Know the cost of the works before you buy

Pre-Purchase Property and Works Advice

Buying a period house in London is often the start of a building project. Before you exchange, we tell you what the house really needs, what your plans will cost and what to raise with the seller. One fixed fee, a written report, and advice from people who build and repair these houses every week.

A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey tells you what is wrong with a property, but it does not normally tell you what putting it right will cost, or what the extension or loft you have in mind will cost on that particular house. That is the gap this service fills. We price the works; we do not value the property.

What You Get

• A one-hour meeting on site or by video with a director or senior estimator
• A review of the listing, floor plans, photos and your RICS survey if you have one
• A straight view of the structural, damp, roof, drainage and services risks, from people who build and repair these houses
• A written, itemised budget for the essential repairs and for your planned works, such as an extension, loft or refurbishment
• A priority split: what must be done now, what can wait and what you could do yourself
• Guidance on planning, Building Control and Party Wall matters that could affect the cost or the programme
• A document you can use to renegotiate the price with the seller

Fee

From £500 + VAT. Larger houses, flats with complex leases or more than one visit are quoted in advance. If you appoint Alstruct for the works within six months of the report, the fee is credited in full against your contract.

Timing. Tell us your target exchange date when you book, and we will plan the visit and the written report around it.

Why It Pays for Itself

A missed roof problem, a failing bay or a drainage fault can cost thousands to put right after completion. Knowing the cost before you exchange gives you the evidence to negotiate, to budget properly, or to walk away. Our guides on Bay window structural problems, leaking lead roof valleys, damp basements and cellars, victorian terrace renovation costs show the kind of problems we find on London houses.

Who It Is For

Guides for buyers: What a Level 2 Survey Does Not Tell You, Damp and Timber Reports Explained for House Buyers, Renovating a Leasehold Flat: Getting the Freeholder's Consent, How to Renegotiate a House Price After a Survey. Budgeting the works: Bathroom Renovation Cost London 2026: Refits, En-Suites and Moves and House Refurbishment Cost London 2026: What to Budget.

Frequently Asked Questions