Chipping Norton Building Surveyors
Regulated by RICS
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Our RICS surveyors live and work in the Cotswold Region, covering Chipping Norton, Woodstock, Charlbury, Kingham, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and surrounds.
Our Chartered Surveyors use their extensive experience and local knowledge to provide exceptional technical property insight and in-depth advice to prospective buyers and vendors.
Chipping Norton Building Surveyors
Surveys in the Cotwolds
Our Cotswold surveyors live and work in the region, covering Chipping Norton and the surrounding towns and villages. They know the local property inside out, with extensive experience in surveying the period limestone houses common to the area.
The extraordinary preservation of such a large number of period, traditional properties in the Cotswold region means that most of our RICS surveys in the Chipping Norton area are Level 3, full building surveys. These are the gold standard survey, with comprehensive detail and a bespoke report tailored to each individual property.
Importantly, given the age and complexity of many properties in the area, Level 3 reports include detailed advice on repairs and maintenance. This advice comes with estimated costs for works and specifics on which materials and techniques are appropriate (and often essential) for looking after period homes.
With so many of our surveys in towns like Woodstock, Chippy, Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold being listed building surveys, our reports will highlight if any remedial works are likely to need listed building consent. We can also provide advice on whether it is likely that previous owners have made alterations to the property, and the documents your legal advisor will need to request if you are buying a listed house.
Whether you are looking for the perfect family home, a country bolthole or your own estate, our surveyors will work with you or your buying agent to make sure that the property is the right investment for you.
Timothy Allcott FRICS, MCIOB, C. Build. E., FCABE
Our Cotswold survey team is led by Timothy Allcott FRICS. Tim lives and breathes heritage property; he currently lives in the Cotswold area in an 18th century Grade II listed converted coach house, having moved there from a 17th century thatched cottage.
Living and working in period property has give Tim a profound understanding of how to survey a traditional home. He is adamant that our surveys are sympathetic to the nature and character of a building, recognizing the difference between a quirk and a problem, and offering practical, balanced advice on defects.
Tim’s qualifications as a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Builder and Chartered Engineer means that he is able to provide comprehensive advice on all aspects of a building, without having to refer to external specialists.
Surveying Cotswold Property
Our surveyors celebrate the diversity of the properties in and around Chipping Norton and the Cotswolds, and our reports are highly tailored to each home. There are, however, several common findings and themes across the homes in this region.
Traditional building materials, such as stone and thatch, are prevalent. Our building surveyors have years of experience in assessing these materials and provide an expert opinion on their condition and maintenance requirements.
When examining stonework, they will look at the condition of the stone and mortar, whether the masonry is at risk from any other factors such as vegetation or water damage, and whether repairs are needed in the short, medium and long term. They will also advise on the suitability of the structure for the function it is being used for, and let you know if they suspect modern alterations have been made that would require building regulations approval and listed building consent.
When surveying a thatched property, they will be looking at the type of thatch used, and the estimated lifespan of both the main roof and the ridge. The roof’s aspect, and even the prevalent local weather conditions, will be taken into account.
Our surveyors also recognize that properties built using traditional methods and materials were designed to build an equilibrium between the absorption of water and evaporation. Many of the most common issues we come across in period properties are damp-related, resulting from that equilibrium being disrupted. This is usually because inappropriate, modern materials have been used when carrying out repairs and renovations.
Heritage materials like wattle and daub, and cob, are sometimes still found across the region. These are designed to absorb and release moisture, but can get damaged if water gets trapped within them, adding to the complications caused by damp.
Prominent chimneys are a characteristic of many Cotswold properties, particularly around Chipping Norton. These can be difficult to access, so our surveyors carry drones and camera poles to enable them to survey roofs and chimneys. This way, they can thorough inspect the condition of chimney stacks and the flashings surrounding them.
The Cotswolds are home to some exceptional manor properties, and we frequently place two or more surveyors on larger sites to expedite the survey and report and keep the purchase process on target. Many houses also have additional features such as pools, stables and tennis courts. Whilst we are not specialists, we will provide an overview of the condition of any swimming pools, equine facilities and leisure facilities, and our professional opinion on whether further inspection is advisable.
Our Expert Surveying Approach
We are firm believers in providing a professional report that is informative and above all, useful. We write bespoke reports for every property, rather than relying on tablet software and standard phrasing. Crucially, we avoid caveating our statements, so that you receive an expert opinion on the condition of all aspects of your property.
Our reports are designed not to scaremonger; when taking on an older or larger property, it is expected that there will be some repair and maitnenance requirements and there is no need for this to block a sale. Our reports are meant as an advice booklet so that you understand the maintenance requirements and financial liabilities associated with the upkeep of the property.
Ultimately, the report will help you confirm whether the property is right for you.
If the property is in disrepair, we will provide a report detailing what needs to be done to bring it up to modern living standards, with the use of traditional materials and trades to preserve the fabric and nature of the building.
We work with a lot of contractors who specialise in these types of property and we can often provide recommendations if required.
Example reports
