SURVEYORS IN THE LICHFIELD AREA - INDEPENDENT RICS HOBUYERS REPORTS AND BUILDING SURVEYS

Our Surveyors have at least thirty years experience of preparing residential building surveys, homebuyers surveys and valuation surveys in the Lichfield area

We are also highly experienced Independent Experts for residential property in Lichfield in respect of matters such as valuation, boundaries and construction disputes.

Specializing in residential property surveys and valuations has inspired confidence in a wide range of clients including individuals, large and firms of solicitors in Lichfield

Our Lichfield RICS Surveyors are fully qualified Chartered Surveyors, Registered Home Inspectors and RICS Regulated Valuers ensuring the practice complies with exacting standards.

We provide a professional, cost effective residential property survey service and try to be as accessible as possible. Our survey reports are written in plain language with minimal caveats. Our clients like our straight forward approach, and that we try to go that little bit further on behalf of the client. Clients are particularly welcome to attend the survey so that defects can be discussed on site.

Property matters can be very worrying. You can invariably telephone one of our RICS Chartered Surveyors between 8.00 am and 6 .00 pm seven days per week. If you have a problem or don't understand something please feel free to call. Clients are also most welcome to meet our surveyors on site

Our surveyors can invariably visit clients in Lichfield the same day or next day, at the office or home.

Lichfield surveyors homebuyers report on a 1935 semi detached house

Our Lichfield surveyors found frost damaged bricks blocked vents and poor insulation that was likely encourage condensation, substandard electrics, a dangerous glass door, potenially dmp quarry tile floors, old ceilings that were at risk of collapse, missing firebreak walls and missing roof linings.

RICS HOMEBUYERS SURVEYS AND VALUATIONS

One of our more popular forms of survey, the Home Buyers Report is used to assess the condition of properties that are less than 150 years old and is always recommended for newer properties. A detailed Home Buyers Report by one of our qualified Chartered Surveyors is recommended for properties in this category as it provides crucial information about the condition of the property you are intending to purchase.

With a Homebuyer Report, buyers can be made aware of any hidden defects, enabling more time to arrange for any necessary repairs. Equipped with a HomeBuyer Report’s findings it may be possible to renegotiate the purchase price or may even lead you to reconsider the purchase altogether.

A generic Home Buyers Report assesses the overall condition of the property by looking at all visible and accessible areas. This inspection will normally take around two to three hours, although this is dependent on the type and size of the property. Following inspection, a report documenting the survey findings is put together and includes a Market Valuation of the property. Our surveyor will present the report and findings to the client and offer professional advice regarding any major or immediate defects which may need attention.

RICS surveyors Homebuyers Report on a 1960s detached house near to Lichfield

Lichfield RICS Homebuyers Surveyors RICS Home Buyers Survey Report 1960 detached house. Problems included damaged and hard to obtain roof tiles, a flat roof holding water, collapsing retaining walls, poor channel arrangements in a drain chamber leading to blockages, a warm air system with potential maintenance and asbestos issues, and leaking balcony surfaces decaying the supporting decks

LICHFIELD SURVEYORS BOUNDARY AND EXPERT WITNESS DEFECT REPORTS

Expert witness CPR 35 surveyors report on a collapsed wall at Lichfield for county court

Our RICS Chartered Surveyors provide expeert witness reports for the County, Family and Crown Court for disputes involving a wide rnage of matters including valuations for matrimonial purposes, boudary and righhts of way dipsutes and claims against builders for defective workmanship incuding driveways, conservatories, kitchens, tiles, floors and bathrooms.

In this case both parties were trying to deny ownership of a collapsed retaining wall. Our boundary dispute surveyors were easily able to resolve the question of ownership by reference to the title deeds. The owners of both properties abutting the boundary wall then blamed the other for its substantial and expensive collapse. As the boundary wall remains unrepaired and unstable it is likely that the property on the lower side of the wall is not mortgagable knocking many thousands of pounds off its value. Our surveyors were able to demonstrate with a few trial pits constructed against the wall that the movement of the wall had occurred entirely above ground level on the lower side of the wall. This confirmed that the wall had collapsed because it had been unable to cope with the weight bearing against it rather than because the foundations had rotated due to supposedly leaking drains on the adjacent property as the owner of the walls structural engineer had tried to claim.

Measurement with a spirt level suggest to our surveyors that the top fifteen course of bricks lean out 150mm from above the point at which two large longitudinal structural roof timbers bear into the wall. The top ten course of the wall are of single skin construction and particularly vulnerable to further movement. The the likely cause of the leaning wall is failure to restrain it at the time of construction.

Our surveyors recommened demolishing the top fifteen course of brickwork and rebuild them with a 225mm wall tied together with either bricks laid across the wall or metal ties. Straps set into the centre of the wall can be secured to the roof structure. The straps can be secured to the existing longitudinal timbers and to planks screwed across and perpendicular to the rafters just below each side of the apex. 18mm x 120mm x 2.4m floor boards or similar would suffice.

COMPETETIVE HOME BUYERS AND STRUCTURAL SURVEY FEES IN THE LICHFIELD AREA BY RICS CHARTERED SURVEYORS

We can provide a rapid response in the Lichfield areas at low cost. Homebuyers Report and Building Survey prices are fixed so that you know exactly where you are.

LOW COST SURVEYORS HOMEBUYERS REPORT FEES IN LICHFIELD

LOW COST SURVEYORS BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL SURVEY FEES IN LICHFIELD

RICS CHARTERED SURVEYORS LICHFIELD>

Lichfield Surveyors Defect Photographs

Lichfield Wasps nests discovered by our Chartered Surveyors during a Lichfield Homebuyers Survey. These are only small examples, completed ones can be about as big as a football. They are no harm to the property and can be left unharmed unless the wasps are actually causing a nuisance, although most people never know that they have been there. The become extinct in winter and the Queen moves on.

A Homebuyers Survey and Report by our Chartered Surveyors noted a missing earthing wire in Lichfield. The pipes under the boiler should have a cable with green and yellow sleeve connecting back to an earth. Lack of earthing makes it dangerous to use metal light fittings or switches and is likely to be indicative the system is dated or installed by an amateur.

Surveyors in Lichfield came across this original 1960's door on a Homebuyers Survey in Lichfield. Our Chartered Surveyors advised that the glass was not toughened and poses a risk to anybody falling against it. All glass doors and glass panels below 80cm from the floor fitted in properties today have to have toughened glazing panels.

Corroding Steel in Lichfield. Rust discovered by our Chartered Surveyors on a Lichfield Homebuyers Survey and Report. The rust is caused by corrosion of the steel beads used to give the external render a straight edge. The rust may eventually force the render off. Unfortunately the only way to remedy the problem is to remove the angle bead and insert another which is not expensive. However most would than want to repaint the unsightly patch repair of the render and it then becomes necessary to paint the whole elevation for a satisfactory finish.

Lifting thermoplastic tiles were noted by our Chartered Surveyors during a Homebuyers survey in Lichfield. Our surveyors always treat lifting thermoplastic tiles with suspicion as they may be caused by dampness. There appeared to be an impervious membrane under these tiles suggesting that they are lifting due to poor bonding or a water spillage.

Asbestos flue seen by our Lichfield Surveyors

Our Lichfield surveyors frequently encounter asbestos during homebuyers and building surveys in the Lichfield area. This is a typical asbestos cement flue pipe common in properties built from about 1950 until 1990. The asbestos is well encapsulated in the cement and a low risk. Other areas that asbestos is commonly found are asbestos cement rainwater goods, toilet waste pipes, the roofs and panels of outbuildings and textured ceiling coatings. The asbestos is well encapsulated in such material and low risk to health. In thirty years of surveying properties or surveyors have only come across high risk asbestos on one occasion where an asbestos blanket had been used to seal the opening around a boil flue pipe where it entered a chimney similar to the one shown.

KNOTWEED SEEN BY RICS SURVEYORS LICHFIELD

Japanese Knotweed has been the source of much controversy among surveyors in recent years. Lenders will now not lend in some situations and require extensive treatments plans to be put in place in others. The house buying public have heard tales of the problems that is can cause and to specifically look for it is now a regular instruction received from clients. The concern is not entirely without cause as there have been instances of new build properties having been constructed on top of it after which in its determination to escape it will grow through the junctures of floors and walls. However small clumps in the back garden of older houses are unlikely to be a threat to a property and have spawned a treatment industry that thrives on fear and mis-understanding of the plant and nervous surveyors.

'All but for a ha'penny-worth of tar!' Severe water damaged caused to a Lichfield property because of a broken gutter. The gutter could have been repaired for about £50.00. Not only had the water damaged the first-floor bedroom but the ground floor lounge as well. Both would need extensive re-plastering. In cases of severe water ingress are Lichfield surveyors are always mindful of dry rot if suspended timber ground floors are present. Cases of very destructive dry rot are often caused by sudden changes in the moisture levels.

Fracturing above a large window opening on a Lichfield Victorian terrace. Such openings are not typical of these types of properties sugegsting that it is a strucctural alteration. There is no evidece that a steel lintel has been instlled above the plastic framed window. The frame may have distorted slightly under the weight of the brickwork causing the fracturing. Our Lichfield surveyors see such movement at many properties. It is seldom cause for serious concern although to install the lintel retrospectively is likely to casue some disturbance and cost in the region of £500.00