Browse through our blog posts for the latest industry news, discover more about surveying, Chartered Surveying guides and find out what the Harrison Clarke team have been up to.
Adding an outbuilding to your property can be a great way to add extra space, and get some extra functionality too. Especially when more people are working from home than ever before, and looking for better spaces to work in. As surveyors, we’ve seen some truly great outbuildings. We’ve also seen some not-so-great, and some […]
When you’re about to buy a home, one of the big things you need to do is look for a surveyor. It’s easy to be swayed by flashy marketing and low prices, thinking you’re getting a great deal. Unfortunately, , we see purchasers being burnt time and time again by poor quality and frankly inadequate […]
As Chartered Building Surveyors, we often see firsthand just how much fire safety regulations impact homes and businesses, and we want to share that knowledge with you. From the history of fire safety in the UK and recent updates to regulations. As well as what you as a homeowner or a business owner need to […]
If you’re building a new property, renovating, or planning a home improvement, it’s important to know the legal elements. In the UK, building regulations ensure that structures are safe, sustainable, and suitable for the people who use them. They come from the Building Act 1984, and cover everything from fire safety to energy efficiency. If […]
It’s a homeowner’s worst nightmare. You look at your walls one day and see cracks that weren’t there before. You tell yourself it’s the house ‘settling’, but in the back of your mind there’s one word going around – subsidence. But what exactly is subsidence? What causes it, and what should you do if you […]
Buying a house can be a very expensive process. Most people need to save up a large amount for a deposit, and on top of that, you’ll need to pay solicitors’ fees, mortgage brokers’ fees and even estate agents’ fees. And that’s all before you’ve commissioned a professional building surveyor to inspect your new home. […]
You’ve put an offer in on a flat, and you’ve just got the call to say it was accepted. Yay! Celebrations all round. You’ve been round the flat twice with the estate agent and the place looks like it’s in good nick.You’ve decided where to put your furniture, and have even convinced yourself that the […]
If you have an older property with masonry walls, it’s likely that a surveyor will recommend a wall tie survey. They do this for a very good reason – wall tie failure is a common issue in older homes and can cause serious structural problems if left untreated. But it can be a bit confusing […]
Our specialist Party Wall team of chartered surveyors at Southampton-based Harrison Clarke helps clients with Party Wall matters every day. In this article, we briefly explain what the Party Wall Act is, why it is needed, how it affects you when you are planning an extension, what your responsibilities are and why it is important […]
We talk a lot about the Party Wall Act, and when building owners need to provide notice to their neighbours under this slightly complex legislation. But it’s not the easiest of things to understand, which means many people still aren’t sure what notifiable works actually are, let alone when the notices need to be given. […]
Chimneys come in all shapes and sizes. From simple flues to just get smoke away from log-burning stoves, to beautiful ornate features topping off a roof, and everything in between! Whatever their style or purpose, they all have one thing in common – they all need taking care of. If, after a while, issues can […]
When you’re planning out works on your home, one of the big things you’ll want to know is how much it will cost. After all, building works are expensive, and you want to make sure that you aren’t going over your budget. But there are all sorts of places where hidden costs can sneak in, […]
