The Level 2 report writer that thinks in RICS elements.

The RICS Home Survey Level 2 (formerly the HomeBuyer Report) is a mid-level home survey aimed at conventional, well-maintained properties. It uses traffic-light condition ratings (1=Good, 2=Maintenance, 3=Serious Defects) across the building's external, internal, services and grounds elements, and includes legal/adviser notes. It sits between a Level 1 (condition report) and a Level 3 (full Building Survey).

The Level 2 Report Writer is the manual editor — you author each section yourself with AI content suggestions on demand. Otto is the auto-mode flow built on top of the same data model: it routes a dictation transcript and photos directly into the same Level 2 report. You can switch between the two on any single report.

The default export is a branded PDF rendered from the editable web report. Word export is available as an admin-configurable output for firms that need editable .docx for client revisions.

The AI sees only the inspection data you enter and the photos you upload. It is not used to train provider models. All requests are made server-side from your Home.co.uk account.

Yes. If your firm uses a 5-point scale instead of the standard 1/2/3, define it in your firm settings. The AI prompts dynamically rebuild to use your terminology and the ratings dropdown updates accordingly.

Comparables come from our property database — the same source that powers home.co.uk's public sold-prices and rental-prices pages. You get sold properties and rental listings within a 1-mile radius, filtered by bedrooms and property type.

Most surveyors save 45–90 minutes per report. The main gains come from AI field suggestions (no starting from blank), auto-fetched comparable sales, a self-updating table of contents and one-click PDF export. Section A is also pre-filled from your firm profile, removing another repetitive step.

Yes — the editor is fully browser-based and works on any modern device. Many surveyors dictate observations using the AI Dictation tool on a phone at the property, then polish the report on a desktop or laptop afterwards.

Yes. Every element field accepts free-text observations, so you can describe non-standard construction in as much detail as needed. The AI suggestions adapt when you flag non-standard construction in the property details. For listed buildings, add conservation restrictions in Section H (legal adviser notes) or the relevant element narrative — the standard RICS element codes still apply.

The report includes a Comparable Sales appendix with a weighted valuation range derived from sold prices and rental listings within 1 mile. The final opinion of value is authored by the surveyor — the comparable data supports that judgement rather than replacing it. You can include or exclude the comparables appendix on a report-by-report basis.

Yes. Reports are saved server-side and accessible to anyone in your firm with the appropriate account permissions. A colleague can open the same report to QA specific sections, run the RICS standards check or complete outstanding elements before the lead surveyor signs off. Section A pre-fills from the signing surveyor's profile, not the person who opened the report last.

The RICS Home Survey Level 2 (formerly the HomeBuyer Report) uses a standardised element structure with traffic-light condition ratings 1/2/3 across Sections A–J. It is suited to conventional, well-maintained properties where the surveyor does not need to report on hidden areas in detail. A Level 3 Building Survey (Sections A–O) is more detailed, includes in-depth analysis of construction, materials and defect causes, and is required for older, altered, larger or non-standard properties. The Level 2 Report Writer covers Sections A–J. For Level 3, see the dedicated Level 3 Report Writer.

The built-in standards check compares each section against the RICS Home Survey Standard. It flags: element fields with a Condition Rating 2 or 3 but no supporting narrative; Section H (Legal and Adviser Issues) left entirely blank when there are Rating 3 items; missing surveyor declaration fields; the absence of a recommendation to seek specialist advice where a Rating 3 is recorded; and significant inconsistencies between the property type description in Section C and the elements inspected. The check returns section-level feedback so you know exactly what to address before delivering to the client. It is a quality-assurance prompt — not a replacement for your professional judgement or formal PI requirements.

Yes. Every save — automatic and manual — creates a timestamped snapshot of the full report, capturing the exact section content and completion percentage at that moment. Up to 50 snapshots are stored per report. If a client dispute arises after delivery, you can retrieve the exact state of the report at any point during authoring and compare it to the delivered PDF. The snapshot history also lets you restore any earlier version if a batch of revisions takes the report in the wrong direction.

Yes — that is the recommended hybrid workflow. Otto populates the sections it can reach from your dictation transcript and inspection photos; you then open the same report in the Level 2 editor to review each element, add observations Otto could not infer, polish the Section B summary, run the RICS standards check, and fetch comparable sales before generating the PDF. Every element retains its full inline AI-suggestion context regardless of which tool last touched it. See Otto auto-mode for the full dictation-to-report pipeline.

Yes. The editor adapts to flat inspections automatically — roof covering elements (D2) only appear where the surveyor has direct access, and the Grounds section (G1–G3) covers communal areas and shared services. Section C records the tenure (leasehold, share of freehold) and you can note lease length, service charge and management company details in Section H (legal adviser notes). The Comparable Sales appendix draws on leasehold sold prices filtered by the same property type and bedroom count as the subject property. The photo gallery also supports flats with communal stairwells, shared plant rooms and roof terrace elements.

Yes — same-day delivery is achievable for straightforward properties. Capture observations and photos in the editor on a phone or tablet during the inspection, or dictate observations using the AI Dictation tool. Back at the desk, Section A pre-fills from your firm profile, AI suggestions eliminate the blank-page step for each element, comparable sales fetch in seconds, and the branded PDF renders in one click. Most surveyors report that a clean three-bedroom terrace takes 1–2 hours from first key to client delivery when using the full toolkit — compared with a typical half-day in a Word workflow.

Yes — this is the Otto hybrid workflow. Dictate your observations on-site using the AI Dictation tool; Otto produces a first-draft skeleton routed into the appropriate Level 2 sections. You then open the same report in the Level 2 editor to review each element, add any detail the dictation did not capture, polish the Section B summary and run the RICS standards check before generating the PDF. Every field retains its inline AI-suggestion context regardless of which mode produced the initial content.

When you upload photos to an element, the Image AI analyses each image for clarity, relevance and defect visibility. It scores and ranks the full set, then the top 25–50 (configurable per report or firm-wide) are pulled into the photo appendix in element order — D1 through G3 — with captions matching the element code and description. You can override the selection or reorder images manually before generating the PDF.

For Level 2 reports, the structural advantages compound across every instruction. RICS element codes D1–G3 are validated automatically — no risk of a missing element slipping through. Section C pre-populates from UPRN, EPC and image data, removing a manual data-gathering step. Comparable sales fetch in seconds rather than requiring a separate browser session. The table of contents regenerates as you write and drops sections you have not used — no orphan entries to tidy. The RICS Standards Check replaces a manual read-through against the standard before delivery. The report is stored in your surveyor account and accessible between site visits and from any device, with a branded PDF generated in one click. For practices writing more than a few HomeBuyer Reports a week, the time saving per report typically exceeds 45 minutes — and it compounds across the team.

Yes. The RICS APC requires you to demonstrate that your HomeBuyer Report work meets the RICS Home Survey Standard. Writing reports in the Level 2 editor creates an auditable record: each section and element field is completed in a structured, standards-validated environment, and the RICS Standards Check provides section-level feedback before sign-off. The Comparable Sales appendix demonstrates that your valuation opinion is grounded in market evidence. Your account history logs every accepted AI suggestion, giving you a clear record of where AI assisted and where your professional judgement overrode it — a useful reference when an assessor asks how you use AI tools in your practice.

Yes. The Standard Phrases tool lets you build a library of pre-approved firm observations — recurring element descriptions, standard legal-adviser note wording, common risk disclosures — and insert them into any element narrative or priority item with a single click while editing the Level 2 report. Phrases are shared firm-wide, so a principal's preferred wording is available to every surveyor on the team. This is especially useful for high-frequency defect types that appear across many reports: flat-roof condition notes, damp-penetration observations, boiler service advisory notes, and so on.

Yes. Extensions and loft conversions are recorded within the relevant element sections — D8 (Conservatories and porches) for single-storey additions, or the main wall and roof elements (D1, D2, D3) for full two-storey extensions. In Section H (Legal and Adviser Issues) you can note any concerns about planning permission, building regulations sign-off or guarantees relating to the works. The AI field suggestions adapt to extension-related observations when you describe the construction type and any alterations in the property details (Section C). The RICS Standards Check will flag if a Condition Rating 3 observation on an extension is present but Section H is left entirely blank, prompting you to add the appropriate legal adviser note before delivery.