Home Buyers Surveys from Ealing Chartered Surveyors with local experience

"Ealing is located in Greater London, which has approximately 3150000 homes. Buildings range from new builds to older homes. However, when Chartered Surveyors undertake Home Buyers Surveys in Ealing, styles of building are only one aspect of the matter, as there are multiple other local issues to bear in mind. Such factors may well impact your enjoyment of the purchase, and should be borne in mind carefully. Issues include cellar dampness, clay soil heave, noise from Heathrow, highly damaging House Longhorn Beetles, parapet wall upkeep, Portland stone lapsed maintenance and local planning considerations to name but a few. A number of these are discussed in more detail later in this article. If you are considering a house in the region, we always recommend that you consider a Home Buyers Survey to avoid costly and disruptive repair work. Call us now for a HomeBuyer Report or Building Survey or get an instant quote online."

Ealing Chartered Surveyors primarily consider a range of issues, including:

Building Materials - Portland Stone

Among a range of popular building construction materials in Ealing, Portland stone is particularly common. On occasion, a cement render has been applied to the building exterior, sometimes up to the first floor level. Cement and other non-porous rendering which prevents moisture from escaping can create longer-term maintenance issues. The otherwise-attractive facade of Portland stone will be damaged over time if trapped beneath rendering, but your RICS Surveyor can address the impact render will have on a specific property at your request.

Ealing property and Leaking Parapets

Parapet walls are usually above the roof line and often sit on the boundary of the property. They are relatively exposed and regularly suffer from deterioration due to the elements.

Buildings in Ealing may suffer leaks as a result of parapets which have been poorly maintained. Leaking roofs are often down to the parapet wall, rather than the roof itself.The presence of displacement, cracking and efflorescence may indicate a leaking parapet. The Residential Surveyor in Ealing will recommend that a PVC flashing 'membrane' should be installed if not present.

Subsidence - Clay Soil

Subsidence and foundation movement can be caused by clay soil. Some clay soils are problematic. If conditions are too wet, the expanding clay soil can effectively 'heave' the property out of the ground! During the Home Buyers Survey in Ealing, your Chartered Surveyor will be on the look out for cracks and other evidence of heave or settlement. If these are suspected, a special dip test survey might be advised, which essentially requires digging up the garden.