New - Home Health Check Service!
/As we launch our new service, we have been considering how often we let small issues go unnoticed in our homes. Perhaps a stained area of brickwork, a bit of plant growth, an area of tired decorations, a slightly leaky gutter only observed in heavy rainfall but ignored during the drier months… we don’t necessarily think of the potential larger issues which may result from leaving maintenance to a later time.
Whilst we will annually MOT our cars and pop to the dentist, the doctor and exercise to keep ourselves and our families healthy, our homes are often left unchecked until an issue occurs or we move home or plan works to the property.
It stands to reason that (as likely to be the most significant financial investment of our lives) our homes should probably receive a little more attention! Checking for minor wants of repair or early signs of more significant potential issues can save time and money in the longer term. As an example, it may not occur that a downpipe which discharges over the ground, it may, over time, lead to saturation of the ground and movement (subsidence) to the building itself. A small adjustment to your rainwater goods could, in fact, avoid more expensive crack stitching repair, movement monitoring or even underpinning if action is taken at the right time.
Perhaps the garden wall is showing signs of cracking - not a big issue, we may think - but this could be a sign that plant or tree root growth is affecting the structures nearer to your home and may even pose a risk to the stability of the building and/or drainage systems. It could be that pollarding the tree or removing the offending plant may negate any such risks.
Similarly, allowing brickwork or decorations to fall into poor repair could lead to damp penetration into the property. Low-lying floor vents, or paving abutting the external walls, may also give rise to the risk of damp penetration and promote damage to the timber structures of the building.
Our new Home Health Check service helps to ensure that your property is in good health - damp meter testing carried out by a Chartered Surveyor and a trained eye can be well worth the time.
This service is not limited - if you are considering works to the property, our experienced Surveyor will also be very happy to have a chat through your plans, the likelihood for planning consents and any additional considerations and/or constraints to bear in mind (such as Party Wall Agreements, Thames Water Build Over Agreements etc).
If you are purchasing at auction, our Home Health Check can prove a more cost effective option than paying for a full survey report. The feedback you will receive will identify any issues you need to be aware of before entering into the bidding process.
Our Home Health Checks service can be viewed via the following link; do pop over to have a look or get in touch - we would love to hear from you!