Surveyors Guides

A surveyor’s guide to home insulation – how to insulate your home

The heating bills resulting from another cold winter are a vivid reminder of just how much it costs to keep your home warm. Check our ...
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A surveyor’s guide to the Snagging Survey

Most people will have a building survey carried out when buying older property and will be presented with a report detailing the defects within the ...
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Flooding has caused widespread power cuts – how should we prepare?

Power cuts are a fact of life in many areas of the UK, particularly during periods of inclement weather and often due to circumstances beyond ...
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Carbon monoxide in the home

If your home has even one fuel-burning appliance or heater, or an attached garage or fireplace, you should have a carbon monoxide detector installed on ...
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Surveyors guide to buying older property

Have you been seduced by a charming old property that oozes character and appeal, perhaps ripe for development into an exceptional home or investment property? ...
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Home heating and how to minimise winter bills

As summer recedes and we begin to contemplate those long winter nights, it's worth taking a look at the way in which we heat the ...
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Let painted walls breathe

Keeping your home's gutters, rainwater downpipes and drains clear and in good condition is by far the best way of ensuring your home stays free ...
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A building survey report? What’s the point

A Chartered Surveyor acts for the buyer of a property and gives an honest professional opinion on the condition of the property. It is not ...
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A surveyors guide to: jargon-busting house surveys

A Chartered Surveyor may seem a financial extravagance when you’re just about to spend a fortune on the biggest investment you’ve ever made. However, the ...
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Record level of subsidence claims

The exceptionally dry, hot weather we experienced in the summer of 2018 may seem a long time ago now, but there are still signs of ...
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The biggest property viewing turn-offs

We all have a checklist of requirements when searching for our dream property, but there will also be a list of definite viewing turn-offs that ...
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The facts about ammonia and using ammonia in the home

Ammonia is commonly in use around our homes – but is it safe to use in the home? At a Carlsberg brewery in Northampton in ...
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Tired of losing sleep every time the teenager sneaks home after midnight? How to fix a squeaky floorboard

There are many reasons that you, Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy might want to creep around your own home when everyone else has gone ...
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Legionnaires’ Disease: Legionella in domestic property and landlords’ responsibilities

In May 2018, routine water sample taken by Shropshire Council and Public Health England identified another instance of Legionella at The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow. The ...
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Storm proof your home

No amount of preparation in advance can prevent unexpected events during storms, but there are things you can do now that will make handling the ...
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Control the Beast – keep your house warmer this winter (and next) while keeping heating costs down

As the ‘Beast from the East’ arrived in the UK from Siberia, many of us experienced temperatures as low as -8C or even colder. It’s ...
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Home insurance and how to keep premiums down

Insurance companies use 'risk-based pricing' to determine how much you should pay for your home insurance premiums. It’s worth learning what insurers look out for ...
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It’s the biggest investment most of us will make – so why don’t four in five home buyers bother with a survey?

Mortgage lenders don’t insist that you commission a survey before they will lend you many of thousands of pounds to purchase your new home. But ...
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How to add Value to your home

For those of us lucky enough to own property, it can be easy to forget that the building you call home is also your largest ...
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Up to your neck in poo: How to maintain your drainage

Drainage faults are a common source of water ingress, so keeping your drainage systems in good order is essential to maintaining a dry house. Potential ...
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Why has mould appeared in my home?

If you’ve noticed the appearance of a dark patch forming in the bathroom, around a window or on a wall, don’t ignore it. Mould is ...
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Keep your thatch up to scratch

A chocolate box cottage with a thatched roof is the quintessential English home. To make sure your thatch roof doesn’t turn your dream house into ...
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Nobody puts Fire Safety in the corner!

Kent Fire and Rescue has published on its Twitter page another in its series of safety videos highlighting the importance of testing smoke alarms. The ...
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Water facts and how to save water in the home

We use 70 per cent more water now than we did 40 years ago. On average, we each use 150 litres per day but, when ...
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Beware toxic house plants: the hidden dangers in your home

House plants may be an attractive addition to the home and some have health benefits too, even having the ability to absorb chemicals released by ...
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How can I tell if my house is subsiding?

If you spot any of the problems listed below, and cannot find a reason for them, get specialist help as soon as possible. If it ...
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Am I at risk of flooding?

It is estimated that there are now over 5.5 million properties in England and Wales at risk of flooding. Whether from rivers, the sea or ...
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How to buy property at auction

Purchasing at auction can be a risky business but it is also a really good way of securing a competitive property investment.  But there’s more ...
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A Surveyor’s Guide to – garden walls

The Department for Communities and Local Government has produced the following advice on checking the safety of garden walls. To check whether repairs are necessary, ...
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Is your home a ticking bomb?

Most car owners would ensure their vehicle was well-maintained and had an up-to-date MOT, but how many home owners routinely check their houses for maintenance ...
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Preparing Home and Garden for Winter

Homeowners have a responsibility to ensure their home is in the best possible condition; this is especially true for Landlords of Buy-To-Let properties with tenants ...
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