Property
Property address
Brief description	The property is a substantial semi-detached Victorian house built of brick elevations beneath a pitched concrete tile covered roof supported with timber trusses. Living accommodation is on three floors. The property has a small garden area which is largely concrete hardstanding and a detached concrete panel single garage.
Property type	Semi-detached house.
Year built	Approximately 1900.
Accommodation	Ground floor: three reception rooms, kitchen. First floor: four bedrooms, bathroom with wc. Second floor: two bedrooms, bathroom with wc. Cellar comprising five chambers. Outside: detached single storey garage, garden largely laid concrete hardstanding.
Tenure	We assume the property is freehold.
Size in square metres	450 m²
Insurance reinstatement cost	£470,000
Brief overall assessment	The property has been neglected in recent years and there is considerable scope for improvement and refurbishment. The main areas of concern were the roof which was leaking, the rainwater goods and rising and penetrating dampness. There has been some minor movement in the past, however this is not considered significant.
Risk of future movement	In my opinion this is considered low.
Serious defects
Main roof coverings	The roof surface was in particularly poor condition and a major overhaul is required replacing slipped and broken concrete tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing ridge tiles and verges. Once an inspection has been carried out of the valley gutters, no doubt these will require re-lining also. The lead upstand flashings where the two-storey section meets the three-storey brick wall will also require a major overhaul, repairing and replacing lead flashings. It may prove cost-effective to re-roof the whole property.
Secondary roof coverings	Re-cover all the secondary roofs. Note: mineral felt and ‘flashband’ type coverings only have a limited life and are only viewed as temporary repairs. These areas should now be re-covered.
Roof drainage	The gutters and downspouts should be replaced and the grids and gullies cleared and grids provided.
Guideline budget	£6,000
Essential repairs
Chimney Stacks	Re-point the front left-hand chimney stack and overhaul the lead flashings, replacing missing sections.
Walls, Partitions and Plasterwork	To the front elevation the brickwork will require re-pointing to alleviate the internal problems with penetrating dampness; these areas should then be replastered.
Guideline budget	£2,000
Other repairs
Eaves, Fascias and Soffits	Overhaul or replace timber fascias. It may prove cost-effective to replace these with modern uPVC sections which do not require any ongoing maintenance.
Windows	Replace the blown sealed double glazed units and re-paint timber frames to the windows.
Ceilings	Re-plastering the damp ceilings will be required following repair of the roof surface.
Basements and Cellars	A thorough clear out and overhaul of the cellar is required, removing debris and temporary hardboard cladding, generally improving ventilation, clearing the debris and waste timbers.
Interior Doors	Overhaul of the internal doors and locking mechanisms required.
Staircases	The handrail and newel post was a little loose and requires some re-fixing.
Built-in and Kitchen Fittings	Replace the dated and poorly maintained kitchen.
Sanitary Fittings	The sanitary fittings throughout the property should be replaced as these have now reached the end of their useful life.
Mechanical Ventilation	Extractor fans are required to the bathroom and kitchen areas.
The Site	The garden areas should be cut back and maintained.
External Areas/Patios/Paths etc	Consider re-laying the concrete path flags to the front elevation and repairing the cracks of the damaged concrete hardstanding areas.
Guideline budget	£ 10,500
Further investigation
Chimney Stacks	A roofing contractor should be asked to inspect this chimney stack, commenting in particular on the flashings and the bedding of the chimney pots.
Main Walls	A cavity wall tie specialist should be asked to inspect left hand gable to property and comment on any remedial works required.
Walls, Partitions and Plasterwork	A BWPDA Timber and Damp Proofing specialist should be asked to inspect the property and comment on remedial works required to remedy rising/penetrating dampness.
Fireplaces, Flues and Chimney Breasts	A CORGI approved engineer should be asked to inspect gas fires.
Electricity	An inspection and test by an NICEIC approved electrical contractor is required with a view to updating this installation.
Heating	We are not heating engineers and would recommend a test and inspection of the boiler and hot water system be carried out by a CORGI approved heating engineer prior to exchange of contracts.
Dampness	A BWPDA timber and damp proofing specialist should be asked to inspect the property and comment on remedying the rising and penetrating dampness to the property. This may involve some internal re-plastering.
Guideline budget	£ 750 for inspection and test only.
Environmental matters
Comments	We are not aware of any adverse environmental factors affecting this property.
Matters for your Solicitor
Planning	No enquiries have been made of the Local Authority in connection with Planning matters. You should ask your Solicitor to advise you in this respect.
Building Regulations	No enquiries have been made of the Local Authority in connection with Building Regulation matters. You should ask your Solicitor to advise you in this respect.
Roads	No enquiries have been made of the Local Authority in connection with the road. You should ask your Solicitor to advise you in this respect.
Rights of way	No enquiries have been made of the Local Authority in connection with rights of way. You should ask your Solicitor to advise you in this respect.

Surveyor

P Naylor MRICS

Signed

……………………………………………………………………………………..

For Trafford Surveyors Ltd

2 Instruction

Trafford Surveyors’ reference
Instruction from
Date of instruction
Date of inspection
Weather	At the time of inspection it was raining with similar periods preceding.
Furnished or unfurnished	At the time of inspection the property was fully furnished with fitted floor coverings throughout. Some areas were particularly cluttered with household goods and storage items, for example in the cellar and several of the attic rooms, making inspection of these areas difficult.
Occupancy	I understand that the property is single occupancy. However during my inspection, I noted several rooms with locks fitted where possibly informal tenancy arrangements exist. The vendor and several members of the family were in occupation during my inspection.
Orientation	For the purpose of description within this report, all directions are given as facing the front elevation of the property.
Date of report

3 Survey Report

Exterior
Chimney stacks
Description	There were two brick chimney stacks to the property. These were of brick bedded on sand and cement mortar with lead flashings and clay pots or gas flue terminals fitted.
Condition	The main stack to the front right hand elevation was shared with the adjoining property. This was difficult to inspect from my ground floor inspection due to the height and position of the roofs and a tree, however, I noted there was some open jointed brickwork. I could not see the flashings to comment. To the front left hand side of the main two-storey section was a brick chimney stack with lead flashings. This chimney stack was in poor condition with ferns and vegetation growing out of the mortar joints and the lead flashings appear to be coming away.
Essential Repairs	Re-point the front left-hand chimney stack and overhaul the lead flashings, replacing missing sections.
Further Investigation	A roofing contractor should be asked to inspect this chimney stack, commenting in particular on the flashings and the bedding of the chimney pot.
Main roof coverings
Description	The main roof is of pitched and hipped construction with a small dormer to the front elevation. The roof steps down from the three storey to the two storey section. The roof was covered in concrete interlocking tiles with matching ridge tiles. The dormer roof has mineral felt ‘cheeks’.
Condition	The roof surface was in particularly poor condition with some slipped and broken tiles noted, the ridge tiles appeared loose and open-jointed. The sand and cement pointing to the verges had come away. The valley gutter appeared to be lined with lead, however I could not see the full extent of this gutter from my ground floor inspection and I could not see the secret valley gutter where this property adjoins the neighbour’s.
Serious Defects	The roof surface was in particularly poor condition and a major overhaul is required replacing slipped and broken concrete tiles, re-bedding and re-pointing ridge tiles and verges, and, once an inspection has been carried out of the valley gutters, no doubt these will require re-lining. The lead upstand flashings where the two-storey section meets the three-storey brick wall will also require a major overhaul, repairing and replacing lead flashing. It may prove cost-effective to re-roof the whole property.
Secondary roof coverings
Description	There are flat roofs to the front two-storey bay, porch and cloakroom and rear two-storey bay.
Condition	These roofs require a major overhaul replacing the mineral felt covering and the temporary ‘flashband’ repairs.
Serious Defects	Re-cover all secondary roofs. Note: mineral felt and ‘flashband’ type coverings only have a limited life and are only viewed as temporary repairs. These areas should now be re-covered.
Roof drainage
Description	Roof drainage to the property comprises a mixture of uPVC and cast iron gutters and downspouts discharging to gullies to the front and rear.
Condition	The roof drainage was in poor condition with broken, missing and mis-aligned sections. The older cast iron sections were cracked and rusting. The gullies to the front and rear were blocked and over-flowing and should be cleared out and grids provided.
Serious Defects	The gutters and downspouts should be replaced and the grids and gullies cleared and grids provided.
Eaves, fascias, soffits
Description	These comprised painted timber fascias and soffits.
Condition	These features were in poor condition with split, rotten and missing sections noted, for example to the left hand side of the two-storey gable.
Other Repairs	Overhaul or replace timber fascias. It may prove cost-effective to replace these with modern uPVC sections which do not require any ongoing maintenance.
Roof Space Ventilation
Description	There is no roof space ventilation, the roof relies on natural ventilation.
Condition	Comments given on internal inspection, however if re-roofing this property, permanent roof space ventilation should be provided in the form of ridge vents or similar.
Main walls
Description	The main walls to the property appear to comprise of a mixture of solid and ‘finger cavity’ brickwork bedded on sand and cement mortar which has been painted, hindering my inspection of the brickwork beneath.
Condition	The brickwork appeared in satisfactory condition as far as I could ascertain. The gable to the left hand side of the property had bulged slightly to the cavity brickwork and I would recommend a cavity wall tie specialist inspect the property and comment on any remedial works required in this area.
Further Investigation	Cavity wall tie specialist to inspect left hand gable to property and comment on any remedial works required.

Sub-floor ventilation
Description	We noted air bricks surrounding the property and cellar steps. These will provide ventilation to the cellar areas beneath the ground floor timbers.
Condition	These appeared in acceptable condition. However, additional ventilation may be required to the cellar area. Comments are given on my internal inspection.
Damp proof course

Comments

Sub-floor ventilation