Blog
Bolton Garden's NW10
Wednesday 18th August 2021
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Survey carried out in August 2021.
We at Tayross chartered building surveyors recently carried out a detailed building level three survey at a property in Bolton Gardens.
The property was a Late Victorian on four different levels.
The property was in need of an extensive renovation and the buyer had the goal of extending the property at a later date. The property is full of potential; however, it had been neglected over the years.
There were several obstacles to overcome, the first being the lack of access to the rear garden which was very much overgrown. Lucky we were able to obtain access through the neighbour's property which involved setting up a ladder to the rear of the adjoining property and a further ladder to get us down into the garden.
We were also able to identify that an invasive species similar to Japanese Knotweed was visible at the rear of the garden. After conducting further research, it was concluded that the specie belonged to the Convolvulus arvensis family. Convolvulus arvensis, also known as morning glory, European bindweed, or creeping jenny is a broad leaved, perennial plant that is native to Europe and is now found throughout the world. Both have large, heart-shaped leaves and can grow quickly, getting out control in a short time. The main difference between the two, however, is that bindweed is a climbing plant and will tend to wrap around garden structures or grow up the wall. Japanese knotweed is a freestanding plant and doesn't need any support
It is vital that the property is observed from the front and rear, as from doing this - we were able to notice that one of the very tall chimney stacks was dangerously leaning and would need to be replaced; the approximate cost for doing so would be around £2,000. We were also able to assess the roof via the use of a telescopic pole and camera, this allowed us to determine the condition of the roof.
We also noticed the property suffered from damp at the rear, as a result of the bad flashing roof detailing. The dampness was consistent internally; we were able to provide course to the buyer for this defect and a multitude of others.
The buyer was also interested in obtaining a ballpark figure on the remodelling and refurbishment of the property - we were able to provide some guidance in regard to this.
A property of this age is not a stranger to defects, the buyer may not be aware of this upon making an offer therefore, it is advised that one should always commission a detailed building and structural level three survey to avoid any unpleasant surprises and costs.
