Knowledge Base
Practical guides on building defects, construction types and the survey process, written by our RICS-regulated surveyors.
Most new builds complete with defects — from paint runs to plumbing leaks and insulation gaps. A snagging survey documents them while the developer must still put them right. When to book, what it finds, and when a full survey serves better.
Standard surveys inspect the roof from ground level with binoculars — hidden slopes, valleys and chimneys go unseen. When do you need a roof survey, what does it cover, and what can drone imagery show? A complete guide, with real drone findings.
You organise and pay for the survey when buying a house — not your solicitor, the estate agent or your mortgage lender. Who does what in a purchase, when to instruct a surveyor, and the sequencing traps that catch first-time buyers.
A mortgage valuation protects the lender, an online estimate is a marketing tool, and only a home survey reports on condition. What each product tells you, what it does not, and when you need a valuation, a survey, or both.
Free damp surveys are often provided by companies that sell the treatments they recommend — a built-in conflict of interest. Learn what an independent damp survey involves, when independence is essential, and why damp assessment is included in every Flettons survey.
Loft conversions, chimney breast removals, extensions and basements all trigger the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. When you need a party wall agreement, which notice to serve and when, who pays, what the award contains — and the real risks of skipping it.
What does a Level 3 survey cover? Every accessible part of the property — roof structure and coverings, chimneys, external fabric, interiors, visible services and grounds — analysed for cause, consequence and repair direction. Plus what it cannot cover, honestly stated. From £550.
What a Level 2 survey actually covers — and how partial it really is. Only a sample of windows is opened, WCs and taps are not operated, and the format rates condition without opining on cause. Element-by-element coverage, the limits, and when Level 3 is the right call.
Cracks worrying you before a purchase? A building surveyor assesses the whole property; a structural engineer solves a specific structural problem. Why a Level 3 Building Survey is usually the right first step, when you genuinely need an engineer, and when you need both.
A house survey visually inspects the roof, external walls, damp-proof course, windows, roof void, ceilings, floors, kitchens and bathrooms, visible services, and the grounds. Nothing is tested or opened up. What the surveyor checks, area by area, and what sits outside every survey’s scope.
A Level 2 Homebuyer Report suits modern, conventional, unaltered homes. Anything older, extended or non-standard is Level 3 territory. What each level actually inspects, where the risks concentrate, and a simple decision framework.
Homes built by Feakes & Richardson are a familiar feature of inter-war suburbs across South East London and Kent, particularly around Bexleyheath, Erith and the Bostall Park Estate. While generally robust and well laid out, these late-1920s and 1930s houses have predictable age-related issues linked to London Clay ground conditions, early cavity wall construction and later alterations. A properly focused survey is essential to separate long-standing, manageable defects from issues that carry genuine structural or maintenance risk.
Most conservation-area homes are a sound purchase — but liability for unauthorised alterations passes to the buyer on completion. What the designation really means, the warning signs to look for at viewings, and when a Level 3 survey is essential.
A converted basement with building-regulations sign-off, a working waterproofing system and a safe escape route is usually sound. Missing paperwork, musty smells or a lowered floor mean unverified work – here is what to check, ask and request before exchange.
Damp fed by the building fabric – a leaking roof, failed render, communal pipework – is normally the freeholder’s repair; condensation and mould arising inside the flat are normally the leaseholder’s to manage. How to tell which you are looking at, and what to check before exchange.
