Guides

Guides for people buying a house

Short pieces on the questions we get asked on the phone. No jargon without a translation.

• Buying

  Level 2 or Level 3: how to choose without guessing

  A short walk through age, construction and known concerns, so you pay for the survey you need.

  Full guide coming shortly.

• Defects

  Damp explained: rising, penetrating and condensation

  Three different problems that look the same on a wall, and what each one costs to put right.

  Full guide coming shortly.

• Costs

  How to renegotiate after a survey without losing the house

  What to send the agent, what to leave out, and when to ask for a retention.

  Full guide coming shortly.

• Process

  What happens on inspection day

  Who needs to be there, how long it takes, and what the surveyor is looking at.

  Full guide coming shortly.

• Buying

  Is the mortgage valuation enough?

  What your lender's valuation actually checks, and what it leaves out.

  Full guide coming shortly.

• Costs

  What a new roof really costs

  Typical repair and replacement ranges we quote in reports, and what moves the number.

  Full guide coming shortly.