A Building Survey is a comprehensive inspection of a property reported in a style to suit the property and your specific requirements. It's suitable for all properties, especially:

• Listed buildings
• Older properties especially those built before 1900
• Buildings constructed in an unusual way, regardless of age
• Properties on which renovations or alterations are planned
• Properties that have already been extensively altered or renovated

We examine all accessible parts of your property and you can ask to have specific areas included, so it covers any particular concerns you may have about your property. We are extremely flexible and can tailor the survey and report to your individual needs, which will be agreed between you and the Surveyor before the survey commences.

Our Building Surveys include but are not limited to details of:

• Major and minor defects (structural & non-structural) and what they could mean
• The implications of any defects and possible cost of repairs
• Results of testing walls for dampness and timbers for damage including woodworm or rot
• The condition of damp-proofing, insulation and drainage (although the latter will not be tested)
• Visual inspection of the services installations, and recommendations for any further inspection or testing
• Extensive technical information on the construction of the property and details about material used in construction
• The location and topography of the site
• Recommendations for any further specialist inspections
• Advice on remedial works required
• Sketch plans and photographs provided where appropriate

It is important that you know what to expect when our Surveyor arrives to carry out the survey. The survey will involve a detailed examination of all accessible parts of your property. However, we will not move furniture or fittings, lift flooring or disturb any finishes, as our Surveyors do not have the necessary tools and expertise to reinstate carpets etc afterwards. Another reason is that the insurance we carry does not cover damage to any fixtures or fittings. We are willing to survey floors etc but will insist that you remove finishes before we arrive and reinstate them yourself.
As a guide we would expect a typical Victorian 3 bedroom semi-detached house to take approximately three to four hours to inspect, with larger properties taking considerably longer.
If you are contemplating extending or altering the property you are buying, let us know what your proposals are before we carry out the survey and if required we will offer general advice on the property's suitability together with any special considerations that may need to be taken into account.

We will send you two bound copies of the report; one for you to keep and the other to pass on to your legal advisors so that they can action certain recommendations made in the report e.g. the existence of valid guarantees, positions of boundaries etc. We aim to issue all reports within five working days from the date of the survey.