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5 articles
Post-war prefabs and non-traditional homes can look entirely ordinary, yet their construction, mortgage status and repair risks demand specialist attention. This guide explains how surveyors identify systems such as Airey, Cornish and BISF houses, what defects commonly emerge and why lender confirmation should come early.
The interwar semi is familiar, but familiarity can hide real defects. This field guide explains what surveyors look for in 1930s houses — from bay windows and hipped roofs to cavity ties and drainage — and how buyers can separate cosmetic aging from structural risk.
Victorian terraces are rarely silent about their age. This field guide explains which movements, damp patches and uneven floors are ordinary signs of maturity — and which deserve urgent investigation before exchange.
Green upgrades can add comfort and value, but a partly finished retrofit can conceal condensation, electrical and compliance risks. This guide explains how a 2026 building survey tests the evidence, which paperwork to request and how to avoid inheriting an unfinished project.
A warm, well-lit house on a cold November viewing can feel reassuring, but winter weather often conceals as much as it reveals. This guide explains how to commission and interpret a building survey in late 2026, with a practical checklist for condensation, damp, roofs, gutters and drainage.