01332 314039
234 Derby Road, Chellaston, Derby, DE73 6RU8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday
Homebuyers Surveys in Duffield
Building/ Structural Survey in Duffield
About Steve Butler RICS Chartered Surveyors
Steve Butler Chartered Surveyors are entirely independent of any estate agents lenders or mortgage brokers and not pay introductory fees ensuring our independence.
Our surveyors have lived in or owned properties of all types and ages in many parts Duffieldshire so we have considerable local knowledge of most areas, and practical experience of owning and maintaining many types and ages of property.
Experience
Steve Butler Chartered Surveyor has lived near to Duffield all his life and is thus very familiar with the area. Steve has been providing Homebuyers Survey Reports, Building Surveys and RICS Valuations of residential properties in Duffield since qualifying as Chartered Surveyor in 1992. Steve Butler has also passed the Government's Home Inspector Examinations and is a qualified residential property energy surveyor and associate member of the Chartered Institution of Legal Executives.
Our aims
Steve Butler RICS Surveyors aim to be entirely independent. We have no obligations other than to ensuring our clients receive best advice promptly at reasonable cost for the work done. We aim to provide a high quality, but cost-effective service. We like to be accessible to the client by phone and e-mail, and would always encourage face to face meetings on site in order that we and the client entirely understand each other and can discuss the issues with them at hand. Specialising in residential properties, our homebuyers surveys building surveys and RICS valuations will allow you to reach a decision, uninfluenced by external considerations.
Living in Duffield ensures that our surveyors have good local knowledge and will be familiar with local property market conditions, historical factors that may affect a site, local geology, proposed developments and local building techniques which is particularly important for houses built before the introduction of UK wide regulations and volume house building.
RICS Regulated Surveyors Duffield
Steve Butler Surveyors Duffield are RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Regulated. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ensures that surveyors adhere to high standards of professionalism, have a good understanding of their areas of practice, follow best practices, and always follow a strict code of conduct. RICS regulated surveyors are high quality surveyors.
The advantages of using an RICS regulated firm of Surveyors include:
Surveyors that give you clear, impartial and expert advice
Chartered Surveyors that act only in your interest
RICS surveyors they are tightly regulated and have to follow strict rules of conduct
Surveyors that are insured to protect you
RICS surveyors have a specific set of rules and best practice guidance, the Red Book, designed to help ensure RICS valuation surveyors provide consistent service to standards recognised world wide
Chartered Surveyors have to update their skills and knowledge throughout their careers, so you can rely on their expertise you are protected by a complaints procedure and access to independent redress, for example through an independent dispute resolution scheme.
Google reviews of our Duffield surveyors from past customers are usually five star rated with an average score of 4.7.
Price
Price should always be taken into consideration when choosing a RICS Chartered Surveyor but the cheapest quote may not offer the best value for money. We win over ninety percent of instructions that we are invited to quote for suggesting that are fees are competitive and considered to be good value for the level of service offered. Clients are always welcome to meet us on site and discuss matters whilst they are at hand. Many other surveyors hide from their clients behind their secretaries.
Our services
Our Chartered Sureyors specialise in RICS property surveys and valuations in the Duffield and Duffieldshire area including:
A survey that includes a full description of how the property is put together. Useful in understanding older properties that may have methods of construction that are not common today or if they are of unusual layout or have been substantially altered.
Our favourite survey. A punchy report that tells you the important things about the property, particularly those that are serious, require urgent attention or are likely to affect the property’s value. Covers all part of the property includes structural movement, dampness, rot, drains and electrics
Valuations specifically written to meet Target's requirements. We can prepare these for a fixed fee of £300.00 and have lots of experience and can ensure that they meet Targets requirements first time.
Valuations that meet the requirements of the various courts and tribunals for use in Matrimonial, Taxation, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Probate and Court of Protection negotiations.
For use in insurance claims for structural movement, and a wide range of disputes including boundaries and rights of way, and poor workmanship disputes with builders in respect of kitchens, conservatories, tiles, roofs, stairs, sliding and folding doors and windows and bathrooms among others.
Public Houses are often very old and have often been neglected by past tenants with little interest in the future of the building. Pub surveys are useful if buying such a property and essential if leasing on where the landlords will, if at all possible, present you with a long list of repairs at the end of the tenancy and want financial compensation.
Boudaries and rights of way are our specialism.
Homebuyers Survey, Building Survey or RICS Valuation? What type of house survey should you commission?
The following link advises potential puchasers about the different type of surveys that our surveyors can provide and the problems with relying on a mortgage valuation survey.
Duffield RICS Chartered Surveyors Report into a badly thought out extension
Photographs and comments from the report
Are surveyors were asked to write a report following damp ingress into a property following an extension by the neighbour. The neighbours property was slightly higher than the subject property which could have causes penetratng dampness but this was in its self not the issue. Becasue the subject property's outhouses stepped out the construction of the extension has left a well betwen the two properties. The cut out had once accomdodated a downpipe. Measuement suggested that the site workers had thrown builders rubbish such as spare mortar into the well so that the floor of the well was about 75cm above the floor of the adjacent boiler housse and rear lobby. The filling of the well with rubbissh had blocked the former storm drain which would otherwise have drained the well which was open to the elements. The extension had also trapped the roofing felt off the boilre house which wouod make recovering difficult. The extension raised party wall and boundary issues. The problems coud all have been avioided by proper planning before work started and good site supervision.
RICS Surveyor's Duffield's Homebuyers Survey Report on a 1933 semi detached house
Photographs and comments from the Homebuyers Survey report
Typical ex-local authority semi-detached house of brick and tile construction house. The concrete canopy alerted our surveyor that the property was probably ex-local authority as they were not popular on private houses of this age. Our surveyors were concerned that three pedestrian paths in separate ownerships that had been converted to a shared driveway by removing fences or hedges which raised all kinds of legal complexities and scope for dispute should somebody re-erect a fence. The property had suffered from structural movement which did not particularly concern our surveyors, and had an obsolete water heating system and electrics that were dated although there was no indication to our surveyors that they were immediately dangerous.
Surveyor's Duffield property survey report on a terrace house dating from about 1932
A typical privately built terrace house constructed with brick walls and a clay tile roof with replacement windows. The property has brick front and rear walls that are solid and will be cold and prone to condensation. There is clay tile roof although it they have a profile similar to modern concrete tiles. The face of the roof had formed a dish shape. This is a common feature of properties of this age due to the longitudinal timbers that support the rafters being under sized. Plastic framed windows with concrete lintels above have replaced the original timber or metal framed windows. There is an engineering brick damp proof course that it typical of the era. Damp was penetrating the solid wall due to a broken gutter. Damp seen in the under stairs cupboard was likely to be due to condensation due to a combination the cold wall an the cupboard being unheated and having limited ventilation. Mould under the kitchen linoleum was consistent with condensation or water having been spilt. Ceiling Panels above an entry tunnel were not considered to be a particular problem as the asbestos is well encapsulated. Simple precautions such as wearing a mask will suffice if disturbing it. A fracture of the window lintel should be repaired to stop corrosion of the reinforcing steel which is very destructive and will cause the lintel to disintegrate. A rodent probably a squirrel has caused damage to timbers in the roof void. Lack of droppings suggested that it is historic. Tiles with a chicken pattern suggested that the kitchen had last been refurbished in the 1970's. Unusually the chickens on the tiles were all the right way up.
Duffield RICS Chartered Surveyors Building Survey of a 1965 Bunglaow
Comments of our surveyors and photographs from the Building Survey Report
A typical detached bungalow from the 1960’s built with a narrow front elevation to save land costs
Our surveyor found an old and inefficient boiler sitting under an unsupported chimney breast and supply radiators connected by a one pipe system which is very inefficient and often results in radiators at the end of the run no heating up.
There were no steel lintels above the replacement windows, the frames of which are often not as strong as the original timber ones which can cause the bricks above to sag. A large and expensive glazing unit has misted due to moisture ingress which is usually caused by the drainage channels at the bottom of the frame becoming blocked so that the unit sits in water.
The garage was built into the ground to save the cost of levelling the site. High ground adjacent to thin garage walls can cause them to buckle particularly if there is wet clay soil.
A white fuse box with re-wireable fuses suggested that the property had last been re-wired in the 1980’s fuse box. Lack of RCD protection was of considerable concern to our surveyors. Uniformly green earthing cable sleeve are also indicative of a 1970's or 80's system. Old switches however suggest that parts off the system may have been original which was also of concern to our surveyors.
Extracts with photographs of defects seen by our RICS Chartered Surveyors Duffield when undertaking RICS Homebuyers Survey Reports and RICS Building Surveys