LATEST NEWS
A Positive Start To 2024
The property market in Bristol and Bath held up well in 2023 despite political and economic uncertainty. Whilst it is true that the volume of transactions in the property market…
Surveys and Valuations on Medium Rise Developments and Taller Buildings
With few exceptions in recent years we have been limited to carrying out Surveys and Valuations on developments of four floors or less. This is due to restrictions set out…
Shared Ownership Valuations for Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas
If you bought your home through a shared ownership scheme you will require a RICS equity valuation for: Edwin Lake chartered surveyors can guarantee a report that complies with your…
Help to Buy valuations – Lenvi has replaced Target HCA
In June 2023 the Government announced that Lenvi had taken over from Target HCA in the administering of the Help to Buy scheme on behalf of Homes England. Lenvi…
The Importance of Safety Glass in Residential Spaces
It is an area that often goes unnoticed by homeowners but understanding the risks in relation to glass in our homes is crucial. As surveyors conducting home and building surveys,…
Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) – sizes, spaces and safety
As surveyors working in Bath and Bristol we regularly carry out valuations and surveys on properties that have been granted an HMO license. In England, there are certain rules around…
BATH HOUSING MARKET UPDATE – SPRING 2023
Following on from two years of frenzied housing market activity in England, the ‘mini-budget’ of September 2022 put a brake on property sales almost overnight. As the RICS reported in…
Types of Loft Insulation
It is estimated that 25% of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home. With the ever-increasing cost of fuel, it makes sense to ensure your loft is…
Advice when buying a Listed building
When considering buying a listed property there are a few things to be aware of. There are three levels of listing, I, II* and II. Grade II properties (which make…
A Warm Welcome to Beverley Russell, our new trainee Chartered Surveyor
Beverley has recently joined us as a trainee Chartered Surveyor. She has a background in facilities management having worked for CBRE, Salisbury Group and latterly HCRG Care Group (formerly Virgin…
Japanese Knotweed Update
JAPANESE KNOTWEED – UPDATED RICS GUIDANCE In 2022 the RICS published new guidance relating to the reporting and management of Japanese Knotweed (taking effect from March 2022). The guidance came…
Sprayed Foam Insulation
As we all try to minimise fuel costs the issue of sprayed foam insulation has again come into focus. Also known as Spray Polyurethane Insulation (SPI) is comes in two…
Special Offer on ‘Help to Buy’ and Shared Ownership Valuations
For a limited period we have decided to offer a flat fee of £200 plus VAT (£240 total) for all ‘Help to Buy’ and Shared Ownership Valuations. Please call us…
Saving You Money With Practical Advice On Energy Efficiency
All of our Surveys now include an assessment of a properties Energy Performance Certificate and the recommendations it contains. The Level Three Surveys have scope for more detailed advice and…
Bristol’s Clean Air Zone – what and when?
Bristol’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will come into force on 28th November 2022. The aim is to improve air quality. Poor air quality contributes to numerous adverse health outcomes and…
Housing Market Update October 2022
There have been very few posts on our websites for many months now. We have simply been too busy carrying out Home Surveys and Valuations. Many thanks indeed to all…
A Day in the Life of a Chartered Surveyor!
We are often asked by clients how long we will spend at the house. It is a useful exercise to calculate not only how long we spend in the house…
Indoor Air Pollution
Most of us are aware of the impact of air pollution and many of us will be impacted by the proposed clean air zone which may be introduced in Bath…
Surveys and Valuations in Trowbridge
We have been carrying out Surveys and Valuations in and around Trowbridge for many years. With a population of over 30,000, the county town of Trowbridge is one of the…
Surveys and Valuations in Frome
We undertake Surveys and Valuations on a regular basis in Frome and have done so for many years. Frome is one of the more popular towns in the area and…
Forthcoming Changes Introduced by the RICS
In November 2019, the RICS published a new Professional Statement relating to residential Surveys. The document is the result of a period of consultation with industry stakeholders and the public…
Surveys in Salisbury
In the last few years, we have been happy to receive a good number of Survey instructions in Salisbury, Shaftesbury and nearby towns and villages. Salisbury is an excellent place…
Target / Help To Buy Valuations – Important Information
Since we started undertaking Valuations for Target as part of the Help To Buy scheme there has been a policy that Valuations are valid for a period of three months…
Surveys in Radstock and Midsomer Norton
We have been carrying out Surveys and Valuations in Radstock and Midsomer Norton for many years. The area has a lot to offer in terms of an interesting industrial heritage,…
Help To Buy and Shared Ownership Valuations
If you purchased a property under the Government Help-To-Buy Scheme you will probably require a Valuation from a Chartered Surveyor if you wish to move home or to pay off…
Privacy Policy and Website Terms and Conditions
The Edwin Lake Privacy Policy and Website Terms and Conditions are available to view on the website and links are included below. If you have any questions relating to the…
New Contact Telephone Numbers
With immediate effect our telephone numbers have changed to the following: Bath Office: 01225 300879 Bristol Office: 0117 3637699 The Bath Office address is now: Mirabelle, Entry Hill Drive, Bath,…
Flats – Surveys and Management
It is often felt that having a Survey carried out when buying a flat is an unnecessary expense. Certainly it is true that you will probably be liable for only…
Legionnaires’ Disease
Legionnaires’ Disease There are a number of important Health and Safety matters which must be considered when undertaking a Survey. Obviously gas and electrical safety are well known issues and…
Help To Buy Valuations
If you have bought a new home through the Help To Buy or First Buy schemes you will require a Valuation if you decide to sell the property or to…
Supporting Dorothy House Hospice Care
Edwin Lake Ltd supports a number of charities and in 2018 we shall be raising funds for Dorothy House Hospice Care. Dorothy House provides compassionate care and support for people in…
Christmas Greetings and Opening Hours
We would like to wish all our clients a very Happy Christmas and New Year. he office will be closed between Christmas and New Year however we shall be monitoring…
Purchasing a Listed Property
As experienced historic building surveyors, we are able to give professional advice on listed properties when carrying out a Building Survey and also suggest the best way of undertaking any…
Focus on Frome
Following our recent merger with Peter Bennett Surveys, we are carrying out an increasing number of surveys and valuations in the historic market town of Frome. Highlighted as one of…
New Bath Office Telephone Number – 01225 300879
The old Bath Office telephone number is being phased out (01225 830529). Please use the new number 01225 300879.
Holidays
Due to annual leave we will have limited availability to carry out Surveys over the next two weeks. We are currently booking appointments for the 6th, 7th and 8th September.
BREXIT 2!
A week after the first BREXIT post and how are things looking for the Bristol and Bath property Markets? The week after 23rd June saw a small number of cancellations…
A Text Book Roof
Surveying a Roof Frame The roof structure is one of the most important elements of a property and something we will spend some time examining when carrying out a Survey…
BREXIT!
So ten days after the referendum and maybe we are recovering from the shock. The world has not stopped turning, the sun is shining at last and it seems clients…
Chimney Repairs
Chimneys are often out-of-sight and therefore out-of-mind. They are normally one of the most exposed parts of the property and potentially one of the more expensive repairs if there…
10 Problems Affecting 1960's and 1970's houses.
We carry out many Surveys on relatively modern houses each month. Generally a RICS HomeBuyer Survey is the normal option for this type of house. Our reports are detailed and cover all of…
Stone Mining in Combe Down and in the Bath Area
Stone Mine Workings The stone mines at Combe Down were oolite limestone mines, mainly worked in the 18th and 19th century. The Bath stone used for many of the buildings…
Would YOU like to become a Chartered Surveyor?
The RICS have produced the following guide aimed at young persons who are considering options for a future career. https://youtu.be/sVeglwi0QCI
The Importance of getting a Home Survey
The RICS have produced the following video which highlights the importance of getting a Home Survey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTlJV8z2aM0 The Types of Survey: Survey level one: RICS Condition Report…
Are damp-meters a waste of time?
Anyone with problems of dampness and who has researched on the internet may discover posts highly critical of the use of damp-meters which are a standard piece of Surveyors equipment used…
Happy New Year!
A belated Happy New Year to all clients, past present and future. 2015 was our busiest year to date and we carried out a record number of Surveys and Valuations…
Condensation and Dampness
Condensation It is again the season for condensation. All our Surveys provide advice on how to avoid condensation and some general advice is repeated below. Condensation often appears in the…
STONE MINE WORKINGS IN COMBE DOWN
Due to the history of stone mine workings in Combe Down, we would recommend that purchasers obtain a detailed environmental report before buying property in this area. This will help…
Benefits of Using Lime in Old Buildings
The use of building limes have increased considerably in recent years and for very good reason as these relatively simple materials are essential to the structural welfare of old buildings. Cements…
2015 So Far
The lack of recent posts on our website reflects the fact that we have been busy, really busy. It is a sellers market in Bath and Bristol and many of…
Our New Website
We hope you like the new Edwin Lake website. Many thanks to Chris Jones of Big Bambi in Bristol for designing such a clean modern site which we hope is…
Home Security
From 2015 we are planning to include a section relating to Home Security in our Building Surveys. Below is some basic guidance to help improve the security of your home…
Flat Conversions and Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMO)
If you are thinking of buying a flat forming part of a converted building you should be aware that it may constitute a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). If you…
Survey Fees – do you get what you pay for?
With most things in life you tend to get what you pay for. This is as true for home Surveys as it is for second hand cars. Pay a little…
Improving Service Standards
We would like to offer a belated welcome to Emma Baker who joined our surveying support team earlier this year. Emma has many years experience in the industry and is…
VAT on Survey Fees
Like most Chartered Surveyors we have seen high volumes of work in recent months and we have now reached the point at which we have to register for VAT. Unfortunately…
Opportunities for Consultant Chartered Surveyors
Due to increasing volumes of private client instructions we are looking to recruit a consultant Chartered Surveyor to work in the Bath and Bristol area. The successful candidate must have…
Happy New Year
A brief message to wish all our clients a very Happy New Year. This slightly belated message reflects the fact that we have been very busy up to and throughout…
Ten Common Problems affecting Victorian Terraced Houses
We carry out many Surveys on Victorian terraced houses each month. Generally a Building Survey is the better option for this type of house as it can go into more…
Help To Buy
The Help to Buy (HTB) scheme has been launched with the aim of helping thousands of people buy their own home. It was announced in April 2013 with the first…
Work Experience Vacancy
Our last work experience candidate has successfully secured paid employment and we are now able to offer a weekly placement for a student (undergraduate or post graduate) of a RICS…
Latest News and Market Comment
The property market in Bath and Bristol has really turned a corner in the last six months. Our Private Client instructions for home surveys have always been consistently high but…
Our website has been refreshed
Our Edwin Lake Ltd website has been given a makeover to keep it looking fresh and “of the moment”. It is also now fully responsive which means that its size…
Choosing Between Property Surveys
This video shows Bristol and Bath-based Chartered Surveyor Richard Lake, MRICS, describing the three different types of home survey we provide. For further information, please click here to read the…
Solid Fuel Stoves
Solid fuel stoves are an attractive and popular addition to a home. The video clip below outlines some of the points a Chartered Surveyor would be looking for when carrying…
Home surveying over the Christmas period
The offices of Edwin Lake Ltd Chartered Surveyors will be closed from 12 noon on 24th December until 9am on 2nd January 2013. The next date available for building surveys,…
What we look out for in a 1930's loft space….
This video gives a brief overview of the some the points we look for when carrying out a loft space inspection as part of a RICS HomeBuyer Report. Common roof…
GENUINE OFFER: £100 discount for next two survey instructions received
A genuine pre-Christmas offer! The next two home survey instructions received will receive a discount of £100. For a very limited period RICS HomeBuyer Reports will start at £200 and…
Pre-sale Surveys and Maintenance Surveys
We have had requests from two clients in the past week to carry out pre-sale Survey inspections. In both instances the clients were keen to address any maintenance issues before…
New RICS Building Survey
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveryors (RICS) has recently launched a new Building Survey to form the third product in the RICS Home Surveys range. The RICS Building Survey is…
Thanks for the feedback!
We would like to thank all our clients who have taken the time to fill in our customer satisfaction questionnaire or to write in with positive comments about our Property…
Housing Market Update Q3 2012
The latest RICS UK Housing Market Survey confirms the consensus that the property market remains flat with prices static or falling for the majority of the UK. This is unlikely…
Government announces planning and housing change to boost growth
In September 2012 the Government announced changes in housing and planning to try to boost the economy. For First Time Buyers: There is an extension to the Firstbuy scheme whereby…
Property Surveys and Modern Houses
We have recently carried out home survey inspections on three modern houses in Bath and Bristol, all built within the last fifteen years, and all with potentially expensive problems which…
Is it worth paying for a home survey?
You might expect us to say ‘definitely’ but ‘probably’ would be my honest answer. A Chartered Surveyor will spend between two and six hours in the property and will follow…
Fair Fee Levels
We were recently asked why our fee for a Building Survey was so much cheaper than that quoted by a mortgage lender. By way of an example take a recent…
The New RICS Condition Report
Edwin Lake Ltd have now started providing the new RICS Condition Report. This is a concise report suitable for modern houses or flats. Like the RICS HomeBuyer Report all the…
Building Survey or RICS HomeBuyer Report
Property Surveys It’s estimated that on average only 20% of all homebuyers commission a professional survey. This is somewhat surprising considering that buying a property is probably the biggest purchase…
Solar Energy
I am sure that we have all seen the increasing number of solar installations on our roofs in Bristol and Bath. We recently carried out an inspection of a new-build…
Winter Weather Property Advice
Published 19 December 2011 RICS is encouraging householders and businesses to be aware of the damaging effects of the treacherous weather conditions to their property. Property experts recommend that people…
RICS Housing Market Forecast 2012
RICS Housing Market Forecast 2012 Sales of homes may rise a little over the coming year but prices will struggle to follow suit, according to the RICS Housing Market Forecast…
RICS Valuer Registration Scheme
Edwin Lake Ltd are members of the RICS Valuer Registration Scheme. This is an RICS initiative designed to ensure higher levels of compliance and service excellence. The RICS monitor Registered…
RICS Condition Reports
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a new type of Survey. It is a lower cost option that is suitable for comparatively modern property which are in…
Chartered Trainee
We are pleased to be able to annouce that Edwin Lake Ltd will be providing mentoring assistance to Sarah White, lecturer in Building Surveying at Bath College, as she works…
Happy Christmas
We would like to wish all our clients and colleagues past and present a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year. Thanks to you all we have had a…
Charitable Events Scheduled for 2012
Richard Lake, Surveyor and Director, has signed up for the Bath Half Marathon in March 2012 which will be run with friend and associate Richard Alton of Alton Mortgages Ltd…
Business levels and costs rise year on year
As a company Edwin Lake Ltd are pleased to report that business levels have been consistantly high for the last six months with turnover increasing year on year for the…
Property Price Update
2011 has turned out to be a fairly uneventful year in terms of house prices. Increased confidence and modest rises in some areas during the early part of the year…
Edwin Lake Ltd offers support to trainee Chartered Surveyors
To qualify as a Chartered Surveyor it is necessary to obtain a relevant approved academic qualification (usually a degree or post-graduate course) followed by a formal panel interview having completed…
So what is happening to house prices in our area?
As a company we cover Bristol, Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire. It is a diverse area in which market conditions vary significantly. As always supply and demand will determin the price…
Energy Efficiency
If reducing your household energy bills is important to you we are happy to provide useful advice as part of our Building Survey report at no extra cost. Most people…
Japanese Knotweed
Many of you will have read in the press about the highly invasive plant Japanese Knotweed which has caused problems with mortgage lenders; outbreaks have been discovered throughout the area. The problems are…
Refer a Friend…..
From January 2011 we are introducing a ‘Refer and friend’ scheme. Quite simply if a referral results in a Survey or Valuation instruction we will send you Marks and Spencers vouchers to…
Edwin Lake announce new link with HSBC and First Direct
We are pleased to announce a new panel appointment with HSBC. From November 2010 we commenced carrying out Mortgage Valuations, RICS HomeBuyer Reports and Building Surveys for HSBC and First Direct…
No VAT for even more competitive fees
To boost competitiveness for our private clients we de-registered from VAT at the quarter ending June 2010. We can now offer RICS HomeBuyer Reports from £200 and Building Surveys from £250.
New for 2011
Clients instructing us to carry out a Building in 2011 will now receive more property specific Health and Safety advice with a dedicated section summarising risks. Common examples include radon gas, asbestos, damp…