RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Charlwood

Charlwood is not like most Surrey villages from a surveying point of view. The parish has over eighty listed buildings and features, including twenty-eight medieval open hall cottages, the highest concentration anywhere in Surrey. That kind of stock calls for real experience with timber framing, traditional roof coverings, and building methods that sit well outside modern standards. We assess these older buildings with the original fabric in mind, while still judging how they perform against present-day expectations.

Ground conditions are a big part of the picture here. Charlwood sits in the Low Weald, where heavy clay soils are mixed with sandstone, siltstone, and mudstones. That combination brings a marked shrink-swell risk, so buildings can move in periods of drought or after heavy rainfall. Older homes with shallow foundations are often the most vulnerable to subsidence and heave. In this part of the parish, we pay close attention to foundation performance and any signs that movement has happened before.

Some parts of the parish need a closer look at flood risk too. Hookwood, within Charlwood parish, sits along the River Mole, so lower-lying properties can face river flooding issues. When we inspect homes near watercourses, or in spots with poor ground permeability, we check carefully for evidence of earlier flooding, water damage, and drainage problems. With weather patterns less settled than they once were, a property's flood history and how well it sheds water matter over the long term.

Then there is London Gatwick Airport. Homes beneath flight paths, or inside the airport's noise zones, can raise particular questions around soundproofing and sometimes structural condition. Our local surveyors know how these regional pressures show up in buildings, and we factor them into our assessments so you have a clear basis for a purchase decision.

• Over 80 listed buildings in the parish
• 28 medieval open hall cottages - most in Surrey
• Heavy clay soils with shrink-swell risk
• Properties along the River Mole in Hookwood
• Mix of medieval, Victorian, and modern construction
• Gatwick Airport proximity considerations

Charlwood's buildings tell a very long story. The Church of St Nicholas dates from 1080 and is one of the oldest churches in Surrey, built originally with dressed stone from Reigate and local rubble stone from Stan Hill. In 2009, an extension used Wealden sandstone, which says a lot about the continued use of local materials across the parish. The Grade II* listed Providence Chapel, first built in Horsham in 1816 and later moved to Charlwood, is another notable building within the conservation area.

One of the things that defines the village is its run of medieval timber-framed buildings. The oldest recorded house, opposite the Half Moon pub, dates from 1402. Many began life as open hall houses, built before chimneys were common in domestic buildings, and they often include heavy cruck frames, wattle-and-daub infill, and thatched or tile hung roofs. Charlwood's twenty-eight medieval open hall cottages give it the highest concentration in any Surrey village, which makes the place especially important in heritage terms. Some have since been reclad with mock timber framing, while others still show their original exposed timber frames.

After the commons were enclosed in 1846, Victorian building added a different layer to the village. Houses from that period appear along roads such as Ifield Road, with familiar details including sash windows, decorative brickwork, and solid floor construction. Charlwood Place Farm, dating from 1590, shows off tile-hung walls, another local characteristic worth understanding. For us, the key is reading each construction period properly, because repair methods and likely defects vary from one era to the next.

The 2011 Census records 379 detached properties, 302 semi-detached properties, and 167 terraced properties in the parish. That mix leans strongly towards larger homes, which fits Charlwood's appeal, close to Gatwick Airport and within reach of the wider Greater London area, but still very much a rural village. We survey all of these property types regularly and know how age and style shape the defects we are likely to find, and the remedies that make sense.

Charlwood's geology deserves serious attention. Across the Low Weald, the heavy clay soils are known for marked volume change as moisture levels rise and fall. In dry weather, the clay shrinks and foundations can settle unevenly. Once wetter conditions return, the same clay expands, and that can lead to heave pushing structures upward. For homes in the Charlwood area, this shrink-swell behaviour is one of the most important geohazards in play.

Trees often make matters worse. Because Charlwood is so rural, many homes sit near mature trees, either in gardens or on adjoining farmland. In dry spells, roots draw moisture from the ground and can create differential movement below foundations, especially where older buildings have shallow footings. We look for the classic signs, diagonal cracking from corners, doors and windows that stick or have been planed in the past, and plaster cracking internally that points towards structural movement. Any property with large trees within influencing distance of the foundations needs especially careful scrutiny.

Recent weather in the South East points the same way. Long dry spells followed by sharp heavy rainfall create exactly the conditions that can trigger movement in clay soils. House prices in Charlwood have had a 17% adjustment over the past year, in line with wider market conditions, but structural problems can affect value far more than the market alone. A Level 3 survey helps establish whether movement has already taken place and whether earlier repairs have genuinely worked, which is valuable reassurance before you commit.

To make sense of the Charlwood market, it helps to look at what drives demand locally. London Gatwick Airport, immediately northwest of the village, is both a major employer and a major influence on housing. A good number of residents commute into airport-related jobs, including aviation security, hospitality services, and logistics operations. That keeps Charlwood attractive to buyers who want village character without giving up strong transport links.

Charlwood also sits conveniently for Horley, Crawley, and the wider Gatwick Diamond business corridor. At the same time, the conservation area and Green Belt protections help preserve the village's rural feel and limit heavier development pressure, which supports property values. Recent planning approvals, including Land at Five Oaks on Charlwood Road and Brittleware Farm on Norwood Hill Road, point to controlled growth rather than wholesale change. Put together, those factors make Charlwood a sought-after place to buy, and a thorough survey is an essential part of that process.