Full Building Survey from £400 Inclusive

Bruce offers the Level 3 Building Survey (also known as the Structural Survey).  This meets all the needs of the homebuyer in one single Building survey.

The survey is provided within 48 hours.

*(The level 3 Survey, provided by Bruce  is a bespoke service suitable for all residential properties which provides a full and detailed picture of construction and condition.  The survey will include extensive technical information on materials and construction as well of the whole range of defects, major to minor andit is provided at best value. 

The level 1 survey is a simple valuation survey (site visit 20-30 minutes). The level 2 survey is a valuation survey accompanied by a standard tick box proforma (typically 90 minutes) - this survey is not suitable for properties which are not, or may not be, in a sound condition - The level 1 and 2 Surveys are generally provided by RICS Surveyors) 

Call Bruce on 07872106593 to discuss your requirements or fill in the on line form by clicking here and receive a fixed price within 2 hours.

For other surveys, tailored to your needs, call Bruce on 07872016593

An Overview of Structural Surveys, Building Surveys, Home Surveys and the Building Surveyor by Bruce Spenser MSc MCIOB

• Qualifications

• Professional Membership.

• Insurance.

• Experience.

• Offer and Contract

• Choosing your Building Surveyor

• What does your Building Surveyor do?.

• Critical Analysis.

• Contents of the combined Building Survey offered By Bruce Spenser MSc MCIOB

• Critical Analysis, Logic, Risk and Hueristics - Subject Expert v Opinionated Person

Qualifications- Firstly your building surveyor must be suitably academically qualified. They should have a minimum of a BSc in Building Surveying and should have received this at one of the CIOB or RICS accredited University courses.

Professional Membership - Secondly the building surveyor should be a member of a recognised body for example CIOB or RICS.

Insurance - Third they must have professional indemnity insurance to cover the building survey. This ensures that should the fail in their duty of care to you (Be negligent) you can, through the courts and damages, regain your previous financial position.

Experience- The author would recommend they actually have a diploma in Home inspections and have worked Building, Restoring, Renovating, Converting and Altering the properties they intend to Survey - The main advantage of a CIOB Building Surveyor is their on hands experience + their academic qualifications.

Offer and Contract- After your initial contact the Building Surveyor should give you a clear offer of what he intends to do and any limitations. Compare this to others. Also ask if the survey will be carried out by a professional Building Surveyor or a trainee. Ask if VAT will be charged.

Choosing your Surveyor- The question then arises how do you choose your Building Surveyor? The author recommends that you then go for the symbiotic strength of the experientially and academically qualified Surveyor who will have continually professionally developed themselves by hands on construction experience, training and academic study.

· They understand by hands on experience strengthened by academic study and continual professional development what can go wrong in the construction, alteration, extension and refurbishment of dwellings and are therefore able to advise when a trail of suspicion emerges how the prospective purchaser can minimise or mitigate the inherent risks associated with their purchase - this after all is the reason you employ a building surveyor.

· There are a number of surveys on the market at the moment which seem to be based on an escalating cost the more liability the surveyor takes on. The author would recommend a full building survey plus a combined home report and in his view this will meet all the needs of the home buyer in one Survey.

What can you then inspect your Building Surveyor to do:

The Building Surveyor provide professional services whereby they will inspect problems with existing buildings.

Their Survey should reveal the health of a building, hence the term Building Pathology and from that Building Pathologist.

They will have a thorough understanding of the the many construction processes over the centuries of dwelling houses. Through this understanding they are aware of the faults which affect these different constructions and their possibilities and they will advise you of them.

“I have ten thousand fighting men they taught me all I knew; their name is what and why and where and when and whom” - thanks to Rudyard K

Critical Analysis- Rudyard K describes the process of critical analysis. Critical analysis is an amalgam of education, experience, training and the correct use of logic and risk assessment*. The surveyor will gather the facts and by experience and by reference to scientific authority (published academic literature) diagnose why the problems have occurred and how the problem can be remedied.

Take for example cracks, by experience and by reference to academic journals and research for example the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guides the Building Surveyor knows that Cracking is caused by:

· Thermal expansion

· Moisture expansion

· Chemical expansion

· Subsidence and heave

· Creep

· Over Stress by a combination of live and dead loads

· Inadequate design

· “Modern “design processes

· Mid war building techniques

· Adjacent Excavations and vibrations

· Mining -

· Foundation movement

· Timber rot within the supporting structure

· Removing structural support

· Drains

· Trees

The Building surveyor will primarily assess the age of the crack and will seek to determine if the structure has reached a new equilibrium.

They will next assess the depth of the crack, where it is located and its shape. They know that nearly all buildings have cracks; their job is to advise you of the seriousness of the crack. The most serious cracks are associated with foundation movement, alterations in the loading of the structure, structural timber rot by for example conephora puteana (Wet rot) or Serpula Lacrymans (Dry rot).

By reference to BRE 251, “ the classification of cracks in terms of their reparability” The building surveyor will be able to advise that if the cracks do not penetrate the full width of the brickwork the cracks would currently fit into category 0, 1 or at the very most 2 of the BRE classification - ie very little action required except aesthetic repair.

It will be noted that the Building Surveyor’s degree will be a Science degree; Master or Bachelor of Science; Science is essential in the diagnoses of chemical attack, thermal expansion, moisture expansion, rots, trees, stress and creep. For example Sulphate attack of chimneys: rising damp, trees and roots, chemical reactions between natural salts and chemicals within building products, Electrolytic action between different metals, the use of the noble gasses as Insulants etc.

The building surveyor should also have expert understanding of the Building Regulations and of their evolution, common law and statutes that affect dwellings for example the London Building Acts, The Party Wall Act, Construction, Design and Management Regulations etc.

Which is why the Building Surveyor should not only be used for your home survey but also when making structural changes to an existing building or if designing a new building.

Contents of The Combined Building and Home Survey - offered By Bruce Spenser MSc MCIOB

I offer one product to home buyers, which is a bespoke service suitable for all residential properties which provides a full and detailed picture of construction and condition.  This survey is likely to be needed if the property is, for example, of unusual construction, is dilapidated or has been extensively altered – or where a major conversion is planned.  The survey will include extensive technical information on materials and construction as well of the whole range of defects, major to minor.  

· Conclusions, Summaries and Recommendations

· Parameters of Survey

· Property Type

· Recent/long standing Renovations of Note

· Construction

· Brickwork

· Pointing

· Spalling or other weathering or defects

· Efflorescent

· Staining.

· Painted brickwork:

· Unusual items

· Bays

· Cracks

· Bulges and other deformations

· Subsidence and Heave

· Chimneys and Flues:

· The Stacks (Breasts)

· Flues

· Blocked off Fireplaces:

· Ceilings:

· Floors

· Damp:

· Leaks:

· Timber Rot

· Foundations and Structural loading

· Roof Loadings

· External Walls

· Floors

· Partition Walling

· Opening

· Front bays

· Bresummer beams

· Crack

· Levels and Plumbs

· Foundations and Tree

· Front Garden

· Rear Garden:

· Walls

· Roofs

· Bay roofs:

· Asbestos/Fibre Cement Slates.

· Algae, Moss and Lichen Growth

· Insects/Birds/Rodents/Wasps/Bees/Bats

· Warm Roof and Cold Roof Construction.

· Stack

· Drains:

· Stairs:

· Windows

· Doors:

· Cills:

· Decoration

· Bathroom Furniture and plumbing

· Kitchen Units and plumbing:

· Extraction:

· Ventilation:

· Services.

· Central heating and Hot Water

· External surface water drainage

· Water

· Electrical installation

· Gas installation

· Smoke alarm:

· Burglar Alarm and Security:

· Fire -

· Insulation

· Ventilation

· Building Regulation compliance

· Other items.

· Energy Performance Certificate:

· Woodworm, damp

· Pigeons

· Asbestos, lead, deleterious materials and environmental matters

· Locality information

· Site Sketch

· Site Photos

* The author mentions above that critical analysis is an amalgam of Education, experience, training, logic and risk assessment - Scientifically the determination which is critical analysis is also dependent on the Nature and Nurture of the person - but these factors can generally be discounted where the surveying of Buildings is concerned - as long as a professional is employed!!

The author mentions this as it is very important to differentiate between the scientific approach which he describes and the heuristic approach; The heuristic approach is programmed beliefs and attitudes which are either taught or inbuilt by evolutionary processes - these generally serve people reasonably well but can lead to cognitive biases and errors - The author is reminded of the bricklayer who was taught by his father, who was taught by his father (etc) that the correct mortar mix to use when re-pointing was a 2:1 (sand: cement) mix - the result of course was cracked pointing - but when the author attempted to explain to the bricklayer the problem, the error of his beliefs and his training the bricklayer just became angrier and angrier.

The point above emphasises the importance of utilising a Professional to design, specify and oversee construction works and of course to Survey your intended property.