Party Wall & Property Surveys in Bury St Edmunds

Our surveyor Justin Burns recently completed a Level 2 Survey on a 1960s detached bungalow to the east of Bury St. Edmunds, close to the town of Elmswell.  The inspection was booked in promptly and the report dispatched within our standard 3 days turnaround period. A number of issues were highlighted within the report including a chimney stack in need of re-building, cracking to a detached garage and some dated and potentially dangerous wiring. As a result of our report, the buyer could proceed with the purchase fully aware of the remedial works required.

Our client commented ‘Our chain was moving quickly and we required a reliable surveyor to perform the survey quickly and efficiently. We contacted Peter Barry Surveyors and the staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. Justin who performed the survey was very thorough and professional. 5 star rating for this great service! Will definitely use again if needed and would 100% recommend.

We recently completed a Level 3 building survey on a detached bungalow on the outskirts of a village approx. 15 miles on the Colchester side of Bury St. Edmunds.

As all the accommodation is on one floor, bungalows tend to have a large floor area and most will be built in a traditional rectangular shape. The result is long walls to the front and rear of the property that, unless they have been constructed with movement joints, will be prone to cracking. This particular property also had large UPVC windows which are also prone to thermal movement. It was therefore unsurprising to find extensive cracking adjacent to openings at the front and rear of the property. Cracking of this type can only be prevented with extensive modifications but our surveyor was able to advise on measures that could be taken to reduce the risk and on appropriate repairs.

We were also instructed to provide costings in respect of repair works so that our client could renegotiate where necessary without the hassle of having to arrange estimates from builders.

It’s surprising how much the orientation of a pitched roof can affect the lifespan of its covering. Old clay tiles can be quite porous and will become saturated during wet weather. Those facing southwards will then gradually dry out when the weather improves and the sun comes out. However, if the elevation of the roof faces north, they will remain in the shade and there’s a greater possibility that the temperature will drop below zero before they are fully dry. When a wet tile freezes, the water droplets expand and damage the surface (referred to as ‘spalling’). Wet tiles also encourage moss to grow and that moss will then act as a sponge and accelerate the deterioration.

Our surveyor Justin Burns encountered a classic example of this when he recently inspected a cottage in a rural location to the south of Bury St. Edmunds as part of a Level 3 survey. The south facing elevation of the main roof required some minor remedial works but the tiles to the rear were in such poor condition that renewal was the only realistic option. Thankfully our client was able to renegotiate the price to leave something in the budget for the roof works.