Chartered surveyors in Failsworth

6 RICS surveyors covering 1 postcode district around Failsworth, in the North West. RICS Home Survey Level 2 and Level 3, and RICS Residential Valuation.

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More than a fifth of Failsworth is 1930s, twelve points clear of average, which puts interwar semis at the centre of most instructions. That is a specific survey: cavity wall ties from the decades when corrosion was not yet understood, bay roofs and their flashings, and original detailing half-buried under ninety years of improvement. The Lancashire Coalfield lies beneath the district, so the mining record is checked where the map warrants it.

Local conditions

What we check in Failsworth.

Drawn from official open data for this area, not written from a template. It tells you what a survey here has to account for. It is not a substitute for the formal searches, and we say where those live.

River Mersey and River Irk: Flood risk is one of the first things we check, because it affects insurance, lending and what we look at underfoot. The River Mersey, River Irk, River Irwell, River Tame are all within reach of Failsworth.Check this property on the official service
Historic coal mining area: Failsworth sits within the Lancashire Coalfield. Past workings can mean shallow mine entries and settlement, so where the geology warrants it we will tell you to get a Coal Authority mining report before you exchange.Check if a property is affected by coal mining
1 postcode district covered: We cover M postcodes around Failsworth with 6 RICS surveyors. What we look hardest at depends on the age and construction of your particular property.What a survey covers
Oldham: Building control records, conservation area status and planning history for Failsworth sit with Oldham. Where alterations look unauthorised we will say so, and tell you what to ask your solicitor to confirm.

Sources: Environment Agency flood areas and ONS boundary data, both Open Government Licence; coalfield extents from published Coal Authority and BGS mapping. Coalfield boundaries are indicative. A mining report is the authoritative answer for any individual property.

The housing stock in Failsworth.

21.9%

of homes within 2.4km of the centre were built in 1930s. Age is the strongest single predictor of what a survey finds, so it is where we start before we have seen the property.

Homes in Failsworth by construction era, compared with England and Wales
Built	Share	Compared with England & Wales	Homes
Pre-1900	14.1%	-1.4 pts	7,350
1900–1929	14.3%	+4.3 pts	7,450
1930s	21.9%	+12 pts	11,380
1945–1964	14.6%	-1.7 pts	7,600
1965–1982	17.2%	-1.1 pts	8,970
1983–1999	7.5%	-4.4 pts	3,910
2000 onwards	10.3%	-7.8 pts	5,380

52,040 homes across 71 statistical areas within 2.4km of the centre. The marker on each bar is the England and Wales share. Source: Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax stock of properties, © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

What that means on an inspection

1930s

Cavity walls become standard, generally with clay tile or slate roofs, cast-iron rainwater goods and suspended timber ground floors. Bay-fronted semis dominate.

What we usually find. Wall-tie corrosion and bridged cavities are the usual structural concerns, and sub-floor ventilation is often obstructed by later paths, patios or extensions, which brings damp and timber decay to the ground floor. Original roof coverings are typically at the end of their life.

Worth knowing. Cavity wall insulation retrofitted into this stock can cause damp on exposed elevations if the wall was not suitable. Establishing whether the cavity was filled, and when, is worthwhile.

1965–1982

Cavity walls with insulation increasingly built in, flat-roofed elements such as garages, dormers and rear additions, and a broader range of manufactured materials.

What we usually find. Flat roofs of this era are frequently on their second or third covering and are a common source of water ingress. Textured coatings applied before the mid-1980s may contain asbestos, as may some cement products, soffits and floor tiles.

Worth knowing. Asbestos-containing materials are usually safe if undisturbed and in good order, but they matter a great deal if you intend to remove ceilings, take down a garage or open up the layout.

These are tendencies of the local stock, not findings on any particular house. A well-maintained Victorian terrace can be in better order than a neglected 1990s semi, which is the entire reason a survey is done on the building in front of you rather than on its postcode.

Our own record here

What we have surveyed in Failsworth.

Aggregate figures only, with no property identifiable.

7reports issued in Failsworth since 2023, including 5 surveys and 2 valuations. Every one inspected by an RICS surveyor who works this area.

It matters because the era decides what we look hardest at. Pre-1919 homes rarely have an effective damp-proof course and often have solid walls; interwar semis bring cavity wall ties and original roof coverings near the end of their life; post-war stock raises flat roofs and first-generation cavity insulation. Your report is written around what your property actually is.

Counted from our own job records, issued reports only. Aggregate figures: no address, client or property detail is published, here or anywhere on this site.

Available in Failsworth

Which survey do you need?

RICS Level 2

RICS Home Survey — Level 2

A conventional house or flat, built this century or last, in reasonable order

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RICS Level 3

RICS Home Survey — Level 3

Older, larger, altered or extended, or anything already showing signs of movement or damp

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Red Book

RICS Residential Valuation

You need a figure rather than a condition report, for probate, Help to Buy or shared ownership

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Your fixed price is confirmed in writing before you instruct us, and it does not change afterwards.

Nearby

We also cover.

Swinton7 surveyors Atherton7 surveyors Eccles7 surveyors Irlam7 surveyors Partington7 surveyors Sale7 surveyors

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