Cross-trade guide
Buying an old Cotswold stone house: what to get checked, by whom
Short answer
Book a full survey, then add the checks a general survey does not cover. A surveyor looks at the whole house. A roofer looks closely at a stone slate roof. An electrician tests the wiring, because the standard survey does not. Check the listing, the flood risk and the papers for past work yourself.
Who checks what
Each check below is done by a different person. Book them early, because Cotswold firms can be busy.
| Check | Who does it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whole house | An RICS surveyor (Level 3 survey) | RICS suggests Level 3 for a large, older or altered house |
| Stone slate roof | A roofer | Slipped slates, failed mortar and worn lead show up close |
| Wiring | A registered electrician (EICR) | The standard survey does not cover electrical safety |
| Oil boiler and tank | An OFTEC registered technician | A leaking tank is costly to fix |
| Listing and conservation area | You, with the council map and the List | It decides what you can change later |
| Flood risk | You, on GOV.UK | Some towns by the rivers flooded in 2007 |
From RICS, Electrical Safety First and the official sources listed below, checked 15 October 2026. Sources: RICS: House surveys, the types of RICS Home Survey, Electrical Safety First: Home buyers, OFTEC: Advice for consumers, GOV.UK: Check your long term flood risk.
The survey
RICS calls its most detailed survey the Level 3 survey. It was once called a Building Survey. RICS suggests it for a large, older or run-down property, a building that is unusual or altered, or where you plan major works. Most old Cotswold stone houses fit at least one of these.
The roof
A surveyor sees a roof from the ground and the loft. A roofer can look closer, from a ladder, a scaffold or with a drone. On a stone slate roof, ask about slipped slates, the ridge mortar, the lead at chimneys and valleys, and the state of the battens. Ask the roofer to put what it finds in writing.
The electrics
Electrical Safety First tells buyers not to rely on the standard home survey for electrical safety. Ask the seller if the electrics were checked in the last ten years, and ask for the report. If there is none, have a registered electrician do an EICR. Electrics more than 50 years old should be checked and updated. Sockets in skirting boards are one sign of old wiring.
The papers for past work
Ask the seller for the consent and certificates for past work. For a listed house, that means listed building consent for each change. Unauthorised work to a listed building is a criminal offence, and West Oxfordshire District Council warns that the liability can pass to a new owner. Ask also for electrical certificates and building regulations papers.
Questions
Does a home survey check the wiring?
No. Electrical Safety First says the standard home survey does not cover electrical safety. Ask for an EICR.
How do I know if the house is listed?
Search for the address on Historic England’s Search the List. The entry gives the grade and a description.
Sources
- RICS: House surveys, the types of RICS Home Survey
- Electrical Safety First: Home buyers
- Historic England: Search the List
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 9
- West Oxfordshire District Council: Listed buildings
- Cotswold District Council: Conservation area maps
- GOV.UK: Check your long term flood risk
- OFTEC: Advice for consumers