Chiltern Associates

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Invasive Plant Species at the Chelsea Flower Show

Japanese knotweed

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is known for many things but showcasing invasive plant species is perhaps not one of them. The new “Enemy Within” Garden will be unveiled at this years show to highlight the issues around this problem. Plants may not seem very threatening when you are thinking about buying a home but they can cause a lot of problems in terms of the property itself, the garden and they can prove very costly.

What is an Invasive Species?

The standard definition of an invasive species is “a plant, fungus or animal that is not native to a specific location and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.”

There are a number of invasive plant species int he UK and the garden will highlight 14 of them. The most well known is Japanese knotweed which is left unchecked can cause serious problems in and around a property. Some people have even lost mortgages because of it. The idea that a seemingly benign plant can “escape” and start growing in the wild may not seem that threatening but over time and in the right conditions this species can not only grow in huge numbers but can do so at the expense of native flora and fauna which then has more knock on effects to the ecosystem, property and the economy.

The Demand for New Plants

We have over 10,000 species of plant that gardeners in the UK can buy and grow but despite this there is still a very high demand for new and novel species.  Garden Centres are regularly bringing in new species to feed the demand by gardeners for more exciting plants. But there is also another side to this. When an inexperienced gardener, perhaps having just bought a new home, goes to the garden centre to look at plants they will choose what they think looks nice. It is no fault of their own they happen to chose what could become the next big invasive species. The shops should take responsibility for the stock they sell in the long term as well as the short.

Time Bomb

Evidence suggests that invasive species can tale decades to become a problem so the plants growing around the country now could already be about to become a problem in the next 10 years. It is scary to think that there is also another generation potentially being planted right now that could be 30 years away from being a problem. An example of this is the giant rhubarb. It was first seen outside of dedicated gardens in 1908 but it took until around 2000 for it to become a problem. Japanese knotweed took from 1886 until 1940 before it took hold and continued to grow as a problem ever since.

While this garden will no doubt form an interesting part of the show it is doing a great job at highlighting the issue to home owners across the country. It is important to remember that buying a property often includes buying a garden but it is so often forgotten about.

If you have any questions about a property purchase and potentially problematic plants in and around it then get in touch today to discuss how a survey can help or if any specific horticultural advice may be needed in addition to a survey.

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Sole Plates – What You Should Know

Timber framed building

Anyone buying a historic or even a new timber framed building should be aware of what and where the sole plate is as well as why it is important. This critical part of the the house structure can suffer over time and lead to some very expensive issues with historic buildings. 

Sole Plate

The sole plate is essentially the first part of any timber framed building to be installed. All of the other structural timbers and stud work are then build on top of the sole plate. As such it is obvious right away that this is a very important part of the building. It forms the basis for the whole structure and if it is compromised in any way so is the building itself.

Sole Plate Rot and Moisture

The most common issue with a sole plate is rot. As it is timber it is susceptible to moisture and rot just like any other part of the building. The main causes of rot are often where the building has been altered and modernised without proper care given to this old and important part of the structure. In many cases concrete and other materials are used around the base of a building either to sure up the structure or as part of an extension. This has the effect of sealing in the sole plate and allowing moisture to build up. In many cases the moisture that would normally evaporate is kept in contact with the wood or forced down into the plate and the rot begins.

Other Causes

Some of the other causes of sole plate rot include:

  • Incorrect insulation installed that stop the areas breathing
  • Bitumen based felt being added over the frame
  • Lack of damp course under the sole plate
  • Badly maintain external surfaces

Resulting Issues

The serious problems begin when the sole plate has in fact rotted so badly that it can no longer take a load bearing role. What is left is a house relying on wall material like lime or other rendering materials to actually take the load bearing role. This is a very dangerous situation and one that is all to common. Of course, this is an extreme example. More often the situation involves only a partly rotted sole plate or certain areas where it is suffering. But the result is essentially the same just on a more localised level; parts of the structure are taking loads they were not designed to.

Repairing The Sole Plate

There are a number of companies that are able to repair and replace sole plates but it is not something to be taken on lightly and there is obviously a cost involved. This cost is something any potential buyer should know about before purchasing a historic building.

Buying a Timber Framed Building

It is absolutely critical that anyone buying or looking to buy a listed timber frames historic building should get a full building survey by a specialist. There are a huge number of factors an expert surveyor would look at and the condition of the sole plate is certainly up there with the most important. We are experts in listed buildings and specifically timber framed buildings and as such offer a highly detailed surveying service to make sure any purchase of properties with sole plates are informed ones.

Get in touch today to discuss a purchase or building.

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De Vere House in Lavenham is up for Sale!

DeVere House

But is a listed building right for you?

The lovely village of Laveham has become rather famous because of the property called De Vere House. Sadly perhaps it is not the detailed a long history of the property that has thrust it into the limelight but it’s use in the one of the Harry Potter movies. The front of the house has now become one of the most photographed front doors in the country. This stunning building is now up for sale and there may well be a number of people looking at buying it from a historic point of view as well as a few Harry Potter fans. But it once again brings up the question we here so often…is a listed building right for me?

De Vere House

This Grade I listed building is on Water Street. The street itself dates back to before 1500 and the younger brother and sister of Charles the II were once placed under arrest and held at the property. Currently being used as two separate buildings there is scope to bring it back into it’s original state of a single large abode. The smaller of the two parts has been used as a holiday let for some time. The interior of the house features a huge timber frame and beams as well as fireplaces and even a very unique and rare stone spiral staircase. The asking price is just a million pounds.

Harry Potter

The property was used in the Deathly Hallows film Part One although disappointingly for fans the stars never actually went to the house itself. As is so common these days the images were recreated digitally and turned into a backdrop for the actors to work in front of. Nonetheless it is the building played the home of Harry’s parents and for many that is enough.

Buying a Listed Building

As stunning as many listed buildings are there are some very serious things that need to be considered with each and every one of them. These buildings are not always easy to own and buying them can be perilous. It is important to let the head rule the heart in any listed purchase. Often we are called upon to act as the head in such purchases because the prospective buyers have fallen madly in love with the property and are not able to see the issues at hand. Our listed building service allows buyers to see a full and detailed report but also to have someone to speak to about the purchase that is truly independent. No matter how stunning a property is, there could be issues that would have considerable costs associated with them. It is not to say that the purchase should not go ahead, it should, but it is critical the buyers have the budget and understand the level of expenditure needed to maintain the building. It is also important they understand any limitations involved with building work they may wish to undertake.

Listed Building Surveys

If you would like to speak to someone about a potential listed building purchase in Suffolk then contact Nina today. She has years of experience in dealing with a huge range of historic and listed properties. She will be able to advise and deliver a detailed, unbiased and critical survey as well as a full explanation of the findings and more.

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Detailed Explanation of Your Survey Report

House

Getting a survey is, of course, one of the most important factors when buying a house. However, what is the point of a detailed survey if you do not fully understand it’s contents? This is a surprisingly common occurrence and ironically can be just as bad as not getting a survey at all.

Reports, Facts and Understanding

When a detailed survey is carried out it needs to be written up and turned into a detailed survey report. This process can vary greatly between surveyors and it is so important to work with someone who produces reports that are readable, understandable and presentable. But there is so much more to it than that. You can have a wonderful looking report done by a very experienced surveyor which also contains all the correct and pertinent information but it all falls down when the purchaser simply does understand it. It is no slight on the purchaser, of course, they are not expected to understand the details aspects of the structures, materials and other factors. This can be further compounded if the client is looking at a historic or listed building where many common factors in buildings today simply do not apply.

Explanation

It therefore falls to the Surveyor to help present the report in such a way as to convey all of the important information and make sure the purchaser has understood it. It is not just about understanding what is written though, it is also about grasping the implications or certain issues, the potential future costs or re sale issues. It is one thing to appreciate a flat roof may only have 2 years left before leaks become an issue. It is another entirely to know how much a replacement roof may cost and what any surrounding issues could be.

The Chiltern Way

We firmly believe a survey is at its best when it is explained properly. So we make sure we call each client or organise a meeting after they have received the report in order to do just that. We go through all the issues and potential issues that the report shows and we discuss them with the purchaser.  What this does is make sure the client is thoroughly informed and that their decision whether or not to buy a property is based on on greater level of understanding than is perhaps seen elsewhere. Ultimately if this means they may still go ahead with buying a property with problems but they do so knowing the potential costs and can therefore budget accordingly.

If you would like to discuss a potential property then get in touch today and let us guide you through your purchase or property hunt properly.

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Chiltern Associates called on for an Emergency Survey

There are many different reasons the phone rings or an e mail arrives asking for help with a survey. For the most part it is part of the usual property purchasing cycle and the client comes to us for a reliable to honest appraisal of a given property. However, in some cases things are a little more complex and a lot more time sensitive.

Big Surveying Firm

An unnamed large company had agree to take on a valuation and building survey for a local person buying a 4 bed bungalow; nothing unusual here! However, the valuation took over 3 weeks to arrive. The more frustrating part of this story is that when the valuation arrived it was not accompanied by the requested building survey. After some pressing it arose that the person looking after this survey had actually forgotten to do it!

Chiltern Associates Step In

With just 3 days notice we were able to step in and provide the client with a full building survey. This is not perhaps the way we would normally plan our working week but the client was in desperate need of a good service and we were very happy to help.

Bigger is Not Always Better

Of course there are many great firms out there providing surveys and some are quite large, however, this is a salient lesson to those who always assume a bigger company will be better. We provide a deeply personal service and with that comes a solid point of contact and strong sense of customer service. Not only do our clients know exactly what we are doing and when but they also get a personal run through of the survey and any complex issue that come up. We feel this is a hugely important part of the service as buying a property without knowing all the details and understanding them can be a very costly exercise.

If you would like to discuss a property you are purchasing or even any concerns you may have about a service you are currently getting from a mortgage lender or the like then get in touch today and Nina will be very happy to speak to you.