Our Building Surveying Services

Our full Building Surveys (equivalent to RICS Level 3) include an inspection of all accessible areas of a property tailored to meet any specific requirements of a client. The report is detailed and provides an analysis of the construction and condition of all elements (or those elements instructed to be analysed) within the structure. The report is considerably more detailed than an RICS Homebuyer Survey. We would recommend this report if you are considering the purchase of an older, unusual or run-down property or where you are planning major alterations. We will undertake a cursory inspection of the services installation (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) and we can arrange for a specialist survey and investigation upon separate instruction (using a third party specialist). The report will indicate the items that require your attention, propose a remedy, and provide an indicative costing to implement the remedy.

Our Residential Survey (RICS Level 2) is equivalent to an RICS Homebuyer Survey (excluding Valuation) and is suitable if you are purchasing a conventional property constructed using common building materials and in reasonable condition. The report will indicate items that require your attention and provide a remedy for their resolution.

We also offer a Level 1 Condition Survey (a more cost-effective survey), which provides a holistic review of the property structure and finishes. This is suitable for a conventional property built using common building materials and in good condition. The report will indicate the items that require your attention but it will not provide a proposed remedy.

Please download our advisory note here which provides more information upon the surveys we offer. 

We are able to offer various types of surveys for commercial property tailored to meet the requirements of our clients. This regularly includes schedules of condition for incorporation into lease documentation and full building surveys as part of any due diligence for acquisitions.

Due to the nature of commercial properties, our surveys are generally bespoke and the brief and scope are agreed prior to any instruction. We have extensive experience in providing surveys including industrial warehousing, manufacturing, retail, offices, and leisure amongst others. In addition to providing the survey, we are able to implement any recommendations and manage any necessary works.

We would be pleased to discuss with you your specific requirements and we can provide you with a detailed fee proposal for your consideration.

An elemental or specialist investigation can be carried out as part of a Building Survey or it may be instructed as a separate survey by a client. This type of survey is usually instructed where concern exists over specific parts of, or defects in, a property. Examples of this specialist work are the detailed study of movement, cracking, bulging, water ingress or timber decay.

Pre-acquisition and our other surveys are generally useful in identifying inherent defects and expected expenditure in the rectification of defects prior to the purchase or planned refurbishment of a property. However, often complex issues are only considered at a superficial level in a general report and our defects analysis investigations are more exploratory and thorough.  Formal reports are produced at the completion of investigations and inspections, and these will include recommendations for the rectification of any defects identified. If requested, we can include the preparation of a Specification of Works, either for the client to seek competitive builders quotations themselves, or we can provide a full Project or Contract Management service.

Bennington Green can offer a full dilapidation service with regard to any aspect of a leased property whether it be a landlord or tenant requirement. We offer pre-lease dilapidations advice for tenants prior to formal agreement of a lease (normally at heads of terms stage), this ensures that the tenant is not signing into an onerous future dilapidations liability that they are unaware of. We can undertake Condition Surveys prior to lease completion for incorporation into the lease for either the tenant or the landlord.

Dilapidation surveys are relevant to our instructions to either the tenant or landlord to identify the repairs required to a property in relation to the tenant’s obligations under the terms of the lease. The Schedule of Dilapidations may be an interim, terminal or final report which is prepared for the landlord to be served on the tenant and sets out the respective lease obligations. When acting for the tenant the role is to ensure that only the appropriate dilapidations claims are accepted and at the correct level of cost, such as to protect the tenant’s interests from occasionally over-zealous landlords.

To minimise costs and potential disputes we advise that both landlords and tenants are proactive with the dilapidations process and formulate an exit strategy at least 12 months before the end of the lease or a lease break opportunity. Bennington Green can manage the whole dilapidations process for tenants or landlords seamlessly to ensure that the required outcome is in accordance with the lease requirements and dilapidations protocol.

The Party Wall Act 1996 applies throughout England and Wales. It provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes between neighbours in relation to boundary walls,  party walls and excavations within 3m or 6m of a neighbouring building or structure.

Bennington Green has significant experience in the administration of the Act in the capacity as Building Owner’s Surveyor, Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor, acting in a single capacity as Agreed Surveyor or acting as the third Surveyor.

If you are intending to carry out construction works near to your neighbour’s property or if indeed you have been served with a formal Notice by your neighbour, please don’t hesitate to contact us for free, no obligation advice.

Download the RICS Party Wall Guidance note here.

Planned maintenance and effective spending on regular maintenance can reduce the need for more costly repairs, protect the fabric of your building and save money in the longer term. Regular maintenance is the best way to ensure the continued preservation and the future cost-effective use of a building whilst maintaining its visually acceptable appearance.

It is often the case that buildings are maintained on an ad-hoc basis without proper planning as and when defects become apparent. This can result in inefficient expenditure with an excessive and unexpected peak to finances, often at the most inconvenient of times.

The solution is to prepare a pro-active Maintenance Plan which captures and enables all (or the majority) property element expenditure to be planned in advance, whether it is a single property or a portfolio of properties. This approach enables correct maintenance planning over a set period of time (normally 5-10 years). This helps individuals, organisations or property management companies to predict, plan and budget for future maintenance costs or introduce capital expenditure.

Prior to a Maintenance Plan being prepared, it will first be necessary to carry out an inspection of the property. Our team of professionally qualified Building Surveyors and Quantity Surveyors combine their skills to provide repair and maintenance plans which are presented in a tabular format, enabling the reader to gain an in-depth understanding of the key issues in an easy to understand document. We provide indicative costs for each element along with when we consider it likely that the expenditure should be undertaken. This is then summarised to provide an indicative cost across the agreed period of time. Our clients can then determine how to collect funds and to strategically plan for the expected works.

Bennington Green are able to offer Clients with a full range of bespoke services on various property types that have a Listed Building Status including obtaining necessary statutory approvals and liaison with Conservation Officers and Departments.

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