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Should You Commission a Survey Before Bidding at a Property Auction? Buying a property at auction can be exciting. The process is fast, competitive and capable of presenting opportunities that do not always reach the conventional market. However, that speed also creates substantial risk. With a conventional private sale, a buyer can usually arrange a survey after agreeing the purchase price and withdraw or renegotiate before exchange. At a traditional unconditional auction, t

Buying a Leasehold Flat: Could Major External Repairs Create a Large Service-Charge Bill? A leasehold flat can look immaculate internally while forming part of a building that requires substantial external repair. The roof, walls, balconies, windows, drainage and communal areas may be maintained by the freeholder or management company, but the cost is commonly recovered from leaseholders through service charges. A buyer should therefore consider more than the condition of the

Buying a Property With Spray-Foam Roof Insulation: What Should Your Survey Investigate? Spray polyurethane foam can be applied to the underside of a roof to improve thermal performance. However, when it is installed retrospectively within an older roof, it can create important questions for buyers, surveyors, mortgage lenders and insurers. The presence of spray foam does not automatically mean that the roof is defective or that the property cannot be purchased. Equally, a cle

How Can a Home Survey Help You Renegotiate Before Exchange? Agreeing a purchase price does not necessarily mean that the condition of the property has been fully considered. Buyers often make an offer after a short viewing, before the building has been independently inspected. A home survey may identify structural movement, roof defects, dampness, defective alterations or other liabilities that were not apparent when the offer was made. Significant findings can provide a reas

Replacement Windows in Older Properties: What Problems Can a Building Survey Reveal? Replacement windows can make an older property warmer, quieter and easier to maintain. However, a recently installed double-glazed window should not automatically be assumed to be sound. Problems may arise from unsuitable materials, inadequate structural support, poor sealing, restricted ventilation or alterations to the original openings. Some defects are visible during a viewing, while othe

Removed Chimney Breasts and Altered Walls: What Should Buyers Check? Open-plan kitchens, enlarged living rooms and additional floor space can make an older property more attractive. These improvements often involve removing internal walls or chimney breasts. Properly designed and executed alterations can perform satisfactorily. However, the finishes visible during a viewing rarely reveal how the building above is supported or whether the work received appropriate approval. A

Why Do Floors Slope or Feel Uneven in Older London Properties? Sloping and uneven floors are common in older London houses and converted flats. A slight fall across a room may have existed for many decades without creating a serious structural concern. However, not every uneven floor should be dismissed as normal for the building’s age. Localised depressions, excessive movement or noticeable changes in level can indicate deteriorated joists, inadequate support, dampness or st

Buying a Property Near Mature Trees: Should Cracking and Subsidence Concern You? Mature trees can make a residential street or garden considerably more attractive. They provide shade, privacy, wildlife habitat and a sense of established character. Their presence does not mean that a property is suffering from subsidence. Equally, trees should not be dismissed where cracking, distorted openings or a history of structural movement exists. The correct assessment depends upon the

Buying a 1930s House: Which Defects Commonly Require Further Investigation? Houses constructed during the 1930s form a substantial part of London and suburban housing stock. Many provide generous rooms, bay windows, front and rear gardens and practical family accommodation. They are often described as traditionally built, but age, maintenance and decades of alteration can create significant differences between apparently similar properties. A house may retain most of its orig

Buying a Top-Floor Flat With a Roof Terrace: What Should You Check Before Exchange? A top-floor flat with a private roof terrace can be one of the most attractive forms of London accommodation. Elevated outdoor space, natural light and views can add considerable enjoyment and value. However, a roof terrace is more than a balcony or landscaped garden. It is an occupied area constructed above another part of the building, often directly over living accommodation. Its performanc

Buying a Ground-Floor Garden Flat: What Problems Should a Survey Reveal? A ground-floor garden flat can offer advantages that are difficult to find elsewhere in London. Direct access to outside space, fewer internal stairs and accommodation opening onto a garden can make these properties especially attractive. However, their position at the base of the building creates particular risks. External ground levels, drainage, dampness, suspended floors and rear additions can all af

Buying a Recently Refurbished Property: What Defects Could Be Hidden? A recently refurbished property can be extremely attractive to a buyer. New kitchens, modern bathrooms, fresh decoration and contemporary flooring may suggest that substantial expenditure will not be required after completion. However, refurbishment can improve appearance without resolving the condition of the underlying building. In some cases, new finishes conceal dampness, cracking, defective services or

Buying a House With a Rear Extension: What Should Your Survey Investigate? Rear extensions are common throughout London. They can create larger kitchens, open-plan living areas and valuable additional accommodation. A well-designed and properly constructed extension can enhance a property considerably. However, the new structure must interact successfully with the original house, adjoining property, drainage, external ground and roof. Fresh decoration and modern finishes do n

Buying an Ex-Local Authority Flat: Why Is a Detailed Survey Important? Ex-local authority flats remain an important part of London’s housing market. They can offer generous rooms, practical layouts and locations where equivalent privately developed properties are considerably more expensive. However, the expression “ex-local authority” does not describe one form of construction. The property might be within a traditional brick-built block, a concrete-framed estate, a low-rise

Buying a London Maisonette: What Should a Level 3 Survey Examine? Maisonettes are found throughout London in converted houses, purpose-built blocks and post-war housing estates. They often offer more internal space than a conventional flat, sometimes arranged over two floors with a private entrance, garden, balcony or roof terrace. However, the word “maisonette” describes the arrangement of the accommodation rather than its construction. One maisonette may occupy part of a Vi

Defective Building Work: When Is Repair No Longer Enough? Not every construction defect requires complete replacement. A loose tile may be refixed, an isolated plumbing joint replaced and a local crack repaired once its cause has been established. However, repeated patching is not always economical or technically reliable. Where defects are widespread, concealed or linked to the underlying design, another local repair may merely postpone substantial reconstruction. The correc

When a Boundary Inspection Found No Encroachment Boundary surveyors are sometimes instructed by an owner who is convinced that a neighbour has built across the boundary. A new wall may look wider than its predecessor or appear inconsistent with the title plan. However, an investigation should not assume that encroachment occurred. The surveyor’s role is to assess the documents and physical evidence objectively. Sometimes that evidence supports the owner’s concern. In other ca

Vertical Boundary Disputes in Converted Properties: Where Does One Flat End and the Other Begin? Boundary disputes are not confined to garden fences and dividing walls. In a converted house, flats may occupy separate floors while sharing roofs, structural walls and service routes. A dispute can arise when one owner uses a roof space, alters a floor or installs services through a ceiling void. The question is then not where the boundary lies across the ground, but where one pr

Defective Building Work: What Evidence Should You Preserve Before Repairs Begin? When defective building work is discovered, the natural response is to arrange repairs quickly. However, removing or covering it before it has been recorded can destroy important evidence. If responsibility, causation or cost is later disputed, the original arrangement may be impossible to reconstruct reliably. Evidence should therefore be preserved before repairs begin wherever it is safe and re

Party Wall Schedules of Condition: Do Both Surveyors Need to Attend? A schedule of condition is commonly prepared before notifiable work begins under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. It records the visible condition of relevant parts of the adjoining property through written observations and photographs. If damage is reported during or after the work, the schedule helps the owners and surveyors establish whether it was already present. Where each owner appoints a separate survey