RICS Level 2 Survey in Cury

We carry out a RICS Level 2 survey with a close look at the property’s visible and accessible areas. Walls, roof, floors, windows and doors are all checked, along with electrics and plumbing where they can be seen. If we find defects, we set them out clearly, grade them by severity, and give practical repair and maintenance advice.

Cury’s rural setting means we keep a sharp eye on problems common in older Cornish homes. Around The Lizard peninsula, traditional stone and render buildings can be prone to damp, especially where there is no modern damp-proof course. We look for penetrating damp, rising damp and condensation, all of which turn up often in solid-wall properties. Many houses here date from the 18th and 19th centuries, when solid-wall construction was standard, so a specialist assessment is often needed to spot defects that do not show themselves at first glance.

Roofs need just as much attention. In the Cury area, many homes still have traditional slate coverings, so we check tile condition, ridge mortar, flashings and verges for deterioration or water ingress. Salt air from the coast can speed up wear on The Lizard peninsula, which is why regular roof checks matter so much for local homeowners. Chimney stacks are looked at too, as they are common on older Cornish houses, and we assess their structure and any sign of mortar breakdown.

Geology matters here, too. The Lizard peninsula is known for serpentine rock formations, and that can influence ground conditions and drainage. Our surveyors look at the way local geology may be affecting foundations and drainage systems, especially in properties sitting on clay soils that shrink and swell as moisture levels change.

• Wall and structural condition assessment
• Roof, chimney, and rain water goods inspection
• Damp and timber decay evaluation
• Electrical and plumbing visible inspections
• Boundary and outbuilding assessment
• Energy efficiency recommendations
• Foundation and drainage assessment
• Window and door condition inspection

Cury is a small rural parish on The Lizard peninsula, home to approximately 460 residents. Its housing stock reflects an agricultural past, with many buildings first put up as farm cottages or workers’ houses. Detached homes are the main type sold in the area, with an average price of £470,000, while semi-detached properties average around £280,000. The parish sits about 200 feet above sea level and roughly one mile inland from the coast, so residents get wide rural views and easy access to places like Poldhu Cove and Church Cove.

Set within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the parish includes many homes built in traditional Cornish style using local stone and render. St Corentin, the Norman-period parish church, is a good example of the area’s historic architecture, and local houses often follow similar building methods. Because these are solid-wall properties, damp proofing deserves particular care, as there is no cavity insulation like you would find in newer homes. Render can also hide stonework below, and that stone may have suffered weathering or mortar deterioration over decades.

Older electrical systems are a regular concern across Cury. Where a property is more than 25 years old, it may still have original wiring that falls short of current safety standards. We inspect accessible electrical installations and flag anything that needs a qualified electrician to take a closer look. Plumbing can raise issues as well, with galvanised steel pipes in older homes often suffering from corrosion and poor water pressure. In many rural places, private water supplies or septic tanks are part of the picture, and those need checks beyond the usual survey.

Local ground conditions deserve attention as well. Cury is around 200 feet above sea level and about a mile inland, but the clay soils here can still lead to movement. If trees or large planting sit nearby, subsidence can become more of a risk, especially in dry spells when clay shrinks. We examine foundations carefully and look for signs of structural movement that could point to a deeper issue. The valleys running down to Poldhu Cove and Gunwalloe Church Cove can also affect drainage patterns locally.

Because so many homes in Cury are more than 50 years old, and some traditional buildings go back centuries, a Level 2 survey offers real value. Older Cornish properties often have solid walls with no cavity insulation, timber windows that are original, and historic roofing materials that call for specialist inspection. Our surveyors know traditional construction well and can spot problems tied to the local housing stock, from lime mortar pointing to signs of movement in older stone buildings.