
Proper advice. Zero waffle.
Every house is different, so every inspection is different. We’ll recommend the service that suits your property and your decision—not simply the one with the biggest fee.
Level 3 Building Survey
For older, altered, unusual or visibly defective properties. The full works—not a template with your address pasted on top.
Tell me about Level 3 →Defect Investigation
Damp, cracks, leaks or something that goes bump in the extension. We investigate why it is happening—not merely what product might cover it up.
Investigate a problem →Party Wall Advice
Building near the neighbours? Received a notice? Get calm, practical advice before the garden fence becomes an international border.
Discuss party wall matters →Expert Witness
Independent technical investigation and CPR Part 35-compliant reporting for residential defects, disrepair and construction disputes.
Discuss a case →The painless bit
From listing link to actual clarity.
Buying a property has enough paperwork, hold music and mysteriously unavailable solicitors. Arranging the survey can be simple.
Send us the property
Share the address or agent’s listing and tell us where you are in the process.
Get an honest answer
We recommend the right service, explain why, and give you a clear fee.
Matthew investigates
One thorough inspection. Plenty of photographs. Occasional cobwebs.
You know what’s what
A clear report, sensible priorities and a conversation about what it all means.
Don’t just take our word for it.
See exactly what you’ll receive.
Have a proper look through our sample reports before you instruct us. No carefully cropped screenshots and no mysterious “example pages”—the complete documents are yours to inspect.
Level 2 Sample Survey
A complete example report for a conventional home, showing our condition ratings, photographs and practical recommendations.
Download Level 2 sample ↓Level 3 Sample Survey
A complete example of our most detailed building survey for older, altered or more complicated properties.
Download Level 3 sample ↓Which Survey Do I Need?
A short, plain-English guide to choosing between a Level 2 and Level 3 survey without needing a qualification in survey terminology.
Download the guide ↓The important small print.
Not thrilling beach reading, admittedly—but available whenever you need it.
Go on, send it over.
What are we looking at?
Send the listing, the address or a description of whatever the building has decided to do. If we’re not the right people, we’ll tell you. Revolutionary, apparently.