Chartered surveyors in Hoylake

1 RICS surveyor covering 1 postcode district around Hoylake, in the North West. RICS Home Survey Level 2 and Level 3.

Hoylake is an Edwardian and interwar town: nearly a fifth of its homes date from 1900 to 1929, about twice the national share, with the 1930s also well above average and only about one home in twenty built since 2000. Houses of that age bring wall ties, bay roofs, original timber details and the question of how a century of alterations has been carried out. The town is flat and faces the open sea at the corner of the Wirral, so exposed elevations and flood risk on the low ground are both checked.

Local conditions

What we check in Hoylake.

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.

Irish Sea and Arrowe Brook: Flood risk is one of the first things we check, because it affects insurance, lending and what we look at underfoot. The Irish Sea, Arrowe Brook, Wirral, Irish Sea, Mersey Estuary are all within reach of Hoylake.Check this property on the official service
1 postcode district covered: We cover CH postcodes around Hoylake with 1 RICS surveyor. What we look hardest at depends on the age and construction of your particular property.What a survey covers
Wirral: Building control records, conservation area status and planning history for Hoylake sit with Wirral. 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 Hoylake.

19.2%

of homes within 2.4km of the centre were built in 1900–1929. 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 Hoylake by construction era, compared with England and Wales
Built	Share	Compared with England & Wales	Homes
Pre-1900	12%	-3.5 pts	1,750
1900–1929	19.2%	+9.2 pts	2,790
1930s	16%	+6.1 pts	2,330
1945–1964	18.8%	+2.5 pts	2,740
1965–1982	16.2%	-2.1 pts	2,360
1983–1999	12.2%	about average	1,780
2000 onwards	5.5%	-12.6 pts	800

14,550 homes across 21 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

1900–1929

Mostly solid-wall terraces and early semis, with cavity construction beginning to appear toward the end of the period. Slate damp-proof courses are usual, along with timber sash windows and slate roofs.

What we usually find. Much the same pattern as the older stock, with the addition of early cavity walls where wall ties may now be corroding. Original roof coverings are commonly nearing replacement, and rear additions of this age are frequently built to a lower standard than the main house.

Worth knowing. Where a property has been re-roofed or extended, the junction between old and new is normally where water gets in. It is worth establishing what was done and when.

1945–1964

Post-war rebuilding, largely cavity-walled, but including system-built and non-traditional types — reinforced concrete, steel frame and prefabricated panels — put up quickly to address the housing shortage.

What we usually find. The conventional stock of this period is usually straightforward. Non-traditional construction is a different matter: some types are designated defective, and most lenders treat them differently or decline them, which affects both mortgageability and resale.

Worth knowing. Identifying the construction type is the first job on anything of this age that does not look conventionally built. A Level 3 survey is normally the right choice here, and lending should be confirmed early.

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.

Available in Hoylake