Wetmore Road, Burton-on-Trent DE14 1SN
Principal: Steve Butler, Chartered Surveyor
8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday
Structural/ Building Survey - Fees
About Steve Butler RICS Surveyors
Independent RICS Surveyors Report on a 1950 semi detached house Swadlincote
Steve Butler Surveyor has been undertaking Building Surveys and Level 2 Homebuyers Surveys of residential property in Melbourne for thirty years and is thus very familiar with the area. Steve has been surveying, valuing and managing a portfolio of properties in Melbourne since qualifying as Chartered Surveyor in 1992. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) which is an independent professional body established by Royal Charter has been setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity for surveyors for over one hundred and fifty years. Steve Butler has also passed the Government's Home Inspector Surveying Examinations and is a qualified commercial energy surveyor and associate member of the Chartered Institution of Legal Executives.
Steve Butler Surveyors are entirely independent. We do not not pay introductory fees to estate agents ensuring our independence.
Our surveyors have lived in or owned properties of all types and ages near Melbourne so we have considerable local knowledge of most areas, and practical experience of owning and maintaining many types and ages of property.
Church Gresley Surveyors Homebuyers Report on a 1940 Terrace at Ashby De La Zouch
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Building Surveyors Homebuyers Survey Report a 1902 Swadlincote terrace house
The front and rear walls of this property had been badly damaged by water because of failure to undertake a few hundred pounds of gutter and down pipe repairs. Intruders had damaged the kitchen and bathroom and run off with the boiler as well as damaging central heating pipes. An extension containing the bathroom and kitchen was single skin construction and likely to be cold and prone to water penetration. An attic conversion had dangerous stairs and no fire protection and probably no insulation of the ceiling.
Surveyors report on a leaning gable end at Moira
The report on the suspected movement and suggested remedies
Measurement with a spirt level suggest that the top fifteen course of bricks at this Moira property are out of plumb by 150mm from above the point at which two purlins bear into the gable wall. The top ten course of the wall are built with a single skin of bicks and are likely to be unstable. The the likely cause of the leaning wall is failure to ties it into the strcture at the time of construction.
Our surveyors suggested that the top fifteen courses of brickwork should be rebuilt with a 225mm wall that is inherently more stable. 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.
Sadly in this instance the purchaser had relied on a mortgage surveyors valuation for the purchase of the late 1920's house which is thus about nintey years old. The surveyor thus had no duty to report the leaning wall to the purchaser as he was only worried about his mortgage lender. The purchaser will now have to stand the cost of about £250.00 of labour and about £750.00 of scaffold if the wall is to be properly repaired by rebuilding it. A homebuyers survey by Steve Butler Chartered Surveyors would have cost about £400.00.
Overseal Surveyors Homebuyers Survey report on a 1904 terrace house
On this Overseal Homebuyers Survey we encountered severe structural movement causing a considerable slope on the landing floor at this Overseal property. The movement also showed up in the fracturing and dropping of brickwork above window openings. The original slate roof had been recovered with much heavier concrete tiles but there had been no attempt to upgrade the roof structure making it vulnerable to failue in the event of heavy snow. Poor gutter arrangements put the property at risk of water penetration as it has solid walls which will make it cold and prone to condensation.
Swadlincote Surveyors RICS Building Survey Report on a 1925 Detached House
Swadlincote RICS building surveyors report on a 1925 detached house. The chimneys were in poor condition, tiles were slipping, gutters were clogged and broken. The roof face had dished. Additional timbers had been added to strengthen the roof. The property had long standing movement at the head of an opening to a rear bay window. A timber floor had humped slightly.
Castle Gresley Surveyors RICS Building Survey Report on a 1850 Detached Cottage
Our Castle Gresley building surveys went to this property with a damp proofing contractors report in hand only to find that none of the works recommeded were necessary. Our RICS surveyors found damage to the property from condesnation, swollen joinery windows that required early refurbishment rotten conervatory roof joists high ground levels and a drain that had rcently been blocked.
Steve Butler Chartered Surveyor has lived in Derbyshire all his life and is thus very familiar with the area. Steve Butler Chartered Surveyors are entirely independent of any estate agents lenders or mortgage brokers and not not pay introductory fees ensuring our independence.
A Building Survey is a thorough inspection of a property. It is the most comprehensive of the surveys available for residential properties and will provide a detailed evaluation of a property’s construction and condition.
Also known as a Structural Survey, the Building Survey report will describe the condition of each element of the house and suggest which aspects need attention or further investigation where the cause of a problem is not immediately apparent.
It is important to check that the surveyor you select is regulated by RICS, as they set the guidance for surveyors and this will ensure that the advice you are getting is independent, expert advice from appropriately trained professionals.
Building Surveys are suitable for all properties, but they are particularly appropriate for:
Listed Buildings
Older Properties that are over 100 years old
Buildings constructed in an unusual way, regardless of age
Buildings that you intend to renovate or change
Buildings that have already been renovated or significantly altered
A Building Survey examines all accessible elements of the property and the surveyor will actively search for any structural problems or defects. The building survey will also asses health a safety matters and draw attention to matters that your solicitors should investigate.
You can request that certain areas are included to cover particular concerns that you may have about the property. In contrast to the RICS HomeBuyer Report, there is a lack of a standardised format for the Building Survey report, so the surveyor is able modify a Building Survey to your needs.
Please note that a Building Survey does not include a valuation, so if this is something that you require please ask your surveyor separately if it can be included.
A standardized report produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to highlight significant problems and matters requirng urgent investigation.
It is designed to flag up major defects and problems that need urgent or significant attention, because such issues will affect the property’s value.
It is the cost effective choice for the majority of property purchasers.
A valuation of the property and estimation of reinstatement cost for insurance purposes is included as standard in both our Building Survey and Homebuyers Survey reports.
Due to the time taken to measure the property Building Surveys cost considerably more than the Homebuyers Report, however you should bear in mind that they are unlikely to find any serious defects to the property that the Homebuyers Survey and Report will not.
It is considered that the Homebuyers Survey and Report will be suitable for most clients.
All Building Survey and Homebuyers Reports are undertaken by Steve Butler RICS Chartered Surveyor personally ensuring that personalized service to all our clients.
Our RICS surveyors undertake residential property valuations for all tyes of purpose such as matrimonial dipsutes, probate and insolvency. We are fully familiar with the requirments for RICS Help to Buy Valuations
Surveyors for Party Wall Act 1996 Notices
If you have received a notice under the 1996 Party Wall Act from a neighbour proposing works on or nearto the party wall we can help negotiate the terms under which works are undertaken by negotiating an agreement. We can also prepare a schedule of condition of your property with photogrpahs for inclusion in the agreement so that you can claim of any damage is casued to your property.
We recently had to clear up on behalf of a client who had opted for a survey from one of our cheaper surveyor allies.
The surveyor had not bothered to move the remains of a bed in an otherwise empty house to get in to the attic. It took us about 30 seconds.
The roof had a number of snapped rafters as an original slate surface had been replaced with heavier concrete tiles. Expensive!
The surveyors had not opened the drain cover as it was supposed to be corroded in. Again it took us about 30 seconds.
The drain was of course blocked due to a problem with the channel.
The surveyor offered some advice about dampness. The suggestion was completely unnecessary and put everybody in the house at risk of burning to death as the suggestions severely compromised the fire protection of the property. In this case particular important, as it was three stories plus cellar and likely to be in multiple occupation.
We were able to advise the client against that course of action saving potential prosecution/ closure by the Environmental Health Officer.
By doing only half a job and not stopping to think about the content of the report they were naturally able to be much quicker and cheaper.
Not so cheap in the long run!
Moss growing on roofs is a problem frequently seen by our surveyors. It clogs rainwater goods particularly down pipes. Once the moss is in the downpipe a layer of silt will form on top of it and water can then spill from the gutters. Whilst it will spoil the appearance of modern cavity walls and possible cause frost dmage to the bricks water spilling on to old houses with solid walls can soon cause penetrating damp spoiling decoration and possibly causing decay of any nearby timbers.