Staircases (Part 1) – is it the most taken-for-granted part of the home?
How often have you considered the staircase in your home? Or if you’re looking to buy, do you really take note of the condition of the stairs? Unless you’re in a bungalow, the stairs are in fact one of the … Find out more
When garden walls lean, collapse and go bad
When was the last time you checked your garden walls or if you are buying had a look to see what the walls are like? The cost of repair or replacement of brick and masonry garden walls can be considerable … Find out more
The power of roots and poor retaining walls
Here’s a garden retaining wall that garden wall we found on a single defect survey. A retaining wall is intended to hold back ground on one side of it that is higher than the ground on the other, the load … Find out more
Surveys of lofts and roofs – what we look for
Do surveyors inspect the loft? Its a question we are often asked and yes, we do for both building surveys and homebuyer reports. But, what are we looking for in a loft survey and what should you expect to see? … Find out more
Identifying cavity wall insulation problems
Problems associated with cavity wall insulation could be widespread. One newspaper reports: “1.5 million homes are blighted by damp after cowboy builders cash in on a Government insulation drive”. Another asked: “Could the cavity-wall insulation scandal rival PPI?”. Many post war … Find out more
Condensation dispute calls for expert help
As surveyors providing expert witness advice in housing disrepair cases, we are often asked to advise on condensation issues. We recently helped a client who was having problems with a tenant complaining of condensation with damp walls and mould growth. … Find out more
Surveyor or Chartered Surveyor?
Not all surveyors are equal – anyone can call themselves a surveyor. It’s not a protected title like architect or solicitor. And because anyone can call themselves a surveyor they can do so with no training at all, that means … Find out more
Building surveys vs Specialist Damp Report
As a firm of professionally qualified surveyors, there’s nothing much that annoys us more than those who sit on the fence when they find damp and recommend a ‘specialist damp report’. These are usually poor quality surveyors intending solely to … Find out more
Don’t put off minor building repairs – 79p now or £1,000 then?
That pesky missing gutter end cap, you know the 79p part that push fits onto the gutter if only you could be bothered to go up the ladder. The one you remember every time it rains and the gutter just … Find out more