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Free Guide for Home Buyers in the UK

My name is Níall. I've worked as an Architect in the UK since 2004 and set up my own practice in Edinburgh back in 2009. 

 

In 2021 I started Real Life Architecture, making content about the reality of altering, extending, buying and building homes in the UK. The channel has grown to over 100,000 followers across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

 

Through this work, I now run an online consultation service that has helped hundreds of people at the very start of their construction journey — and the most popular consultation I offer is for buyers, before they commit to a property.  

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This free guide contains the lessons I have learned over the years. I have worked with and advised hundreds of homebuyers; this guide contains the basics everyone should know before buying a home that needs work done. 

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What's in the Guide?

This guide is for anyone buying a home in the UK that needs work —its in the right location, but the property is not ideal. Maybe it's too small, the internal layout does not flow or the building is old and needs renovating.

 

This guide is not legal or financial advice on the buying process itself. It is a guide to the architectural questions you should be asking before you commit to a property. 

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It's split into three parts:

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  • How to research a property before you offer

  • How to handle surveys

  • Practical things every buyer should know. 

How to plan the buying proccess

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What isn't in the Guide

The purpose of the guide is to explain the initial steps you can do to gather important information and how to organise and understand an RICS survey.

 

The house guide does not contain detailed advice on design, construction costs or specific planning guidance and building regulation requirements. If you need this level of advice then an online consultation is best. 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Free Guide for Homebuyers

What is the free guide for UK home buyers and who is it for?
The free guide is a written resource for anyone buying a home in the UK that needs work — a property in the right location but too small, poorly laid out, or in need of renovation. It is not a guide to the legal or financial buying process. It is a guide to the architectural questions you should be asking before you commit to a property. It covers how to research a property for free before you offer, how to choose the right type of building survey, and eleven practical things every buyer planning to alter or extend their home should know.
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What can I find out about a property for free before I make an offer?
More than most buyers realise. Four free searches — checking the listing status, checking whether the property is in a conservation area, reading the planning history, and using the Google Street View time travel feature — can tell you what the seller and previous owners have tried to do with the property, what the local authority has approved or refused, and what the building has visibly been through over the past decade. Together they take about two hours and require no professional involvement. The guide explains exactly how to carry out each search.
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How do I check whether a property is listed in Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Each UK nation has its own database. In Scotland, search the Historic Environment Scotland Designations portal at portal.historicenvironment.scot. In England, use the National Heritage List for England at historicengland.org.uk. In Wales, use Cadw's Cof Cymru database at cadw.gov.wales. In Northern Ireland, use the Department for Communities Buildings Database. Search by address and also by street name — many Victorian and Georgian terraces are listed as a group entry rather than by individual house number.
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What is the difference between a Level 2 and Level 3 building survey, and which do I need if I am planning to extend or alter the property?
A Level 2 RICS HomeBuyer Report covers the visible parts of a property and is suitable for modern homes where only cosmetic work is planned. A Level 3 RICS Building Survey is the most comprehensive level: the surveyor inspects all accessible parts of the property in detail, identifies defects, explains their causes, and advises on remedial work and likely costs. If you are planning to extend, alter, or renovate a property — or if it is older or in poor condition — always commission a Level 3. It is the only level that examines the structure in enough depth to inform your future plans.
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What should I do after I've read the guide and completed my own research?
The guide covers everything you can find out yourself before consulting a professional. The next step is a 30-minute online consultation, which takes the research you have done and gives you a specific professional assessment of whether your plans are realistic for the property you are considering. A consultation before buying a house costs £150. Same-day slots are available at £225 for buyers under time pressure. The more research you have done before the call, the more useful those 30 minutes will be.
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The guide says a mortgage valuation is not a survey — what should I commission instead?Commission your own independent Level 3 Building Survey directly, separately from anything your mortgage lender arranges. A mortgage valuation is done for the lender's benefit and will not assess structural defects, damp, drainage, or the suitability of the property for the work you plan. The fee for a Level 3 Building Survey — typically several hundred pounds for a basic survey, more than a thousand for a comprehensive one — is the cheapest insurance you will buy in the entire purchase process. Always have the survey in hand before you exchange contracts.

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