Yes. Although my role is to assess the condition of a property rather than tell a client what to do, where I understand a client’s situation, likely repair budget and lifestyle, there have been cases where I have advised that proceeding may not be in their best interests.

Such cases have involved a property that was the subject of an ongoing insurance claim for subsidence. In my opinion, the uncertainty surrounding the underpinning works, the potential difficulty obtaining future insurance and the possible effect on future resale made the risk greater than my client was comfortable taking. On another occasion, I surveyed a house for a young family that required extensive repairs. After discussing the likely costs, disruption and the amount of work involved, we agreed that taking on such a major renovation at that stage in their lives was probably not the right decision. Especially when alternative houses, in better condition and at the same price, were available on the market.

My responsibility is to give honest, independent advice. Sometimes that advice gives clients the confidence to proceed with a purchase; occasionally, it helps them decide to walk away. I sometimes find myself acting as the head when my client’s heart has fallen in love with a property full of character but also in very poor condition.

The weather has only stopped David completing an inspection on three occasions in 20 years, including when a gale was taking down trees, and having to return to properties on two occasions when the snow was covering the roof and gardens. A further inspection was made once the snow had melted the following week. Heavy rain can often be a bonus as he can see how well gutters are performing.

We will request information such as the estate agent’s details for the property, address and purchase price to allow us to prepare a quotation for the survey. If you choose to proceed, we will arrange access with the estate agent and then send a confirmation letter with an invoice payable two weeks prior to the survey date. With as little as three survey slots per week, it is important for us to confirm the instruction, and allows us sufficient time to undertake desktop research before visiting the property. Sliding scale refunds for payments are available should you need to cancel the survey.

Usually 1-3 weeks’ lead-in time. Because we allow sufficient time for each inspection and the associated report preparation, we have as few as three survey slots per week. Therefore, our timescales are often longer than those of corporate firms that employ several surveyors, use more tick-box automated reporting systems, and issue a report very soon after the inspection. Our reputation for thorough inspections and reports often means longer lead times, and it is therefore beneficial to confirm your survey slots as soon as you can.

Usually 5-7 days. Following the report being dictated, it is manually typed by our secretary. David then reviews the report, clarifies advice and the overall summary before the report is then proofread and sent by email to our clients.

David will, however, telephone soon after the on-site inspection to update house purchasers on any major issues that could prompt them to pause conveyancing work until they have read the report, or to advise there were no fundamental defects. I understand that buying a house can be incredibly stressful, and this phone call often reassures clients that there is nothing major to worry about and they can proceed.

In most cases, three Level 3 Surveys per week. Because we undertake thorough inspections on older houses, there is usually only time for one inspection a day. We also allow for travelling time throughout East Sussex and Kent. Our work doesn’t finish when we shut the door on our inspection, we spend as much time preparing the report as we do on site. Therefore, our usual week looks like three days inspecting with initial phone calls to clients, and two for preparation of reports.

A defect inspection is often for homeowners who have concerns over the condition of their property. We recommend you commission a defect inspection before contacting buildings insurers as this could have a negative impact on the cost of future premiums or the property being logged as having a claim. In many cases, the level of cracking does not warrant an insurance claim, and basic repairs can be undertaken as part of general maintenance.
Typically, a crack inspection will involve:-
– Identifying the type of construction present, such as a solid or cavity wall, suspended timber floor.
– A visual inspection of the areas of concern, taking measurements of cracking and comparing with the Category of Cracking within BRE Digest 251 Assessment of Damage in Low Rise Buildings. Spirit level readings may also be taken.
– Commenting on other areas which may influence the movement, such as roof thrust, cavity wall tie corrosion or failure of lintels.
– A report with photographs suggesting the likely cause of the defect and suggesting a staged approach to repairs or further investigations. In some cases, the investigations could include opening up works or assessment and design by a structural engineer. There would be additional charges for these investigations to be paid by you to others directly, who will report to you.

A typical damp inspection will involve:-
– Identify the type of construction present, such as a solid or cavity wall, suspended or timber floor.
– A visual inspection to identify areas of damage caused by dampness.
– A moisture meter is used as a guide to ‘profile’ and compare potential areas of dampness throughout the property. It measures electrical resistance, not true moisture content on the assumption that the less resistance; the higher the moisture content as water is a good conductor. High moisture meter readings alone will not result in a recommendation for repairs as many lime-plastered walls can often have high moisture meter readings but allow evaporation without damage. Some materials such as foil-backed wallpapers, concrete blocks and additives in plaster can give false readings.
– An external inspection to identify any contributing factors such as leaking gutters or downpipes, high ground levels bridging a damp proof course or floor level, lack of air bricks for floor ventilation, suspected damaged drains or blocked cavities.
– The report may also identify past inappropriate repairs such as using cement mortar or render instead of lime on solid walls
– The report may suggest a staged approach for repairs, such as lowering ground levels then monitoring internal dampness before deciding whether to replaster.
– Where possible, floorboards should be lifted prior to the inspection by you to check the condition of the joists and wall plates. Where not possible, the report will set out potential repairs following further investigations such as replacing joists.

A Level 3 Survey is a comprehensive inspection and report. It can be undertaken on any house where a client would like more detailed information on the property they are buying. It is recommended for older period properties, including large 1930s semi-detached houses, Victorian terraces, and Listed Timber Framed buildings.The Level 3 Survey includes additional desktop research, including items such as reviewing and commenting on the EPC, flood risk, whether the property is within a conservation area or AONB, and research into any past Planning, Listed Building Consent or Building Regulations Applications logged on the Local Authorities’ publicly accessible databases. Additional guidance is also given to your conveyancing solicitor to highlight where alterations to a Listed Building or a converted property should have received past approvals to reduce the risk of you being affected by future Enforcement Action.
The Level 3 Survey inspection takes longer on site as I dictate very detailed site notes in every room and every building element before further summarising this for inclusion in the main body of the report.
Sections included within the Level 3 survey include:
– Comment on the location and local environment
– Construction
– Chimney stacks
– Roof coverings
– Gutters and roof line
– Main walls
– Windows
– Porches and conservatories
– Rooof structure
– Ceilings
– Walls and partitions
– Floors
– Chimney breasts and fireplaces
– Internal joinery
– Kitchens and bathrooms
– Electricity
– Gas/oil
– Water heating and hot water
– Drainage
– Garages and outbuildings
– Gardens
The Level 3 Survey highlights essential repairs in red and maintenance issues in amber at the bottom of each section. These items are also collated towards the front of the report, and estimated costings are given for essential repairs, which can sometimes run into tens of thousands of pounds on larger, older properties in poor condition.
Additional advice is also given on how to undertake the repairs. For example instead of stating repointing is needed, the report may advise that the existing cement mortar should be removed, and repointing should be undertaken in a lime mortar of a similar mix and strength to the original.

A Level 2 Survey is recommended for modern houses with standard construction where clients are looking for peace of mind that there are no major defects and are happy to accept that ongoing maintenance work will be needed.
The report has shorter sections on each building element, such as ceilings and walls, and makes more general comments on condition. Essential repairs such as replacing a leaking flat roof will be listed, and warnings given when there are major defects such as subsidence, or water ingress leading to the decay of a suspended floor.
Unlike the Level 3 Survey, estimated costs for the essential repairs will not be given, and maintenance tasks will not be listed.

A Defect Inspection is often for the current homeowner who has concerns over dampness, woodrot, woodworm or cracking.

A Level 2 Survey is for a conventional house, or bungalow built from common building materials and in reasonable condition, as recommended by the RICS. I often recommend that houses that have been significantly altered, such as a roof conversion or extension; and most houses older than the 1930s/40s should have a Level 3 survey. These houses are approaching 100 years old and could be suffering from age-related deterioration to roof coverings, corroding wall ties, and decay to suspended timber floors.

A Level 3 Survey provides the most detailed advice with more guidance on how the repairs should be undertaken, provides estimated costings for essential repairs, and a list of ongoing maintenance tasks. Clients often comment on how thorough and detailed our reports are, and that they have found the document useful for many years when maintaining their house. A Level 3 survey is strongly recommended on Listed Buildings where additional advice is also needed on where alterations may have been undertaken to the property, and in some cases these may not have obtained the relevant approvals.
If you are unsure which survey you need, please telephone us to discuss, and we would be happy to help.

No, I believe that if a surveyor is regularly paying an estate agent for survey work, they can start to rely on those paid referrals for workload. There could become a conflict of interest, where the surveyor is more concerned about upsetting the agent and disrupting their commercial relationship than providing the best possible independent service for their client who is buying the house.

I do not receive any commissions from the contractors whose contact details I provide to my clients for work or further investigations. Most of these contractors or consultants have carried out work for me personally on my own house, or I have received positive feedback from clients on their service.

The only situation where a referral fee may be paid is to other surveying firms who cannot resource or provide the specialist advice on older buildings for their clients, and I then carry out the work for the other firm or independently.

I dictate everything I see on site and take photos within a bespoke iPhone app. Whilst on site, I dictate summaries of each section, such as roof coverings. At the end of the survey inspection, I prepare an overall summary. The dictation is then typed by my secretary, who also proofreads. I review the report, making corrections and clarifications, and also provide costings for essential repairs. I also undertake desktop research on items such as flood risk and subsoil, and review publicly available records of planning applications for the property. My secretary then proofreads a second time before the report is sent to the client.

A basic Level 2 Survey it takes around three hours on site. A Level 3 survey, with additional advice dictated on site, takes at least 4 hours. A larger house takes around six hours, and a much larger, complicated or Listed countryside house can take two days, depending on the floor area and number of outbuildings. Very large houses with several annexes have taken up to three days in the past.
In addition to the physical inspection we spend an equal amount or more time on the preparation of the report, ensuring that advice is clear and photographs are relevant to any defects present. We also estimate the costings for repairs during office time.