News
At Gold Crest Chartered Surveyors, we believe that knowledge is power and so we strive to provide our clients with information, facts, news articles, and valuable resources all related to the UK property market. Discover top tips when buying your first home, the best ways to add value to a property, and the most common and financially damaging structural issues to be aware of.
The Renters Reform Bill
I have been investing in property for over 20 years now. Whilst viewing many old run-down properties, …
Surveyors in Slough
Gold Crest have Surveyors based throughout England and Wales and Slough is an area where we regularly …
Historic and Modern Buildings in Nottingham
Old and Historic Buildings are one of the areas of our expertise, and if you are looking …
Surveyors in Bedford
If you are looking for a Surveyor in Bedford, you might consider choosing Gold Crest, as we …
A Surveyors Report Example
We recently conducted a Building Survey on the above property. The following is an extract from a …
Surveyors in Birmingham
For a Surveyor in Birmingham, a local RICS qualified Surveyor is best, and Gold Crest have experienced RICS …
Surveyors in Manchester
Gold Crest is one of the few Surveyors in Manchester offering Building Survey reports on Listed Buildings. If …
International Women’s Day
Join us as we celebrate International Women’s Day by highlighting the achievements of women in the field …
Local Watford Surveyors
If you’re looking for a Surveyor in Watford, we’re here to help. A local surveyor is not …
Protecting Your Property in the Winter Months
We often observe pipework, water tanks, and external taps which are inadequately insulated. Many, however, do not …
Brine & Salt Extraction in Cheshire
As a surveyor, we are expected to know about our local area. This includes not only house …
Party Wall Surveyors
Party wall surveyors play an important role in the construction process for rear extensions, loft, and attic …
What is a Level 2 or 3 Home Survey?
When buying a property, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of its condition and any potential …
Surveyors in Manchester
Building surveying is a vital profession in the construction industry, particularly in a city like Manchester. With …
A Loft Conversion Without Building Control Approval
The property is a mid-terrace house, and the loft has been converted into an accommodation space. The …
Asbestos Cement Within Residential Properties
Asbestos was a very popular building material in the construction of homes and buildings in the UK …
The Dangers of Sulphate Attack To Chimneys
In older properties, sulphate attack is one of the most common problems affecting chimney stacks. The chimney …
A “Boring” Property Problem
On a recent building survey in Nottinghamshire I was in awe of the house I had been …
Chim Chim Cher-ee
A great majority of residential homes within the UK have a chimney. As a nation, it is …
Keep Your Home Safe This Bonfire Night
Bonfire night is one its way, that wonderful time of year where kids and adults alike gather …
Expect The Unexpected: Lessons Learned from Two Property Surveys
A Neighbourly Dispute When surveying properties, it’s important to expect the unexpected, but sometimes you can’t avoid …
Sybil Taunton on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in the Surveying Industry
In an ever-changing world, it’s the duty of every industry to understand the importance of a diverse, …
Perished Felt at the Eaves
There are common defects with secondary roof coverings (felt under the roof tiles) that often go unnoticed …
Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) Units & Systems
Many homes that we survey are found to have elevated levels of moisture, causing condensation and dampness …
DAMP in Properties
How do we get rid of damp? Ideally the earlier you can spot signs of damp within …
On Closer Inspection: A Roof Story
It was during an unseasonably cold day in April this year that I was instructed to undertake …
A Stitch in Time to Save Nine
A stitch in time to save nine – an interesting case of lintel failure. At Gold Crest …
A Back to Back Experience
I recently carried out a survey in a place called Mytholmroyd. I had never visited this part …
London Chartered Surveyors
If you are looking for a firm of London Chartered Surveyors, look no further. We here at …
The Roof Structure
The roof (covering and structure) is one of the most important parts of a building. It is …
One of the Most Common Defects in Old Properties
As residential surveyor I visit hundreds of properties every year and almost every week I found similar …
Chartered Surveyors in Kent
RICS Level 3 Building Surveyors in Kent Secure peace of mind by using RICS Qualified Surveyors for …
Old Septic Tanks and Modern-Day Restrictions
I am in the process of purchasing a new property which does not currently have mains drainage. …
A Recent Damp Encounter
I was recently tasked with carrying out a level 3 Building Survey on a property in Dover. …
Feeling the pinch of high energy bills?
Like me and many others within the UK today you have no doubt noticed the steady increase …
Some reflections on Japanese Knotweed, Overestimation, Damp Valuation
Getting in a knot about Japanese Knotweed Japanese Knotweed or Reynoutria Japonica is a native plant species …
Always Expect the Unexpected
I have been conducting pre-purchase house surveys for a few years now and would like tothink I …
Brighton Chartered Surveyors
If you are in need of a property survey in Brighton or the surrounding district, we can …
A Renewable Energy Tale
As a Residential Surveyor, we have to have a broad spectrum of knowledge and the keenness to …
Apartment Communal Areas
Whilst many purchaser’s priority is the demised areas of the property they are buying, i.e. the apartment …
The Wrong Mortar on a Property
Having started my work career as a builder it gave me a knowledgeable insight when working with …
Chartered Surveyors “Near Me”
Here at Gold Crest, we provide our award-winning chartered surveyors near me service to people all over …
Finding The Right Surveyors
When it comes to selling or buying a property, there are many tasks and factors to be …
Masonry Bees
Yes, that’s right, bees in the walls! Earlier this year I was lucky enough to actually see …
More Musing on Mentoring
I’ve mused previously that the chartered surveyor mentor learns as much from the mentee as vice versa, …
The Trouble With Boundaries
This was part of a home buyer survey that took place in August 2020. For this survey, …
Limitations of inspection, and what not to do.
I attended a property in North Manchester for a Level 3 building survey. As with all properties, …
A lesson learnt the hard (and expensive) way!
I recently inspected a large Victorian semi detached property. It was a beautiful sunny September afternoon and …
It Shouldn’t Happen To A Surveyor
I have borrowed the above title from the renowned and much-loved author James Herriot who wrote a …
Unique Brickwork in Boston Spa, Yorkshire.
Unique brickwork features can tell a story. In this case it is very much a historic event, …
The importance of a PCA Timber Inspection
Inspection took place on a dry day in May 2021, in Liverpool. I was waiting outside the …
We Are Your Expert Eyes.
As busy Building Surveyors our diaries are booked a number of weeks in advance and will be …
A Long and Winding Road
I recently carried out a survey inspection in Matlock Bath, which is situated in the southeast of …
Don’t lock yourself out… or in!
It was a hot day and was doing the internal inspection of a vacant terrace house. I …
Cows-piracy
I carried out a survey last year August to a 1900 contemporary cottage style property in a …
Living Standards
We all appreciate that if you go back 100 years or more and compare our living standards …
Church Conversions
I have recently surveyed a flat in a converted church close to Crystal Palace Park in South …
How to tell the difference between timber frame and cavity wall construction in modern houses?
We all have different specialities and come from a variety of different backgrounds here at Gold Crest …
Who learns more, mentor or mentee?
In February 2021 I was flattered to be asked to participate in a new mentoring project, helping …
Damp Proof Courses (DPC’s)
Whilst surveying properties daily, a common defect we come across is a Low or bridged DPC’s What …
Historic underground water tanks.
In July 2021 pre thunderstorm witnessed by greater Manchester I was surveying a property with a very precellular …
Taking the garden to new heights.
Last week I surveyed a 2-bedroom house converted from a workshop. The 1880s property is located in …
How should you remove hazardous materials from your house…..? Asbestos you can!
One of the many important reasons to get a Building Survey when buying an older property is …
Diagonal Cracking Cover up.
The client had provided a list of items that they had requested to make comment on during …
A CLOSE CALL – TO WEED OR KNOT-TO-WEED
Never a normal day surveying, however, back in March 2021 it felt like a normal morning surveying …
Follow the Slope Towards the Cause.
When completing a survey of a ground floor flat in August 2019 I noticed a quite significant …
Even salt looks like sugar
Getting ready for the great British summer after a wet spring, it was a sunny Thursday June …
The walls are bulging!
Within my role as a Residential Building Surveyor, I cover Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds. I therefore regularly …
Retrofit Cavity Wall Insulation
The Department for Business Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched The Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) in 2013 …
Would you buy a property next to a graveyard?
I recently carried out a survey on a Grade 2 listed property in a popular village location …
Human Side of Surveys by Gareth Brookes
I think as a Residential Surveyor that we are in a very privileged position and as such …
There’s more than meets the eye…
I recently carried out a survey of a fully refurbished semi-detached house that was previously derelict. The …
Are Regs Worth the View?
In June 2021 I surveyed a second floor flat, which had recently been refurbished throughout and there …
Beware of chimney breast removals
Some weeks ago, I was asked to carry out a survey inspection on a mid-terrace house built …
Spray foam insulation, the gift that keeps on giving…
I recently carried out a survey inspection on a mid-terrace house in a suburb of Stevenage to …
Being a Mentor
Earlier this year, I was asked by the Director if I was interested in becoming a mentor …
From Collecting Glasses to Collecting Moisture.
I carried out an interesting survey in Gloucestershire this June. The weather at the time of the …
STAIRWAY (AND OTHER LIVING ACCOMODATION) TO HEAVEN
Estate Agents details can often build the reader’s anticipation up, just to be let down when you …
The Roof is on Fire?
A few months ago, I was surveying a converted flat in a Victorian terraced house. The apartment …
PVC Cladding to Timber – Hidden Defects
It is often said that ‘that one waits ages for a bus, then two come along at …
Wood-boring Insects
A few weeks ago, I was surveying a 1900’s semi-detached property in need of complete modernisation. I …
Re-rewind, when the crowd say Bo: Surveyor!
Home is where the heart is they say. But the head must surely lead. This was my …
Can the wind blow your house down?
“Well of course not”, I hear you say. I imagine the homeowner of the house in Christchurch, …
Is it important to obtain a Japanese Knotweed report from a specialist?
This mid terrace house in east London was put on the market at the beginning of the …
Toilet Tales from a Resi Surveyor
I have been asked to do my first ever ‘Blog’ and the first thing I asked myself …
