RICS Level 2 Survey in B46

Coleshill has been a market town since the medieval period. Its historic core contains buildings dating back centuries, and the wider area grew substantially during the Victorian era, the inter-war period, and then again through the 1950s to 1970s post-war expansion. Each of these construction eras carries its own set of risks that buyers should understand before exchange.

Pre-1919 properties in Coleshill and Water Orton - cottages, Victorian terraces, and Edwardian semis - were often built with solid brick or stone walls, no damp-proof course, and timber floors directly over unventilated sub-floor voids. Our inspectors pay particular attention to rising damp in these properties. When damp-proof courses fail or were never installed, moisture works its way up the masonry and into ground-floor timbers. Left untreated, this creates conditions for rot and eventually structural weakness.

The largest proportion of B46's housing stock - the inter-war and post-war semis filling suburbs around Water Orton Road and the Coleshill Heath area - was built between the 1930s and 1960s. These properties are now 60 to 90 years old. Cavity wall construction became standard during this period, but cavity ties (the metal connectors linking inner and outer walls) can corrode over decades. When they fail, outer walls begin to show signs of bowing or cracking. Checking for cavity tie failure is routine on every pre-1980 B46 property we inspect.

The 1960s and 1970s brought a further set of concerns for B46 buyers: flat roof extensions are common from this era, and felt flat roofs deteriorate over time, often reaching the end of their serviceable life after 20 to 25 years. If a previous owner fitted a flat-roofed extension, we assess its current condition and indicate in the report whether replacement is imminent.

Post-1980 housing in B46 is generally lower risk for major structural concerns, but it comes with its own issues. Cavity wall insulation - widely retrofitted in the 1980s and 1990s under government grant schemes - can cause problems where the insulation settles unevenly or where inappropriate materials were used. Our surveyors check for evidence of insulation installation and note any associated damp or cold bridging concerns where visible.

The dominant housing type in B46 is the semi-detached property, reflecting the area's development during the inter-war and post-war housing boom. Coleshill's historic core contains older stock including Victorian and Edwardian terraces, while Water Orton has a mix of period cottages and mid-twentieth century semis. The B46 area also includes some post-1980 estates and, more recently, the proposed Overton View development in Water Orton - a scheme converting a Victorian School House alongside new-build properties at Overton View, B46 1SG, with a mix of one- to four-bedroom homes.

Properties built before 1919 are the most complex to survey. These buildings were constructed before modern building standards, and many have never had a professional inspection. Solid wall construction without a cavity means the walls rely on their mass and surface treatments to manage moisture. When external render or pointing fails - as it does over decades - water finds its way through. Inside, plaster can show staining and blowing, and timber lintels above window openings can decay if moisture reaches them.

The inter-war housing built through the 1930s introduced cavity wall construction to the area. While this was an improvement in moisture management, these properties are now old enough that original metal cavity ties can corrode. The B46 area is not coastal, but the West Midlands climate delivers consistent rainfall and damp winters, which accelerates corrosion in older masonry fixings. Wall tie failure is always on our checklist when inspecting pre-1980 cavity wall properties in B46.

B46 also contains at least one Grade II listed building. Listed properties come with restrictions on how repairs and alterations can be carried out. Buyers of listed properties anywhere in B46 should opt for a RICS Level 3 Building Survey, as it provides the detailed narrative and technical assessment that listed building ownership demands.

Asbestos is a further consideration for B46 buyers. Properties built before 1985 may contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in artex ceilings, floor tiles, textured coatings, and insulation board around boilers and pipework. Asbestos testing falls outside the scope of a Level 2 survey, but where our surveyors identify textured coatings or materials consistent with ACMs, they will note this in the report and recommend a specialist asbestos survey before any refurbishment work is carried out.