Compare Chartered Building Surveyors in Kent
Moving House in Kent? Save up to 70% on Your Surveying Costs
Looking to arrange a property survey in Kent? We’ve helped over 2,500 homebuyers find a residential surveyor in the area over the last year.
Kent is a historic county with a range of properties from different periods, including Victorian and Edwardian homes, converted barns and small cottages.
Any property which is older or has had extensive work undertaken on it would greatly benefit from a building survey. This can give you a comprehensive view of the home. For a more modern property in good condition, a homebuyer survey will most likely be the most suitable survey.
We can match you with up to 5 RICS registered property surveyors in the county, all of which have been verified by our dedicated business team.
Our Kent Chartered Surveyors
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Maitlands Acorn Professional
9 St Marks Road, Bromley, BR2 9HG
Maitlands Acorn Professional is a RICS regulated firm of chartered surveyors providing high-quality and affordable property surveys and valuations in London, Surrey, Kent, Essex and Sussex since 1983.
based on 21 reviews"Excellent, highly recommend my surveyor, Nicole Jeffries, was excellent and provided such valuable advice. Survey was also booked in quickly and the report available the next day."
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Reliable Property Group
188 Hither Green Lane, Hither Green, London, SE13 6QB
Based in London, Reliable Property Group are a RICS registered London chartered surveyors.
based on 45 reviews"Brilliant, they provided an exceptionally quick turnaround time"
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Property Surveys South East
Unit 17, 30 St.Dunstans Street, Canterbury, CT2 8BZ
At Property Surveys South East, we pride ourselves on our efficiency, discretion and value for money, ensuring you get the very best service when having a house survey.
based on 2 reviews"John is fantastic.I was in a very tight situation needing a survey done quickly and thoroughly. John responded to my rather urgent email swiftly and, by a miracle, was able to fit me in within the week. After he did the survey, he emailed me a top-line rundown of any things that stood out/needed attention before he delivered the full report. We also talked through things on the phone and I felt confident to progress to my exchange days later.The first thing I said to John when I found him online was 'Where are your reviews?' He didn't have many, the ones I found were excellent, but I knew I needed to leave my own. Don't hesitate. If you want a thorough building survey with clear photographs and great attention to detail and someone who responds to questions quickly then book John."
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Home Survey Solutions Ltd
397 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 3PE
Home Survey Solutions have 20 years of experience in the industry and offer professional and reliable surveys at a reasonable price.
based on 7 reviews"Ian was patient and took the time to answer all of my questions and even meet me beforehand to ensure all of the queried were covered at the inspection. Were discussing cost of works and project management also as the property were purchasing needs work."
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Your Surveyors Ltd
Albion Place, Maidstone, ME14 5DZ
Your Surveyors puts you at the heart of what we do.
based on 39 reviews"Fast, reliable and deeply thorough. "
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GTA Chartered Surveyors
G T A Consulting, Dulcet House, Cranbrook, TN18 4AR
Based in Kent and East Sussex, GTA Chartered Surveyors have over 25 years of experience in the surveying industry.
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E.A. Surveying
Lyngrove, Manston Road, Ramsgate, CT12 5BE
E.A. Surveying is an independent RICS surveyor offering our expert services when you need a RICS Home Survey Level 2 or 3.
based on 3 reviews"This was such a lovely easy experience. Eliott was excellent and responded immediately and out of office hours with the best customer service and arranged a swift survey for me. The price was very reasonable. The survey itself was very full and well illustrated with photographs. I would recommend EA Surveying to everyone! Don't go elsewhere, they are great!"
FAQs About Surveying in Kent
When it comes to moving house in Kent, the team at Compare My Move have done the research necessary to answer any questions you may have about the process. Our data revealed that Homebuyer surveys were most popular in the Kent area, mainly for terraced and semi-detached homes.
We found evidence of subsidence concerns in areas such as Canterbury and Ashford, both of which also have reported infestations of Japanese Knotweed. Enlisting the services of an expert surveyor will inform you if the property is stable and secure and not at risk from issues such as subsidence and Japanese Knotweed.
What are the Most Popular Surveys in Kent?
The most popular survey type in Kent was a Homebuyers survey for a terraced house, with 26.34% of our users opting for this type of survey for these homes. This was closely followed by those arranging a Homebuyers survey for a semi-detached home, at 24.39%.
Users choosing a building survey for the same types of property were far less, with 9.02% of our users opting for a building survey on a terraced property and 10.98% for a semi-detached property. What is worth noting is that many terraced properties especially exist from the Victorian era and would most likely benefit from a building survey due to their age and the updates and renovation which will have been made over the years to bring them up to a modern standard of living.
Meanwhile, detached properties made of 14.51% of Home Surveys arranged by our users in the country of Kent, with 7.93% having a building survey undertaken. Flats and apartments resulted in the least amount of surveys arranged by Compare My Move customers across the board, with 5.55% opting for a Homebuyers Survey and just 1.65% enlisting a surveyor for a Building Survey.
Undoubtedly Homebuyers surveys proved to be the most popular in the county of Kent, but this may not be the best type of survey for the property you are looking to buy. Many older properties or those which have had extensions and work undertaken on them will benefit from a full building survey, which gives a far more in-depth overview of the property, highlighting any areas of concern.
What Types of Historical Architecture Does Kent Have?
Kent is a county with a wealth of history and architectural interest. According to CPRE Kent, Kent is home to some 18,400 listed buildings, more than in any other county, and several thousand more unlisted but valuable historic buildings and structures.
The county has 435 Grade I listed buildings and 971 Grade II listed buildings across the thirteen districts which make up Kent County. These districts include Dover, Sevenoaks, Folkestone and Hythe (formerly Shepway), Thanet, Ashford, Dartford, Gravesham, Maidstone, Swale, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells and the city of Canterbury.
Canterbury alone has 97 conservation areas, which include spaces of special architectural or historical interest. Across the county as a whole, combining the conservation areas in each district, Kent has 433 conservation areas.
When it comes to the types of housing available in the area, this ranges from large period homes to terraced properties and newer housing projects and city apartments. According to the UK house price index, “existing properties” proved far more popular with homebuyers across Kent with 1536 sales in January 2020 alone, compared to 151 “new build” purchases in the same time frame.
| Listed Buildings | 1,406 |
| Conservation Areas | 433 |
| New Build Sales* | 151 |
| Existing Property Sales* | 1536 |
*Based on data for January 2020
Is Subsidence an Issue in Kent?
Subsidence is a dreaded word for homebuyers and owners alike. This is the result of the ground beneath a property compressing or “sinking” which creates an unbalanced foundation for the home, leading to an array of problems. In worse case scenarios, a home can be deemed uninhabitable due to severe subsidence.
One of the main causes of subsidence is clay soil which is found throughout the UK. The clay soil shrinks, cracks and even shifts during changes in the weather. According to Geobear’s UK Subsidence Map, there is clear evidence of subsidence in areas such as Canterbury and Ashford, so ensuring you have a reliable surveyor to conduct the correct survey for a property is essential if you are looking to buy a home in these areas.
Areas such a Tonbridge also showed evidence of subsidence concerts, in addition to locations like Maidstone and Sevenoaks, albeit these concerns appeared to be far less of an issue than in Canterbury. Dover was also shown to have a small amount of subsidence. Regardless of how small the concern may be, for peace of mind, a comprehensive survey is recommended when buying a property in any of these locations within the county of Kent.
Is Japanese Knotweed a Concern in Kent?
Japanese Knotweed was first introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant for botanical gardens and was later sold commercially, however it is now considered a highly problematic plant and one you certainly don’t want to find on your property.
Japanese Knotweed can not only impact the stability of a property, it can also have a catastrophic effect on the value of your home. Japanese Knotweed can grow through concrete, property foundations, walls and drains, causing a host of problems for homeowners. Some lenders have even refused mortgages for properties with a large infestation of the plant.
Environet’s Japanese Knotweed Heatmap revealed that although Japanese Knotweed was not a major concern across the county of Kent as a whole, there were areas which Enviornet flagged as areas with infestations. These include areas such as Canterbury, which had 15 recorded cases of infestations within 4km. Ashford had 16 cases in a 4km radius and in Western Kent, Royal Tunbridge Wells had 37 infestations, one of the areas in the county with the highest amount of Japanese Knotweed cases reported. Meanwhile, areas such as Folkestone and Dover were shown to have just 12 and 5 cases respectfully, again with a 4km radius of the area.
When purchasing a property in Kent, ensure that you compare surveyors with Compare My Move and opt for a trusted surveyor who will be able to tell you if there is evidence of an infestation on or around the home.
