Chartered Surveyors for RICS Homebuyers Reports and Building Surveys in the Birmingham Area

Independent Homebuyers Survey by Birmingham RICS Chartered Surveyors.

Our Birmingham independent RICS surveyors noted damp stains, a sagging floor, old inefficient boiler, substandard roof structure and mould on a Homebuyers Survey of this 1934 Semi detached house.

The thickness of the entrance arch suggests to our Chartered Surveyors that this property has solid brick walls that will be relatively cold and prone to condensation. An uneven damp proof course suggested to our surveyor that the property had suffered structural movement due to early settlement of the foundations. The surveyor suggestd in the Homebuyers Survey Report that the movement was long standing and unlikely to develop. The bricks below the dpc are covered with salts which have been left as damp evaporates off. The bricks are also starting to disintegrate due to frost damage. The face of the roof is distorted due to a warped longitudinal structural timber. Our Homebuyers Survey Report suggested that the distortion was long standing and unlikely to progress. Our Birmingham surveyors noted mould on the roof structure and suggested that ventilation be improved to prevent condensation. A small number of tiles are starting to disintegrate due to frost damage. The pointing of the hip tiles is eroding. The Homebuyers Survey Report suggsted that there was little point in replacing it as it would easily break off again. If loose the hip tiles need to be lifted off and re-bedded. A thin flat lead roof suggested to our surveyors that it was most unlikely to be insulated and will thus be cold and prone to condensation. Badly misted glazing unit due to failure of the edge seals. The seals often fail due to them sitting in water as a result of the drainage holes on the frame being blocked. Our Birmingham surveyors were concerned that small openers means there is no escape in the event of fire. Our RICS surveyors considered condensation the likely cause of a damp stain on the internal wall as the skirting board was dry and the wall below the stain was also dry. There was also no source of moisture for the stain to be caused by a leak.

Building Survey and report by Independent Birmingham RICS Surveyors

Our Birmingham RICS Surveyors found non standard construction, a leaning chimney, cold concrete floor and open stair rails on a Building Survey of this 1950 terrace house in Birmingham

Our Birmingham surveyors noted that this had one been of non-traditional concrete panel construction. Until re-clad it would not have been mortgagable. The panels were prone to falling off due to corrosion of the fixings. They were also very cold. Our RICS surveyors noted a concrete first floor projecting over the entry. This is also likely to be very cold and improvement of the insulation will be difficult. The chimney leans slightly to the south west. Our Building Survey report suggested that it was likely that the cement mortar joints contain sulphates and these have caused the mortar to expanded on the side of the chimney that get wet from the rain. This chimney is not tall and so our surveyors thought it likely to be stable but should be monitored. The roof is supported on a series of prefabricated trussed rafters. Our surveyors Building Survey Report suggested that the roof structure might not be stable as the horizontal bracing which ties them all together is missing. Fortunately remedial works are inexpensive. Our surveyors warned that a child could trap their head in the widely spaced railings or fall though the section where the rails are missing.

Full Structural Survey by Birmingham surveyors

Our Birmingham surveyors found a moss infested roof, blocked gutters, limited insualtion, and rotten timbers durring a full structural survey of this 1950 Birmingham bungalow

Our Birmingham Surveyors noted the thin roof and sides of the dormer are likely to have limited if any insulation. The Structural Survey report suggested that improvement of these areas might be difficult.

Our RICS surveyors noted extensive moss growth which is often an indicator that there is no insulation in the roof. The Structural Survey report advised that the moss will block rainwater goods and impede water flow off the roof. Our surveyors noted that a downpipe blocked probably due to moss catching in the bend.

The structural survey report noted that blanket insulation had been stuffed into the angled roof voids. Our Birmingham Surveyors recommended the whole void should be insulated with ridged insulation that will allow air to flow over and remove condensation

The back of the roof void partitions had no insulation. Our surveyors considered that this was relatively easy and inexpensive to rectify.

Damp skirting board rotting were noted during the full structural survey. Our RICS surveyors thought that the damp was caused by a poor juncture of the floor and wall and easy to rectify.

Photographs from a Birmingham Surveyors Homebuyers Survey and Rport

Our Birmingham surveyors found a moss infested roof, blocked gutters, limited insualtion, and rotten timbers durring a Home Buyers Survey of this 1950 Birmingham semi detached house

Our Birmingham Chartered Surveyors found severe damp problems, rotten decking, and strange objects in the garden on the Building Survey of this 1950 Birmingham house. The property has a narrow side side extension that it likely to have cost much more that the value it added to the property. The chimney pointing is eroded. Our surveyors thought that repairs might be expensive if as with correct practice a scaffold is used. Our surveyors were concerned that a loose hanging tile is about to drop possibly on somebody's head. Two neat footprints alerted our surveyors to the dangers of a rotten deck. The Homebuyers Survey Report mentioned the danger of the tile and that decks are also very slippery in winter. This chap likes his beer at Ground Temperature which is a steady eight degrees just below the surface. Our surveyors like cold beer too, but where not so sure that the wanted half of a harrier jump jet in their own garden. The roof void contained six water tanks far in excess of anything that our surveyors had previously seen. Our Chartered surveyors found a black area of wall in the cellar where an underground water tank has leaked behind the wall. The damp has been contained by an impervious lining and spread. The Home Buyers Survey Report suggested they were a fruitless attempt to inject silicone into a wall to control damp.