Services

The following costs relate to properties within a 20 mile radius from our office in Holmfirth, Huddersfield, areas further than 20 miles may incur further travel costs please see below.

All of the following surveys include a full written report, report sketches if required to all floors inspected, the report will include external observations, all report findings including visual findings and test readings/results, conclusions explaining the cause or source of any damp or timber defect, advice on treatments available, recommendations on most suitable treatment dependent on type of property and cause/type of defect and a budget cost for treatment. The report has full colour photos throughout. These reports are written with the intention to be clear to the client as well as fulfilling all requirements required by solicitors, mortgage companies and banks etc. Following the report, any future advice or guidance is provided if required.

The costs relate generally to a 2-3 bed domestic property over 2-3 floors. For larger domestic properties or commercial buildings please enquire about additional costs.

This is the type of survey we would usually advise for a pre-purchase survey, which generally covers all aspects of the building.

Our surveyor will arrive on site and inspect all accessible walls and solid floor areas and all accessible timbers including roof and floor timbers, via roof and floor hatches. This involves visual inspection, testing with electrical conductivity meter, radio frequency and humidity/dew point recording.

In some cases, walls have been boarded/battened over making them inaccessible, on this occasion we will generally report on assumption, taking into account the property construction, other findings throughout the property and any markings/readings taken from that particular wall. If intrusive works are required by the client i.e. removal of boarding to gain accurate findings this can be offered.

A damp and timber survey should be carried out when nothing is known of the property to ensure nothing is missed. This is usually required when you are buying or selling a property, if you suspect a problem with both damp and timber infestation, or just for peace of mind.

A damp survey will be carried out as above, although it will not include for the inspection of roof timbers or 1st floor timbers and only a brief inspection to ground floor timbers if they are in contact with damp areas. If we believe that a timber survey is required, we will contact you to let you know. Any defects noted will be mentioned and advised to be included in the report but not reported on as part of a damp only survey.

A damp survey should be carried out if walls have signs of discolouration, salt bands or deterioration to plaster. Timbers abut to walls may also become discoloured and appear wet. Mould or fungus may be present on walls and timbers.

This will include the inspection of all floor timbers and roof timbers (where accessible), the timber survey does not include for any testing to walls.

A timber survey should be carried out if it is believed that beetle infestation or rot is present – signs for beetle infestation include seeing small burrow holes on the surface of timber, loose dust/frass falling from beams or small beetles inside the property. Wet rot will cause darkening of the timber and you may see dark strands and cracking of the timber. Dry rot produces large fruit bodies these start off white in colour darkening to yellow and brown as they age, dry rot can spread rapidly and will cause timber to crumble.

A cellar survey will include a full survey to any area below ground level for the conversion into a usable/habitable area to suit your specific needs, this will include appropriate drainage checks, followed up with a full report including a list of works required to convert the cellar to environmental level required (including the removal of structural walls if required and finishing works i.e. electrical, heating etc if required).

If this is something you require carrying out we would strongly recommend using a contractor recommended by us, as we come across many cellar conversions that have been carried out incorrectly and ended in the client having to pay for works to correct previous works (in effect paying for works doing twice).

SR Surveyors cover all areas throughout Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Midlands. We are also available to work Nationwide

Damp survey including speedy carbide testing – full information on ‘Speedy Carbide’ page.

If you are worried about cavity wall tie failure or structural movement we can carry out cavity wall tie inspections. This is also something that is sometimes indicated on a home buyers survey. The inspection is carried out in suspected areas where stepped cracking or movement may have occurred. The location of the ties is identified using detection apparatus, the areas are then drilled and inspected using camera assisted borescopes. We will inspect areas required and compile a report on the type and condition of ties and whether there is any apparent corrosion/failure.

We carry out thermal imaging to inspect for failures in insulation, cold spots and leaks. Further information is detailed in our borescope section found under services.

Pre-purchase home surveys – please request a quotation and our terms of engagement for full information.

I am available to give advice regarding any building enquiry, this can be useful when a report is not required but reassurance is. I am also available for overseeing any work you may wish to carry out yourself and can give guidance regarding applications.

SR Surveyors are fully equipped and able to carry out surveys on commercial properties. We would usually recommend that a full survey is carried out as problems can be more widespread, compared with those found in domestic dwellings. We have carried out surveys to both dilapidated buildings and buildings that have recently been in use. In both circumstances we report on all accessible areas. Due to the size of the buildings the reports are written in reference to drawings with each room/area reported on individually to allow the report to read clearly. The reports are usually supplied on a disk format which will include a photo library – photos referred to throughout the report.

In most cases a site visit will be required in order to provide a quotation for carrying out a survey to a commercial property.

The Homebuyer Survey includes a visual inspection of all key internal and external elements. The external inspection starts at roof height covering the roof, chimneys, rainwater goods, going down the building to inspect the external walls, windows, air bricks, damp proof course and finally the external ground. The internal inspection covers all floor levels and rooms from basement to roof space and covers walls, timbers, ceilings and general fixtures and fittings including services. I also include a non-invasive damp and timber inspection with all homebuyers inspection, which can be included in the report with a budget costing exercise if required or written as a separate report, as sometimes required by the mortgage lender. Please advise on these requirements as it will affect the survey fee.

As I am qualified to AssocRICS, as well as PCA (CSRT, CSSW) and a member of the RPSA, I am able to combine surveys where others may make further recommendations. This not only saves on survey fees, it also reduces the length of time taken on organising other surveys and the time for arranging these and receiving the reports. It also lessens the stress of having many different surveyors turn up at different times, sometimes looking at similar things. The surveys I include are homebuyers, damp and timber and cavity wall surveys, whilst I look for signs of movement or cracking etc if anything major is noted, it would usually be recommended to obtain a structural engineers report.

I write my reports using my own format which includes a full description of all findings, property checks including flood risk, planning applications and radon etc and a bullet pointed list of all defects found throughout separated from the external defects and internal defects.

I would always recommend getting a Homebuyers Survey on a property you are buying, which will make you aware of any issues and help you to gage potential costs before committing to the purchase.

Please note, I do not undertake full building surveys (level 3), which may be required for older and more complex properties.

Do I need a homebuyers survey?

When you’re already spending a lot of money on buying a property, any survey can sometimes feel like an unnecessary expense. However, the initial money spent on the survey is worth it in the long run so that you are aware of any problems before you buy a property, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether you want to go ahead with the purchase, how much you’re willing to pay for it, allow you to negotiate and, if necessary, budget for any repair work that needs doing.

If major problems are uncovered, you may be able to use the information in the survey to negotiate with the seller.

A Schedule of Condition is a detailed photographic recording of a property’s condition which is usually retained to use at a future time to ascertain the previous condition of the premises, such as when a lease was taken on. These can be useful for both residential and commercial properties.

The reports will include a table showing different elements of the building structure and can if required also cover fixtures and fittings. The table will include the location, photographic evidence and a comment on the condition. Services are not usually included in such a Schedule of Conditions as specialist reports are normally required in this respect. The report is then usually signed by the landlord and the tenant.

When used correctly, they can give a greater weight of argument should the state of repair be disputed. Schedules of Conditions are often used when trying to limit the liability of a party to the lease or sale.

The layout of the Schedule will normally include: –

• The purpose of the Schedule
• Details of the location and extent of the property included in the schedule
• Any restrictions on the inspection
• The date of inspection and the weather conditions at that time.
• A general brief description of the property.
• The purpose for which the schedule may be relied upon.
• Table including location, element, photographs and condition

Any specific tests that have been carried out and recommendations for any specific tests which may be needed (these are usually charged as an additional fee, agreed by the instructing parties)

Please enquire for a cost on the airtightness testing and provide plans and number of dwellings to enable costing.

Air tightness testing is a recognised method of measuring the extent to which air is lost through leaks in the building fabric. It is sometimes referred to as air leakage testing or air pressure testing.

Air pressure testing, also known as air tightness testing, is the process of measuring the amount of air leakage from a building through uncontrolled ventilation. A fan is used to either pressurise or depressurise the building to around 50 pascals and the result is described as the air permeability of the building.

The primary way airtightness is tested is via a blower door test. During a blower door test, a fan is installed in the door or window of the building to be tested. The blower door machine then pressurises or depressurises the building to force air through any cracks or gaps in the building envelope.

It suggests that air permeability is the physical property used to measure the airtightness of the building fabric. It is defined as air leakage rate per hour per square metre of envelope area at a test reference pressure differential across the building envelope of 50 Pascal (50 N/m2).

An air leakage test needs to be carried out on new-built residential properties for Building Regulations (as per Approved Document L1A). Air leakage testing is also known as air testing, air pressure testing and air tightness testing

Air tests are typically needed once a residential or commercial building has been constructed. According to Building Regulations, there’s certain properties that require an air tightness test: New build residential properties and ones over a certain size (500 m2) must require an air tightness test before being sold.

I undertake expert witness inspections and reports, these can be as a joint or single expert witness and can include a report and Scott Schedule as required.

The Report is a concise statement of the fact and assumptions used by the Expert and analysis followed by the Expert’s opinion. It will have to comply with legal requirements.

A Part 35 Compliant Expert Witness Report is specifically required for cases that have gone to court. The P35 provides the opinion of an expert witness on an area of their expertise.

My reports are impartial and addressed to the court, which means that the reader must be able to see the key issues in the case, understand the evidence available and reach a clear understanding of the range of expert opinion.

The inspection and report will take into account the homes (fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, as follows – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/34/enacted

Spray foam assessment for the current condition of the roof space and spray foam installation to determine whether there is a potential risk to the roof timbers and structure and if so whether this is deemed to be high or low risk. You will receive a report within the guidance of the PCA protocol 2023, which will advise on whether any further works are required.

Retrofit assessment to determine whether your property is suitable for energy improvement works and the measures that can be implemented, this survey also includes a damp assessment in order to determine whether any retrofit energy improvements may lead to future problems with damp or condensation and how this can be mitigated.