RICS Level 2 Survey in BH23

BH23's new build activity is concentrated in Burton village on the northern edge of the postcode. Pennyfarthing Homes is delivering St Mary's Place on Christchurch town's southern fringe at BH23 2PD, with 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes priced from £395,000 to £725,000. In Burton at BH23 7HB, Wyatt Homes offers The Mulberries with 2 to 5 bedroom homes from £395,000 to £895,000, while Pennyfarthing Homes also has Foxwood at the same location with a similar range.

For new build buyers at St Mary's Place, The Mulberries or Foxwood, our snagging inspection service is the appropriate pre-completion check rather than a RICS Level 2 survey. We work to a standardised snagging checklist covering all rooms, external envelope, roof, drainage and boundaries. Common snagging findings on south coast new builds include incomplete sealing around baths and wet room walls, misaligned door frames, under-filled cavity sections at eaves, and inadequate drainage falls on patios and drives.

Planning applications across BH23 continue to generate infill development and extensions. Where an existing BH23 property has been extended under permitted development or prior approval, our Level 2 survey assesses the extension as part of the overall inspection and notes where elements of the alteration require further investigation or Building Regulations documentation.

Christchurch Priory and the historic town centre form one of the most significant conservation areas in east Dorset. The streets around the Priory - Place Mill Lane, Quay Road, Church Street and the High Street frontages - contain listed buildings ranging from Grade I ecclesiastical structures to Grade II domestic buildings spanning several centuries. Our surveyors are familiar with the requirements for lime mortar construction, solid wall damp assessment and original joinery condition in historic town centre properties.

Highcliffe has its own conservation area covering the Victorian and Edwardian development along the clifftop. Highcliffe Castle itself is Grade I listed and forms the centrepiece of this coastal area. Properties within the Highcliffe conservation area are subject to Article 4 directions that remove some permitted development rights, meaning external alterations require full planning consent. Our report notes where a property falls within a conservation area or has listed building status and flags any apparent unauthorised alterations.

For BH23 properties within conservation areas or with listed building status, a RICS Level 3 Building Survey typically provides better coverage than a Level 2. The Level 3 approach allows more time for assessment of original fabric, lime construction, historic materials and complex structural history. A Grade II terraced cottage in Christchurch town centre with original lath and plaster ceilings, solid brick walls and a clay plain tile roof will yield more from a Level 3 report than from a Level 2 assessment.

Damp is the leading finding in BH23 survey reports. Pre-1919 solid brick properties in Christchurch town centre frequently present damp from multiple sources simultaneously - rising damp where original slate DPC has failed, penetrating damp at parapet walls and chimney flashings, and condensation at cold spots behind fitted furniture. Distinguishing between these requires calibrated meter readings at regular wall intervals, not a single spot check. We take readings at 400mm intervals horizontally and note the height profile to determine whether the pattern is consistent with rising damp or lateral penetration.

Structural cracking linked to shrink-swell clay movement is our third most common BH23 finding. Diagonal cracking at window and door corners on the first floor of 1930s-1960s properties is a characteristic presentation of clay shrink-swell movement. We apply BRE crack classification to all cracking: cracks under 0.1mm are Condition 1 (cosmetic, monitor), cracks in the 1mm-5mm range are Condition 2 (minor repair on next maintenance cycle), and cracks over 5mm or showing differential movement are Condition 3, requiring specialist structural engineering input before exchange.

Asbestos-containing materials are a significant consideration in BH23's pre-1980 stock. Properties built or refurbished between 1945 and 1985 may contain asbestos in textured coatings (Artex on ceilings), floor tiles, pipe lagging, soffit boards and garage or outbuilding roofs. Our survey notes visible indicators of potential ACMs and recommends a specialist asbestos survey where these are present. An asbestos survey and management report typically costs £250-£400 for a standard residential property and provides a definitive assessment before exchange.