Home Buyers Survey Forest Hill

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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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House Survey Cost

Love our Competitive House Survey Costs


Find a Surveyor 

Local Building Surveyors (throughout England)


House Survey 

Fast Availability and Delivery of Reports


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.

Home Buyers Survey Forest Hill

Local Greater London 
Building Surveyors

Our Building Surveyor uses their local knowledge of Forest Hill 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.

Home Buyers Survey Forest Hill

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.

Forest Hill 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 in a HomeBuyers Report Forest Hill and Building Surveys in Forest Hill.

A Home Buyer Survey - What does it cover?

A Home Buyers Survey identifies many different defects or potential risks that can be found within a property and is an essential part of any home buying process. The survey, whether a Building Survey (which used to be known as a Full Structural Survey) or a HomeBuyers Report, is completed by a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) registered Surveyor so they are fully trained to provide you with the detail you need to give you the salient facts when you are looking to buy your home in Forest Hill.

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. A damp meter is used in a HomeBuyers Report Forest Hill survey and the readings included within the report.


Read more about asbestos

If the Home Buyers Survey flags up any of these defects in your property in Forest Hill then our surveyor explains what you need to do to get further advice on how to investigate them and get It resolved. 

If you are concerned about your property has any other defects then you MUST get a RICS Home Buyers Survey as the costs for repairing the defects can run into thousands of pounds. If you can identify the defect before you purchase then you can get quotes for fixing it and either share the costs with the seller, or, in worst case examples, choose not to proceed.

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 Forest Hill


Forest Hill has some very steep roads, including Canonbie Road (which has many semi-detached houses from the 1930s) in the Honor Oak Park area: an 18% gradient is a challenge for nearly all cyclists! There are many Victorian houses and terrace properties in the area and some particularly large Victorian houses, many of which have been divided into conversion flats. Victorian semi-detached houses can be found in Wood Vale.

You can also find a few Georgian houses as well as 1930s semi-detached properties and Art Deco flats (such as can be found on Lordship Lane, Underhill Road and Taymount Rise).

New developments include Catford Green in Adenmore Road, which offers many different sizes of flat in a number of purpose-built medium-rise blocks. London Help to Buy is available for this scheme.



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All properties in Forest Hill, including streets such as Cranston Road and Kemble Road, are in an area which is subject to flood 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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A recent Environmental Search for a property in Dartmouth Road, SE23 3HN 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.
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Properties in some areas of Forest Hill may be affected by overhead power lines or mobile phone masts.

A recent environmental search carried out for a property in Kilgour Road, Forest Hill, SE23 1PQ that there were overhead power lines or mobile phone masts located within 250m of the dwelling.

Overhead power lines and phone masts can be contentious and additionally may have a visual impact on the surrounding area.
London.pngGreater London is an area which contains London, the capital of the United Kingdom (which itself centres on the Cities of London and Westminster) and a number of surrounding boroughs which are administered as London boroughs and which are the overall executive responsibility of the Mayor of London. It contains a large number of constituencies, each represented by an MP and it should be noted that these are not the same as nor even always continguous with the borders of the boroughs.

Many parts of Greater London were originally administered by the counties which surround London and these counties are often called the home counties. Enfield, for example, used to be classed as being part of Middlesex, but is now near the northern border of Greater London. Greater London's borders often coincide with a zone of 'green belt': areas where it has been decided that open spaces, parks, forests and wildlife reserves should act as a buffer against urban sprawl. London has numerous landmarks, anything from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to Karl Marx's grave in Highgate Cemetery.

Greater London contains more than 9 million inhabitants, a number growing daily, and as this is approximately 1/7 of the population of the UK, it can be seen that Greater Londoners have a large influence on the rest of the country politically and this is enhanced by the concentration of skilled workers gravitating towards the capital. 

Listed Building Surveyors Forest Hill
We have local RICS surveyors who specialise in listed building surveys in the Forest Hill area including its surrounds including e.g. Sydenham and Honor Oak Park.

SE23 3HD

Forest Hill Planning Application Search

You can review what planning applications have been granted or denied for properties in your area by contacting Lewisham Council at Laurence House 1 Catford Road SE6 4RU, telephone 020 8314 6000, 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 Forest Hill

Our Building Surveyors specialise in the local area and have completed house surveys in Sydenham, Catford, Honor Oak Park, Brockley, Dulwich, Westcombe Park and Mottingham.

We employ only expert RICS Building Surveyors to undertake surveys in Forest Hill. 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 Forest Hill 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 - 


Home Buyers Survey Forest Hill

Recently completed surveys near you:

  • 38 Shipman Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2DU
  • 60 Stillness Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 1NF
  • 2 Hyndewood, Inglemere Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2BH
  • 52 Vancouver Road, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2AF
  • 8 Aylward Rd, Forest Hill, London SE23 2JE

 

Is asbestos testing included in my survey? Is the removal cost also quoted?

No, what the surveyor will do is let you know within the report that there are signs of asbestos based on their visual inspection and of the property's general style and age. If there are suspicions of asbestos you would be advised to get an asbestos specialist to test the grade of the asbestos within the property.

We have asbestos surveyors covering Forest Hill and they are all qualified to British Occupational Hygiene Society P402 and some to S301 Standards. All samples are analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory. At the end of the process you will know what level of asbestos is present and what it will cost for you or the vendor to remove it.

Read more about asbestos here.


HomeBuyers Survey Forest Hill

HomeBuyers Report in Forest Hill

A HomeBuyers Report is a good general inspection for flats, new properties, bungalows of standard construction. Most leasehold flats in Forest Hill should have a HomeBuyers Report, however the only exception are Victorian conversions which may need a Building Survey.

Click to see a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyers Report with Valuation example.

HomeBuyers Survey Forest Hill

Building Survey in Forest Hill

Most houses in Forest Hill that are over 50 years old, which have been developed or have an unusual style should get a Building Survey. A Building Survey is the most comprehensive visual inspection a RICS surveyor can provide.

Click to see a RICS Level 3 Building Survey example.

We'll review the property with you, discuss any defects you're concerned with and help you choose the correct HomeBuyers Survey for your property.

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