Home Buyers Survey Caversham

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"First Class Service. We are more than impressed with the quick, professional service we have received from this company, very clear report with good Photograph, of areas of interest, also the Team followed up the report with a phone call to make sure we understood the information that we had received. EXCELLENT. Thank you"

Val Edwards, Trustpilot review in November 2018.

* Competitive Prices - Local Surveyors - Same Week Availability - Terms Apply

What Types of House Survey Do We Offer?


SAM is one of the UK’s largest network of Surveyors with local surveyors throughout England. Our most popular property surveys are HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys and these inspections are completed by local RICS surveyors who have years of experience.

We handle all of the booking so you just need to call us for a quote and then we'll handle all of the access for you.
We offer many types of house survey including:
  • Level 2: HomeBuyers Report
  • Level 3: Building Survey
  • Damp & Timber Survey
  • Load Bearing Wall Survey
  • Chimney Breast Removal Survey
  • Snagging Survey
  • Removal of load bearing wall Survey
  • Property Valuation Survey
  • Probate Valuation Survey
  • Leasehold Valuation Survey
  • Structural Engineer Survey

If you are unsure which house survey to book click here or call us and we’ll advise you.

Not sure whether you need a Level 2: HomeBuyers Report or a Level 3: Building Survey? Find out by clicking here and seeing example reports
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Local Building Surveyors (throughout England)


House Survey 

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RICS Surveyors

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

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FREE Online Conveyancing Process for Buyers

Includes online checklists, videos, downloads and tips - plus it is free to use and remembers your progress.



House Survey Cost

Love our Competitive
House Survey Costs

We keep the house survey cost down regardless of what property survey you need and tell you how much does a survey cost.

Caversham HomeBuyers Survey

Local Berkshire 
Building Surveyors

Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Caversham to ensure they deliver a detailed homebuyers report to help you decide whether you should move forward with your home move or if you should pull out.

Homebuyers Report

Fast Availability and
Delivery of Reports

We normally have availability within days of you booking and our turnaround for homebuyers survey reports is within 5 working days.

Caversham HomeBuyers Survey

Panel of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors - RICS Surveyors

All of our chartered RICS Surveyors are registered with and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and have indemnity insurance that covers all of the work they undertake for you.

A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?

A RICS Home Buyers Survey non-intrusively inspects both the external and internal structure of a property for matters which include; damp, subsidence, infestations, cracks and damage.

The goal of the Home Buyers Survey, whether the Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or the HomeBuyers Report, is to provide reassurance when buying a home and this is the case if you are considering buying a property in Caversham.

NB If you're a first time buyer, you might wish to click on What is a House Survey to find out more, including what happens during the inspection.

Click to find out how much does a house survey cost (free, no obligation quote)
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Subsidence Inspection

The surveyor will look for signs of subsidence during the structural survey within the property paying special attention to signs of cracking internally and to the external walls. As a rule, if you can fit the width of a 50p into a crack in a wall, it could be a sign of subsidence. Our surveyors will flag in their reports if they feel you need to instruct a structural engineer to review a crack further.


Read more about subsidence

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Damp Testing

There are numerous reasons why a property can be affected by damp. The Surveyor will take samples in the property using a damp meter and assess the condition of the property to provide a report on whether they feel the property is affected by damp. Further investigations maybe suggested including getting a damp and timber specialist. 


Read more about damp testing and repairs

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Identify Infestations

Woodworm, mice, rats and ants are infestations that your don't want in your home. Your surveyor will look for visible signs of mouse droppings, damage to floor boards (when visible) and damage to wiring, carpets or skirting boards


Read more about infestations

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Asbestos

Prior to its banned use, asbestos was a commonly used building material, particularly as part of cement products, floor tiles and roofing shingles. Asbestos was used for its durability and resistance to heat and is commonly found in artex ceilings, garage roofing and chimney stacks. Your surveyor will confirm if they suspect any materials in the property have asbestos and if so, suggest getting an asbestos surveyor to intrusively taking samples of the asbestos to confirm the type.


Read more about asbestos

Should any issues be flagged up in the Home Buyers Survey, our surveyor will tell you what you need to do to get more in-depth advice on the extent and seriousness of the issue and what needs to be done to remedy it. 

If you are worried about a crack or cracks or indeed any other defects that you think your property in Caversham has, we strongly recommend you get a Home Buyers Survey as the cost of remedying the problem might snowball into many thousands of pounds further down the line. 

You can find a local RICS surveyor by using the search at the bottom RHS of this page.
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Survey tips for properties in Caversham


Caversham is a suburb of Reading which extends from the River Thames' flood plain to just south of the Chilterns. Caversham Park House was built in 1850.

There are houses in Caversham from many periods, from Georgian to modern, and there are a large number of detached homes. Older properties tend to be around Central Caversham whereas more recent developments are where the suburb has developed, such as Lower Caversham, Caversham Park Village. Emmer Green to its north is an older village.

Most Caversham properties are low-rise in elevation. New build developments are often detached houses, such as in The Warren, or even bungalows, such as in Peppard Road. There are developments offering shared ownership, such as Millers Court in The Causeway.


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Many dwellings in the south of Caversham, particularly in Lower Caversham, which are near to or on the banks of the River Thames, such as in Paddock Road and Piggotts Road, are subject to flood warnings and alerts from time to time.

If you are concerned that a property you are looking to buy is in a flood risk area, you should consider getting a flood risk report (click for more details).
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According to the UK Government's Public Health England, some parts of Caversham, including streets such as Rotherfield Way and Balmore Drive, are in a raised radon area, with properties built there having a higher probability than average of experiencing ground Radon emissions.

The raised Radon area has a maximum radon potential of 1 – 3% (the percentage is the chance of a property being built where Radon emissions might measure above the action level).

If you are concerned that a property you are buying is in an area of raised Radon, please click to visit Public Health England's UK Radon Map. Click also to find out more about Radon, Radon property searches and much more.
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A recent Environmental Search for a property in Lowfield Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PQ noted that there was a moderate potential for natural ground instability in the area within 50m of the property.

This finding did not necessarily mean that there was a cause for concern in terms of the property's stability: active subsidence depends on local conditions such as the proximity of trees. A house buyers survey is advised to look for signs of property damage that may indicate poor natural ground conditions.
Berkshire.pngBerkshire is a county which touches a small part of the borders of West London. It is a home county (because it borders Greater London) and is often called Royal Berkshire because it contains Windsor and Windsor Castle. It hosts a number of iconic UK landmarks such as Ascot (Ascot Racecourse), Wentworth (Golf Course), Sunningdale (Golf Course), Virginia Water and Windsor Great Park and Eton School. Virginia Water was the first postcode area where the average property price exceeded one million.

Like many of the home counties, there are many essentially commuter dormitory settlements which house London workers. Reading (which is Berkshire's county town) in particular is a larger one and is popular because of its very fast rail links with Central London - there are many one-stop services to London Paddington and it is also due to be the western terminus of the Crossrail line. 

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Caversham Planning Application Search

You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting Reading Borough Council at Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU, telephone 0118 937 3787, or you can check for the most recently stored planning applications online here:


Read the following article if you are thinking about building an extension.

RICS Find a surveyor in Caversham

Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Reading, Earley, Henley on Thames, Pangbourne, Twyford, Chertsey and Play Hatch.

We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Caversham. Whether you are buying an old run down 'doer upper' or standard construction freehold house, our RICS surveyors have seen them all.

With a vast number of years of experience completing surveys on properties in Caversham we'll be able to give you the detailed report you need to know what defects there are with your property.

You can see some of our expert surveyors by clicking here - 


Recently completed Home Buyers Survey in Caversham:


  • 131 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading RG4 7NH
  • 14 Kingsway, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6RA
  • 10 Dovesdale Close, Caversham Heights, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 7AL
  • 3 Rotherfield Way, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 8PJ
  • 271 Gosbrook Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 8DX

 

What is included in a Building Survey?

The Royal institute of Chartered Surveyors provides guidance on what you can expect to have included in your survey report.

The main areas included in the inspection are assessments for signs of subsidence, testing for damp, a review of drains and a loft and roof space inspection.

Checks are also made to identify any signs of asbestos or infestation which may require further specialist checks.

Utilities are assessed and any recommendations made if any concerns about age and condition are identified.

Testing of equipment cannot be carried out as tests can only be carried out by qualified specialists such as plumbers or electricians based locally in Caversham.

The surveyor provides recommendations in the legal section of the report which should be passed to the legal adviser carrying out the conveyancing to ensure any necessary enquiries are raised with the vendor’s solicitor.


Does your property look like this?

Edwardian Properties in Caversham
An Edwardian aged property would normally require a Level 3: Building Survey (formally called the full structural survey) due to its age. These styles of property have often been heavily extended so it is important to make sure extensions are checked by a local building surveyor in Caversham.

Does your property look different to this? Then read our guide on which survey suits your property type.

Which survey suits your style of property in Caversham
Choose which survey based on its type, style and age
Get a competitively priced RICS quote
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