Roof space:
* Access to all parts, construction type - traditional or trussed
* Evidence of moisture due to condensation - ventilation at eaves, ridge, etc.
* Evidence of water penetration - chimney flashings, abutments and valleys
* Insulation - type and quantity
* Party wall in semi-detached and terraced dwellings - suitability as fire barrier
* Plumbing - adequacy of storage cistern, insulation, overflow function
Floors:
* Construction - timber, pre-cast or cast in-situ concrete? Finish condition?
* Timber ground floor - evidence of dampness, rot, woodworm, ventilation, dpcs
* Timber upper floor stability, ie. wall fixing, strutting, joist size, woodworm, span and loading
Stairs:
* Type of construction and method of fixing - built in-situ or preformed
* Soffit, re. fire protection (plasterboard?)
* Balustrading - suitability and stability
* Safety - adequate screening, balusters, handrail, pitch angle, open tread, tread wear
Finishes:
* General de ' cor, i.e. paint and wallpaper condition - damaged, faded
* Woodwork/joinery - condition, defects, damage, paintwork
* Plaster - ceiling (plasterboard or lath and plaster?) - condition and stability
* Plaster - walls - render and plaster or plasterboard, damage and quality of finish
* Staining - plumbing leaks (ceiling), moisture penetration (wall openings), rising damp
* Fittings and ironmongery - adequacy and function, weather exclusion and security
Supplementary enquiries should determine the extent of additional building work, particularly since the planning threshold of 1948. Check for planning approvals, permitted development and Building Regulation approvals, exemptions and completion certificates.
Services - apart from a cursory inspection to ascertain location and suitability of system controls, these areas are highly specialised and should be surveyed by those appropriately qualified.
Estate and garden:
* Location and establishment of boundaries
* Fences, gates and hedges - material, condition and suitability
* Trees - type and height, proximity to building
* Pathways and drives - material and condition
* Outbuildings - garages, sheds, greenhouses, barns, etc.
* Proximity of water courses
Roof:
* Tile type, treatment at ridge, hips, verge and valleys
* Age of covering, repairs, replacements, renewals, general condition, defects and growths
* Eaves finish, type and condition
* Gutters - material, size, condition, evidence of leakage
* Rainwater downpipes as above
* Chimney - dpcs, flashings, flaunching, pointing, signs of movement
* Flat roofs - materials, repairs, abutments, flashings and drainage
Walls:
* Materials - type of brick, rendering, cladding, etc., condition and evidence of repairs
* Solid or cavity construction, if cavity extent of insulation and type
* Pointing of masonry, painting of rendering and cladding
* Air brick location, function and suitability
* Dpc, material and condition, position relative to ground level
* Windows and doors, material, signs of rot or damage, original or replacement, frame seal
* Settlement - signs of cracking, distortion of window and door frames - specialist report
Drainage:
Abuilding surveyormay provide a general report on the condition of the drainage and sanitation installation. However, a full test for leakage and determination of self-cleansing and flow conditions to include fibreoptic scope examination is undertaken as a specialist survey.
Established Procedure † the interested purchaser engages a building surveyor. UK Government Requirements † the seller to provide a property/ home information pack (HIP) which can include `A survey report on the condition of the property, including requirements for urgent or significant repairs . . .'.
Survey document preliminaries:
* Title and address of property
* Client's name, address and contacts
* Survey date and time
* Property status † freehold, leasehold or commonhold
* Occupancy † occupied or vacant. If vacant, source of keys
* Extent of survey, e.g. full structural + services reports
* Specialists in attendance, e.g. electrician, heating engineer, etc.
* Age of property (approx. if very dated or no records)
* Disposition of rooms, i.e. number of bedrooms, etc.
* Floor plans and elevations if available
* Elevation (flooding potential) and orientation (solar effect)
* Estate/garden area and disposition if appropriate
* Means of access † roads, pedestrian only, rights of way Survey tools and equipment:
* Drawings + estate agent's particulars if available
* Notebook and pencil/pen
* Binoculars and a camera with flash facility
* Tape measure, spirit level and plumb line
* Other useful tools, to include small hammer, torch, screwdriver and manhole lifting irons
* Moisture meter
* Ladders † eaves access and loft access
* Sealable bags for taking samples, e.g. wood rot, asbestos, etc.
Construction Defects † correct application of materials produced to the recommendations of British, European and International Standards authorities, in accordance with local building regulations, by-laws and the rules of building guarantee companies, i.e. National House Building Council (NHBC) and MD Insurance
Services, should ensure a sound and functional structure. However, these controls can be seriously undermined if the human factor of quality workmanship is not fulfilled. The following guidance is
designed to promote quality controls:
BS 8000: Workmanship on building sites.
Building Regulations, Approved Document to support Regulation 7 - materials and workmanship.
No matter how good the materials, the workmanship and supervision, the unforeseen may still affect a building. This may materialise several years after construction. Some examples of these latent defects include: woodworm emerging from untreated timber, electrolytic decomposition of dissimilar metals inadvertently in contact, and chemical decomposition of concrete. Generally, the older a building the more opportunity there is for its components and systems to have deteriorated and malfunctioned. Hence the need for regular inspection and maintenance. The profession of facilities management has evolved for this purpose and is represented by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).
Property values, repairs and replacements are of sufficient magnitude for potential purchasers to engage the professional services of a building surveyor. Surveyors are usually members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The extent of survey can vary, depending on a client's requirements. This may be no more than a market valuation to secure financial backing, to a full structural survey incorporating specialist reports on electrical installations, drains, heating systems, etc.
