RICS Level 2 Survey in BH14

Parkstone developed as a residential suburb of Poole from the 1880s, and BH14's oldest streets near Ashley Road, Penn Hill Avenue and Bournemouth Road contain substantial Victorian and Edwardian villas. Pre-1919 properties account for 15.3% of the Parkstone housing stock and typically feature solid brick walls with lime mortar pointing, suspended timber ground floors, original sash windows, and clay chimney pots set in flaunching that deteriorates over decades without maintenance. These properties fall within or adjacent to the Ashley Cross and Penn Hill conservation areas.

The interwar expansion of 1919-1945 accounts for a further 23.3% of BH14's housing stock. Streets such as Maxwell Road, Rossmore Road and the roads off Canford Cliffs Road were built out during this period with semi-detached and detached properties using cavity wall construction. Early Portland cement renders on front elevations - common from the mid-1930s - are now at an age where cracking and delamination from the brick substrate are frequent findings at inspection.

Post-war development from 1945 to 1980 makes up the largest single cohort at 38.6%. Properties from this period in Branksome and the inner BH14 roads are typically brick-built with concrete tile roofs, but also include flat-roofed extensions and single-storey rear additions with felt or asphalt roof covering. The post-2000 period brought a wave of apartment development along Ashley Road, with multiple AJC Group and Pennyfarthing Homes schemes converting existing buildings into new-build flats.

• Pre-1919 (15.3%): Solid brick or lime mortar cavity construction, suspended timber floors, slate roofing, original chimney stacks
• 1919-1945 (23.3%): Cavity wall construction, early Portland cement render, concrete tile roofing, metal Crittall windows in some
• 1945-1980 (38.6%): Brick cavity walls, concrete tiles, flat-roof extensions, 1960s-70s heating and wiring installations
• Post-1980 (22.8%): Modern brick or timber frame, double glazing, new-build apartments on Ashley Road and surrounding streets

Damp is the most consistent finding across BH14 survey inspections. Victorian and Edwardian properties on Penn Hill and around Ashley Road frequently have failed or absent damp-proof courses. Original bitumen-felt DPC systems from the 1920s and 1930s have a typical lifespan of 50-60 years and are now well past end of life in most interwar BH14 properties. Our moisture meter readings at 300mm intervals across all ground floor external walls identify where rising damp has bridged the DPC level and penetrated into the internal plaster.

Roof condition is a second major finding category. Parkstone's older detached properties often retain original natural slate roofs where individual slates have slipped over decades and have been patched rather than relaid. Patched slate roofs with multiple courses of mismatched slates are approaching the point where a full re-lay is more economic than continued patching. Flat-roofed extensions in the 1960s-1970s post-war properties across Branksome commonly show felt membrane deterioration, parapet joint failure, and in some cases ponding water that has accelerated membrane breakdown.

Asbestos is a material consideration for BH14 properties built between 1930 and 2000. Asbestos-containing materials were used extensively in domestic construction through this period: textured Artex coatings on ceilings, insulating board in soffit panels, roof valley infill, and pipe lagging around boiler installations. Our Level 2 survey notes the visible presence of materials that may contain asbestos and recommends specialist testing where the risk profile warrants it. Properties where confirmed ACMs are present should have a management plan in place before exchange.

• Rising damp at ground floor through failed bitumen DPC systems in pre-1945 properties
• Slate roof deterioration in older Victorian/Edwardian detached properties near Penn Hill
• Flat roof felt membrane failure on 1960s-1970s single-storey extensions in Branksome
• Clay shrink-swell foundation movement near mature trees on Penn Hill and Parkstone roads
• Asbestos-containing materials in textured coatings and soffit panels in pre-2000 properties
• Outdated consumer units without RCD protection in post-war properties with original 1960s-1970s wiring