RICS Level 2 Survey in Hollingbourne

Hollingbourne’s housing stock has a few quirks that are best checked properly. Properties dating back to 1888 are common across the village, alongside Victorian cottages and former coach houses that have been turned into homes. These older places often still show timber frames, brick chimneys and original inglenook fireplaces, all of which add plenty of character but also call for a careful look for defects that a casual viewing can miss.

Older Kent homes often throw up familiar issues, and our inspectors see them time and again, from worn roof coverings on period buildings to damp creeping through solid walls and electrical systems that no longer meet current regulations. The Oast houses found in the area point to classic Kentish brick and tile construction, with aged mortar joints that may need attention. Detached homes make up 55% of all sales over the past two years in Hollingbourne, and those properties usually bring bigger roof areas and more chimney stacks, so they need a proper inspection.

The geology in parts of Kent can also play a part in foundation movement, especially on clay substrates found in certain areas around Maidstone. We did not find specific subsidence data for Hollingbourne in our research, but the age of many homes means foundations may have settled over decades, and our surveyors know what warning signs to look for when checking for movement or structural concerns. We inspect every accessible part of the property, from basement or foundation level right through to the roof space, so you get a clear picture of the condition.

Upper floors in Hollingbourne often carry hung tiles, especially on Victorian and Edwardian cottages, and those finishes can suffer from wear or storm damage over time. Our surveyors pay close attention to these traditional details, because repair or replacement can be costly and matching materials may be needed to keep the property’s character intact. With the rural setting and older housing stock, homes may also come with larger gardens, outbuildings, drainage systems and retaining walls that should be looked at as part of the survey.

• Roof structure and covering condition
• Damp and moisture penetration
• Wall construction and crack assessment
• Electrical and plumbing condition
• Window and door operation
• Boundary and outbuilding condition

Hollingbourne sits in the Maidstone borough of Kent, roughly 6 miles east of Maidstone town centre along the A20 corridor. The village has a railway station with regular services to London and the coast, which makes it appealing to commuters headed for the capital or coastal towns. Around it, there is working farmland and woodland, while the North Downs Way passes nearby and adds to the rural feel that draws buyers looking for village life with solid transport links.

New build development around Hollingbourne has been limited, so most of the properties available are existing homes rather than fresh builds. The ME17 postcode covers neighbouring villages too, and schemes such as those between Bearsted and Hollingbourne have added a few modern homes to the local stock. Even so, most of the market still consists of established properties that really benefit from a professional survey, because older building methods and the age of the housing stock make defects more likely than in newer developments.

Many properties in the Hollingbourne area are shaped by conservation considerations, with period features and traditional architecture calling for specialist knowledge during the survey. Our surveyors know that older homes may have restrictions on alterations and repairs, and we include relevant guidance in our reports about any listed building status or conservation area requirements that could affect future plans. Where a property has clear historical interest or looks to have been heavily altered, a Level 3 Survey may be more suitable, and we will say so if that seems necessary from our initial findings.

Around Eyhorne Street and the historic village green, the village centre has plenty of homes from the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Many of them show traditional Kentish details, including hung tiles, weatherboard elevations and original sash windows, all of which need proper knowledge to assess. Our surveyors understand those local construction methods and can spot defects that might be missed by less experienced assessors.