RICS Level 2 Survey Barnham

Barnham’s property market covers a broad spread, from terraced cottages in the Church Lane Conservation Area to sizeable detached houses on newer schemes. Average values are above £390,000, and plenty of homes sell for much more than that, so the price of a survey is small by comparison. Our inspectors regularly look at homes across the village, from brick and flint cottages close to St Mary's Church to recent builds at Century Gardens. Detached properties in Barnham average over £563,000, which makes the cost of a survey a modest safeguard against hidden defects.

Housing in Barnham is varied, and the survey points vary with it. The village includes listed buildings such as Grade I listed Barnham Court, a 17th-century Artisan Mannerism house built in red brick. Homes in and around the Conservation Area often use older construction methods, including timber-framing with brick infilling, plaster, and flint walling. That can mean damp, ageing electrics, or roof issues, all matters a Level 2 survey is there to pick up. Our surveyors are used to these traditional forms of construction and know how to spot historic movement or decay that can easily be missed at a viewing.

There has been recent new-build activity in Barnham, including Barratt David Wilson Homes at Century Gardens on Church Lane, where three and four-bedroom homes are priced from £500,000 to £575,000. Newer homes usually need less intrusive scrutiny, but a survey still gives useful peace of mind. We look for visible defects, consider build quality, and check that the property reaches the standard buyers would reasonably expect. Even on fresh developments we often note matters such as poor insulation around windows, badly hung doors, or drainage falls that may cause trouble later. And with the major strategic scheme of up to 1,250 homes between Barnham, Eastergate and Westergate now approved, more buyers will be looking for professional survey guidance.

Over the last twelve months, Barnham has recorded 107 property sales, with semi-detached homes making up most of those transactions. No two surveys here feel quite the same. A Victorian terrace near the station raises different questions from a modern detached house on the village edge, and our inspection is built around that. We give buyers a clear basis to proceed, or to renegotiate once the findings are on the table.

• Protection for £400,000+ investments
• Identification of hidden defects
• Negotiation leverage for repairs
• Confidence in your purchase decision

That local knowledge helps us pick up issues that are specific to Barnham’s mix of buildings. The Church Lane Conservation Area, for example, regularly features brick, flint, plain grey clay tiles and natural slate. Attractive materials, yes, but not ones to assess casually. Our surveyors understand how they weather over time, and where trouble tends to show first. Brick and flint walling in particular can conceal defects such as failing mortar or insect activity in adjoining timber elements.

Older houses in Barnham often use timber-framed construction with red brick infilling, and that method can be vulnerable to structural movement if maintenance has slipped. Clay tile and slate roofs also tend to point to a property of some age, often one that has seen alterations over several decades. Our inspectors look carefully for signs of earlier movement, patch repairs and material deterioration that may not stand out during an ordinary viewing. Barnham Court, which is Grade I listed, is a good example of the quality of earlier workmanship, but also of why structural condition needs close attention.

Barnham sits on geology typical of West Sussex, with areas of clay soil that can produce shrink-swell movement and affect foundations. The parish council also identifies flood risk areas within the community, and flood mapping is available locally. Not every home is touched by those issues, of course, but our surveyors keep them in mind and look closely for movement or damp where conditions suggest a risk. With the River Arun nearby and some low-lying ground in the village, properties near the station and on certain roads may carry a higher flood risk, and our survey will highlight that.

Across much of Barnham, the underlying chalk and clay can play a part in ground movement, especially after drought or prolonged heavy rain. We inspect as carefully as the property allows for signs of subsidence or heave that might point to trouble below. Newer homes at Century Gardens and St George's Park were built with modern foundations suited to local conditions, but we still check them for settlement or movement that could become a problem later.

• Brick and flint construction
• Clay tile and slate roofing
• Timber-framed structures
• Traditional heritage materials

Barnham is changing quickly. Several residential schemes are either being built out or have only recently secured consent. The strategic site between Barnham, Eastergate, and Westergate has outline permission for up to 1,250 homes under Arun District Council's Local Plan. Plans for the development include a new primary school, care home, retail space and public open areas. The first phases are already moving ahead, with infrastructure works starting in 2024. It is the biggest expansion Barnham has seen, and it will alter the character of the village in a noticeable way.

Another scheme sits on the edge of Barnham, where Land South of Barnham Station has outline planning permission for up to 200 homes, with affordable housing included. Taken together with Century Gardens and St George's Park, these developments are bringing more buyers into Barnham who want a professional survey before they commit. Even on a new property, our Level 2 survey offers a useful check on condition and workmanship. St George's Park, developed by Elivia Homes on the Barnham Road, provides 30 dwellings across affordable and market housing, and its first residents arrived in mid-2024.

For buyers looking at these newer schemes, a survey can still pick up issues that are easy to miss during a viewing. We see things like poor insulation, badly fitted windows, drainage faults and general construction defects. With new four-bedroom homes priced from £500,000 to above £575,000, the survey fee is small beside the possible cost of remedial work later on. We have inspected a good number of properties at Century Gardens and are familiar with the construction methods used there, along with the kinds of defects that can appear.

Growth in Barnham also brings flood risk into the picture for some buyers. The parish council keeps flood mapping for the area, and certain plots near watercourses or lower ground may face a greater level of risk. If we see signs during the inspection that suggest a potential flood issue, our surveyors will flag it and explain the checks buyers should make before proceeding. This matters particularly for homes near the River Arun, or in parts of the village shown on the local flood maps.