Hertfordshire Listed Building Surveyors
Regulated by RICS
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Surveying a listed home requires detailed knowledge of heritage construction methods and materials, local building style and heritage legislation.
Our chartered surveyors have decades of experience in surveying Grade I and II listed homes across Hertfordshire, including St Albans, Harpenden, Tring, Hitchin and surrounding areas.
Hertfordshire Building Surveyors
Listed building surveys in Hertfordshire
Our local RICS Chartered surveyors live and work in the region, covering an area from Tring to St Albans to Hitchin and Watford, and everywhere in between.
They have decades of experience of property in the area, and can provide expert advice and insight into period properties ranging from the Georgian and Victorial periods through to those built in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Our listed building survey experience includes everything from small thatched cottages dating back over 500 years, to large mansion houses and even commercial and educational heritage buildings.
As well has having extensive expertise in surveying Grade II listed homes, our surveyors have the knowledge and heritage qualifications needed to carry out Grade II* and Grade I property surveys, as well as assessing homes on World Heritage Sites.
Common concerns for buyers of period and listed buildings include structural movement, timber infestation and damage, and damp. We are also often asked to comment on quality of past repairs, alterations and workmanship, and the conditon and remaining lifespan of roofs, particularly if they are thatched.
Our RICS Level 3 listed building surveys include a visual assessment of all aspects of the interior and exterior of the building, as well as the grounds, as standard. Anything that can be seen will be assessed, and hidden defects will also be considered and discussed. Our reports also include detailed recommendations on the repairs and maintenance that will be required if you are buying the listed building, along with budget costs.
Nicholas Kelly FRICS, MCIfA, IHBC, RICS Certified Historic Building Professional
Our Listed Building Survey team is led by Nick Kelly FRICS. Nick is an RICS Certified Historic Building Professional, as well as being a Full Member of the Institute for Historic Building Conservation, and a Full Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.
Over the years, Nick has honed his expertise in heritage property through his work with The National Trust, English Heritage and the Landmark Trust. Nick’s knowledge of period property, heritage construction types and listed building legislation is second to none.
Nick’s experience in his seven years at Allcotts includes countless residential and commercial listed properties, including an 18th century farmhouse complete with its own stocks, the historic Avoncroft Museum and the Grade II* listed Tring Park School.
Recent listed building condition surveys in the Hertfordshire area include Victorian and Georgian properties. These commonly have basement and loft conversions, so our surveyors are looking at whether these have been done to building regulations standards, and whether appropriate consents have been obtained.
Sash windows are also common in these properties. While there can be defects, one benefit of atimber sliding sash window is that it can be fully dismantled and repaired to replace sash cords, pulley wheels, and balance weights, as well as timber components should they be decayed. This is a design feature of this window type. A competent carpenter and joiner should be able to carry out repairs to the sash windows to make them fully functional.
Solid stone and brick build period houses and cottages are also common in the villages around Harpenden and St Albans. These were built using breathable lime mortar, to allow any moisture absorbed by the stone to evaporate again without causing damage to the masonry.
Our RICS surveyors often spot areas where subsequent property owners have repaired lime mortar using cement-based material. This can trap moisture within the fabric of the building, leading to damage from the damp itself, and the effects that the water has on the structural materials.
