Chartered Surveyors in Folkestone

Folkestone combines a substantial Victorian and Edwardian core — the Leas, Sandgate Road, the
Bayle — with the regenerated Harbour Arm area, post-war estates, and Sandgate’s cliff-side
properties immediately to the west.

What we check in Folkestone

Ground stability is the local issue that most needs a surveyor’s judgement. The Folkestone and
Sandgate escarpment has a documented history of landslip, and properties on or below the slopes
need proper consideration of ground movement, retaining structures and drainage. On the Leas we
assess large Victorian houses that have been split into flats: conversion quality, service charge
exposure, and the condition of expensive shared elements such as roofs, lifts and communal
staircases. Sea exposure and render failure apply along the whole front.

Surveys in Folkestone

For any property on sloping ground or with visible movement we recommend a Level 3 Building Survey,
and where necessary a structural engineer’s appraisal alongside it.

Services we provide in Folkestone

• RICS Home Survey Level 2 (Homebuyer Survey) and Level 3 (Building Survey)
• Structural surveys, specific defect reports and crack and movement assessment
• Damp, timber and condensation investigations
• Red Book valuations for probate, capital gains tax, matrimonial and shared ownership
• Party wall notices, awards and disputes under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996
• Schedules of condition, dilapidations and commercial building surveys
• New build snagging inspections and professional consultant’s certificates

Every report is produced by an RICS regulated chartered surveyor, written in plain English, and
delivered with photographs, a clear summary of the significant findings and an indication of likely
repair costs.

Folkestone survey questions we are asked most

Is landslip a genuine concern in Folkestone and Sandgate?

On and below the escarpment, yes — there is a documented history of ground movement in the area. It does not affect every property, but where a house sits on sloping ground we look carefully at retaining structures, drainage and any signs of progressive movement, and we say when an engineer should be involved.

What should I check before buying a flat on the Leas?

The service charge history and the major works programme. Large Victorian buildings converted into flats carry expensive shared liabilities — roofs, lifts, communal decoration — and a Section 20 notice arriving shortly after you move in is a common and avoidable shock.

Book a surveyor in Folkestone. Call us or use the enquiry form below and we will come back to you the same working day with a fixed fee and the earliest available inspection date.