RICS Level 2 Survey in BH10

BH10's housing stock is dominated by properties built between 1920 and 1955. Bay-fronted semi-detached and terraced houses on roads in Kinson and Northbourne typically feature cavity wall construction introduced from the late 1920s onwards, though earlier stock on the older streets retains solid nine-inch brick walls. Both construction types carry specific defects that our surveyors check methodically.

In cavity wall properties from the 1930s and 1940s, we regularly use a borescope to check wall tie condition. Metal wall ties from this period are prone to corrosion, and when ties rust they expand, forcing horizontal cracks along the mortar joints at regular intervals up the external elevation. Left unaddressed, tie failure can destabilise the outer leaf. Remedial tie installation typically costs between £1,500 and £3,500 depending on the extent of corrosion and the number of ties requiring replacement.

Timber-framed single-storey extensions and bay windows are another common finding in BH10 surveys. The original casement windows on 1930s properties are often at the end of their serviceable life, and where replacement has been deferred the frames show rot at the sill, weathering gaps at the joints, and failed glazing seals. We record each window individually and note whether repair or full replacement is the appropriate remedy.

Older properties in Ensbury Park sometimes retain original suspended timber floors on the ground floor. Rising damp and inadequate sub-floor ventilation are the two conditions we check for most carefully in these houses. We take moisture meter readings at regular intervals across the perimeter walls at skirting level, and where elevated readings are found we probe further to determine whether the cause is defective or absent damp-proof course, blocked air bricks or external ground levels raised above the DPC.

• Wall tie corrosion in 1930s and 1940s cavity wall properties
• Rising damp linked to compromised or absent damp-proof course
• Suspended timber floor decay from inadequate sub-floor ventilation
• Single-skin bay windows with rotten timber frames and failed sills
• Aging roof coverings with slipped or missing plain clay tiles
• Outdated electrical consumer units without RCD protection
• Lead and iron pipework in pre-1960s properties
• Asbestos-containing materials in post-war extensions and outbuildings

BH10 has seen a small number of new residential developments in recent years, including new homes on Ensbury Avenue in Ensbury Park and a four-bedroom detached chalet bungalow development at Markham Avenue in Northbourne. Northbourne Mews offers a small private gated development of three-bedroom detached chalet-style homes. Although new builds carry NHBC or similar ten-year warranties, our Level 2 survey remains a useful pre-completion check.

Warranty schemes protect against major structural defects but they do not substitute for an independent inspection at the snagging stage. Our surveyors have inspected new homes in Bournemouth where drainage falls were incorrect, external wall ties were missing from sections of cavity wall, and roof insulation was absent from sections that were subsequently hidden by ceilings. These faults are very much cheaper to fix before completion than they are to remediate after you have moved in and the builder has disbanded the site team.

For those buying off-plan in BH10, we recommend booking a pre-completion inspection for the week before your anticipated completion date. We carry out the inspection, provide you with a written list of defects and incomplete items, and you submit this to the developer before you exchange keys. Where defects are serious enough to delay completion, we advise you in clear terms so that you can make an informed decision.

Most of BH10 sits on Tertiary sands and gravels that are characteristic of the Bournemouth and Poole basin. These free-draining soils have a low shrink-swell risk, which means clay-related subsidence - a major concern in parts of central England - is not a primary hazard for most BH10 properties. However, the River Stour runs along the northern edge of the BH10 postcode through Kinson, and properties close to the river on Northbourne Road and the lower reaches of Kinson should be checked against the Environment Agency flood risk maps before exchange.

Surface water flooding is a more widespread concern in BH10 than fluvial flooding from the Stour itself. Low-lying roads and roads with combined drainage systems can experience localised flooding after sustained heavy rainfall. Our surveyors note any visible signs of surface water ingress at ground floor level and in the sub-floor void, and we check external drainage gullies and manhole covers where accessible.

Radon is not a significant concern for BH10 properties. The Bournemouth area sits on Tertiary sedimentary deposits rather than granite or limestone bedrock, so background radon levels are below the action level set by Public Health England. Our standard Level 2 survey does not include radon testing, but if you are also buying a property in Dorset's rural areas or in parts of Devon and Cornwall, we can advise on radon-affected zones.