What data KeyWise uses
KeyWise combines three classes of input for every property:
- Public property data - HM Land Registry Price Paid records, Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), Ordnance Survey address data, local authority planning records, Environment Agency flood-risk data, and Office for National Statistics (ONS) neighbourhood statistics.
- Listing data - the asking price, marketing description, photos and floorplan as published by the agent.
- Buyer inputs - the structured observations you record at the viewing (condition, defects, questions answered by the agent, photos).
We never use the report to make a binding statement about a property's true market value or its structural integrity. The report is decision-support for your offer, not a substitute for professional inspection.
How comparable sales are considered
We pull recent Land Registry Price Paid transactions in the same postcode sector and property type, then narrow by bedroom count and tenure. Where available we cross-check against EPC floor area to flag obvious size-adjusted outliers.
Comparables are presented as a range with the median highlighted - not a single point-estimate. We do this because:
- Land Registry records lag completion by 4–8 weeks, so very recent comps may be missing.
- Condition is not captured in Price Paid data - two identical addresses can sell £40k apart on condition alone.
- Asking price ≠ achieved price. The local market context matters more than any single comp.
How condition inputs affect the report
The condition section of the report is driven by your structured observations at the viewing - damp signs, roof condition, window age, heating system, electrics, kitchen and bathroom age, and any visible structural movement. Each observation maps to a risk-weighting and, where applicable, a repair-cost range.
Condition cannot be assessed remotely. The report explicitly does not infer condition from listing photos - we treat photos as marketing material, not evidence.
How repair-cost ranges are estimated
Repair-cost ranges are built from independent UK trade-cost benchmarks: BCIS (Building Cost Information Service) public pricing, Checkatrade and PriceYourJob annual cost guides, Property Care Association (PCA) damp estimates, and HomeOwners Alliance (HOA) cost trackers. Where regional variation is material (London vs. rest of UK), we present two ranges.
Every cost figure is a range, not a quote. Actual quotes vary with access, specification, scope creep on opening up, and trade availability. Use the ranges to structure your offer; commission actual quotes before exchange.
How local area, planning, flood and environmental context are used
For each property we surface:
- Planning history on the address and immediate neighbours, from the local authority planning portal.
- Flood risk classification from the Environment Agency.
- Listed status, conservation area, tree preservation orders where the address falls within one.
- Right-of-way and access patterns common to the local typology (e.g. Walthamstow terraces with shared rear access) - flagged for buyer verification against HM Land Registry title plans.
These are flags for your solicitor to investigate, not legal advice.
What KeyWise does not do
KeyWise is not, and does not replace:
- A RICS Home Survey (Level 1, 2 or 3) or a Building Survey - these require a physical inspection by a qualified surveyor.
- A mortgage valuation - that is a lender-instructed assessment for lending purposes.
- A solicitor's conveyancing review - title, contract, searches and enquiries must be handled by a qualified conveyancer or solicitor.
- Financial or mortgage advice - speak to a regulated financial adviser or mortgage broker.
- A structural engineer's report, damp/timber specialist report, Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or gas safety certificate - KeyWise tells you when to commission these; it does not perform them.
Why it does not replace a RICS survey, mortgage valuation, solicitor or financial adviser
A RICS Home Survey Standard inspection is a regulated professional service performed inside the property by a chartered surveyor. KeyWise sits earlier in the process - it helps you decide whether a property is worth committing to at all, before you spend money on surveys, searches and legal fees. The two are complementary, not substitutes.
Mortgage valuations, conveyancing and financial advice are regulated activities. Using a KeyWise report to skip them creates legal and financial risk. Use KeyWise to arrive at those professionals already knowing what to ask - not to bypass them.
Disclaimer
KeyWise reports are decision-support tools for prospective UK home buyers. They are not a RICS survey, mortgage valuation, structural report, or legal advice. KeyWise Ltd accepts no liability for purchase decisions made on the basis of the report. Always commission a qualified surveyor and instruct a solicitor before exchange.