Property Surveys in Aldershot

Only to the extent they show. A surveyor reports on what is reasonably accessible and visible, and will say where something could not be inspected and what would be needed to investigate it further.

Damp related issues, roof covering and flashing wear, movement historic enough to be stable, and previous alterations carried out without adequate structural support are all frequent findings on period stock.

The inspection itself depends on the size and complexity of the property. The report follows the inspection, and we agree the timescale up front so it fits your transaction rather than holding it up.

Yes. The garrison has a substantial heritage footprint, with listed buildings and designated areas across the former military estate. Where any of that applies to a property, permitted development cannot be assumed, and on a listed building even internal alterations can need consent. We establish which of these apply to your address at the start, because it can change the structural solution as well as the paperwork.

Aldershot is unusually terrace heavy for this part of Hampshire, so the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is in play on a large share of projects here. If the property is semi detached or terraced, or if the foundations for any new element sit close to a boundary, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is likely to apply and notice has to be served before work starts. We can confirm the position once we have seen the property, and serve the notices as part of the same project rather than leaving you to arrange it separately.

It can. Across Aldershot the underlying ground is commonly Bagshot sands over the heathland belt, with made ground possible on former military land, and that has a bearing on foundation depth, on how a new bearing is detailed, and on how close to mature trees a foundation can sensibly go. That is a general description of the area rather than a statement about any particular plot, so where foundations are involved we design against what an investigation on the site actually shows.

Aldershot falls under Rushmoor Borough Council. It is the local planning authority, with Hampshire County Council above it for highways matters such as skip permits and any scaffold that reaches the pavement. That matters because a set of calculations and drawings has to be submitted to the authority that actually covers the address, and on this patch the boundaries run close together, so neighbouring towns can sit with entirely different councils.

Yes. Alongside Aldershot we regularly work in Farnborough, Farnham and Camberley, and across the wider Hampshire border area from our office in Fleet. Bear in mind that some of those neighbouring towns sit under a different council to Aldershot, so the planning and building control route can change from one to the next even over a short distance.

No. A mortgage valuation is carried out for the lender to confirm the property is adequate security for the loan. It is not a condition survey and it is not commissioned on your behalf, even where you pay for it.

Yes. Aldershot is fully within our normal working area for property surveys, from the Wellesley development, North Camp, Manor Park and the garrison through to the surrounding streets. On the newer Wellesley plots there are often estate management conditions as well as the planning position, and those are worth reading before design work starts rather than after.