DPG Surveyors, a RICS-regulated firm, offers expert residential surveys and valuations in East London and Essex. We provide RICS Level Two and Three surveys, drone surveys, lease extensions, snagging surveys, and Land Registry Lease plans, all with a personalised, client-first approach and competitive pricing.
We are a firm of professional residential surveyors and valuers dedicated to assisting you with all your residential surveying needs. Our services include RICS Home Surveys, RICS Valuations, Lease Plans compliant with Land Registry requirements, and a range of other residential surveying solutions. Whether you’re purchasing a property or need advice, we are here to guide you through the process, identifying any issues within the property and helping you make informed decisions.
We aim to simplify the experience with clear, easy-to-read reports, followed by phone consultations to ensure you fully understand our findings. Every service is customised to meet your specific needs, ensuring you receive the right guidance and support throughout your property purchase.
Our RICS Home Surveys are designed to meet each client's unique requirements, ensuring that no two surveys are the same.
Level 2 Survey
The Level 2 Survey, previously known as the Homebuyer Report, is ideal for conventional properties in good condition. This survey provides a comprehensive assessment of the property’s condition and highlights any potential future repairs. It can be offered as a survey alone or with an added valuation.
A Level 2 Survey inspection involves a comprehensive assessment of both the exterior and interior of the property. Externally, this includes examining the chimney stacks, roof coverings, gutters, downpipes, main walls, windows, doors, boundaries, and gardens. Internally, we assess the condition of the roof, ceilings, walls, and floors, as well as the general state of kitchens, bathrooms, electrical, and heating systems. We also check for signs of structural movement and dampness.
The primary goal of this survey is to identify any issues that may need attention before you proceed with your property purchase.
Level 3 Survey
The RICS Level 3 Survey, previously known as the RICS Building Survey, is the most comprehensive option, providing an in-depth analysis and thorough inspection of a property. In our opinion, the Level 3 Survey is best suited for larger, older, or more complex properties.
This survey offers detailed advice on defects, repairs, and maintenance, making it ideal for properties requiring major renovations or those with significant alterations. While the inspection covers everything included in a Level 2 Survey, it is conducted in much greater detail. It should also be noted that the report is more technically written, providing a deeper understanding of the property’s condition.
We carry out RICS Red Book valuations to provide an accurate assessment of the current market value of properties in their existing condition. These valuations are essential for a variety of purposes, including probate, paying off a Help to Buy loan, marketing a shared ownership property, or simply determining the property's current value. Our Red Book valuations adhere to the highest professional standards, ensuring you receive a reliable and credible valuation report.
If you own a leasehold property and want to extend your lease, you should get a leasehold extension valuation report from a valuer surveyor. This report will determine the premium to be paid to the freeholder for the extension and help you make a fair offer. For freeholders receiving an extension offer, a valuation report is crucial to ensure the offer is fair and reflects the true value, helping you make informed decisions during negotiations.
Using a high-tech drone equipped with high-quality imaging, we are able to carry out detailed drone surveys to inspect hard-to-reach areas such as roofs, chimney stacks, gutters and other sections that cannot be seen from the ground. This technology allows us to capture close-up images of potential defects without the need to physically access the property, ensuring a thorough inspection while maintaining safety and efficiency.
A lease plan is a scale drawing that accurately depicts the exact area of land included in a lease, providing a graphic representation of the land and detailing everything within its boundaries. You may require a Land Registry-compliant lease plan if you are creating a new lease, selling land, dividing a property, or making significant alterations or extensions. This plan ensures that the property boundaries are clearly defined and legally recognised, which is crucial for protecting ownership rights and ensuring compliance with Land Registry requirements.
A snagging survey is a visual inspection of a newly built or recently completed property, aimed at identifying any defects or issues present. After the inspection, you will receive a snagging survey report detailing the problems found, which you can present to the developer. This allows you to request that these issues be addressed and rectified before you complete the purchase of the property, ensuring it meets the expected standards.
Danny Goggin, founder and director of DPG Surveyors, is an Associate Member of RICS and a Registered Valuer, holding a Master’s degree in Building Surveying. His career began as a trainee negotiator at a family-run estate agency in East London, where he developed his knowledge over six years, progressing to senior valuer. Danny then joined a surveying practice, gaining experience in RICS home surveys, valuations, and lease extensions. He earned a diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation, leading to his RICS qualifications, followed by a Master’s degree. Drawing on his experience and expertise, Danny established his own firm, DPG Surveyors.
Danny's aim is to continue helping as many people as possible through their home purchasing process.
To help you with your process, we have provided answers to some frequently asked questions. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our friendly team.
Get in touchA home survey is a comprehensive visual inspection of a property, both externally and internally. It assesses the property’s condition and highlights any issues in an easy-to-understand report format. The purpose of this is to help you decide whether to proceed with the purchase or to consider renegotiating the asking price with the vendor.
In England and Wales, it is not a legal requirement to get a home survey when purchasing a property, but we highly recommend it. A home survey provides crucial information and can influence your decision on whether to proceed with the purchase. It can even save you money by identifying issues within the property that you may not be aware of, or by giving you the opportunity to renegotiate the price with the vendor for any necessary repairs.
When buying a property with a mortgage, your lender will likely carry out a valuation to ensure the property is worth the amount they are lending. They may inspect the property, perform a desktop valuation, or conduct a drive-by valuation. If either of the last two methods is used, the property is not physically inspected. However, even if they decide to inspect it, this is a limited check, solely to confirm the property’s value for lending purposes.
It’s important to note that themortgage valuation is for the lender’s benefit, not the buyer’s. The inspectionand report do not provide the same level of detail as a RICS Home Survey. Evenwith a physical inspection, significant issues that may be present within theproperty may not be identified. This is why it’s crucial to have a RICS HomeSurvey conducted by us to ensure you have a thorough understanding of theproperty’s condition.
A surveyor will conduct a thorough inspection of a property, both internally and externally, to identify any potential issues. Externally, we check for structural problems and assess the condition of the roof, chimney stacks, gutters, downpipes, soffits, fascia boards, windows, and doors. They will also inspect the boundaries and whilst looking out for plants like Japanese knotweed or other growths, such as trees, that could damage the property or pose a risk to occupants. After completing the external inspection, the surveyor will move inside, starting with the loft to assess the condition and structure of the roof timbers, check for dampness, and confirm insulation levels. The internal inspection includes a detailed review of ceilings, walls, floors, bathrooms, the kitchen, heating systems, and electrics, as well as checking walls for dampness. Additionally, the surveyor will note any work that may have required planning permission or building regulation approval, so your legal advisor can verify that the appropriate documentation is in place. The surveyor will also look out for other legal concerns for your legal advisor to verify.
It is the buyer’s responsibility to arrange a private survey of the property they are purchasing. This is not something that their solicitor will handle unless it has been specifically agreed upon beforehand. The buyer should contact a qualified surveyor to ensure a thorough inspection is carried out, giving them valuable information about the property's condition before completing the purchase.
If you are purchasing a property with a mortgage, we recommend that you instruct a surveyor once your mortgage offer has been approved and the mortgage valuation has been completed. Alternatively, once your offer on the property has been accepted, this is an ideal time to consider instructing a surveyor to carry out a private, comprehensive survey. A detailed survey will provide a thorough understanding of the property’s condition, helping you make informed decisions before finalising the purchase.
When viewing properties, there are several important questions to ask. For houses, inquire if the property has been structurally altered or extended, and if so, whether building regulation approval and planning permission have been signed off. It's also helpful to ask what improvements the current owners have made to the property, why they are moving, and how long they’ve lived there.
For flats, be sure to ask how many years remain on the lease, the amount of the service charge and ground rent, and if any planned works are scheduled for the building. If the flat has been altered, ask whether permission was obtained from the freeholder and if building regulation approval was granted. These questions can provide important insight into the property’s history and potential future costs.
London Office
Wanstead Works
34-40 High Street, Wanstead, E11 2RJ
0208 087 1969
office@dpgsurveyors.co.uk
