RICS Level 3 Building Survey in Cumrew

Cumrew properties bring a set of quirks that make a full Level 3 Survey the sensible choice. Much of the village stock includes historic buildings put together with traditional methods, including cruck frames and sandstone masonry, and those need specialist knowledge to assess properly. Our surveyors know how these Cumbrian construction types age, where they tend to fail, and which defects a basic valuation is likely to miss. We have inspected barns at Helme Farm and farmhouses across the parish, so we come to these buildings with direct experience of the faults that often affect them.

At the foot of the Pennines, Cumrew sits on ground conditions shaped by local geology and by past agricultural activity, including limestone burning, and that can matter to a building's structural stability. There is no specific shrink-swell clay risk data available for Cumrew, but our surveyors know the signs of subsidence and other movement that can affect homes in this part of Cumbria. We check wall cracks, how doors and windows open and close, and whether floor levels are true, all to spot evidence of structural movement.

Cumrew's flood history also needs proper attention. Cumrew Beck flooded in 2012 and 2013, causing internal damage to multiple properties, so flood risk and drainage are key parts of how we survey in this area. The events on June 28, 2012, and June 28, 2013, led to water entering homes internally, with at least seven properties affected across the two incidents. Our surveyors look closely at elevation, proximity to watercourses, and the drainage already in place when assessing that risk.

Buying in Cumrew often means dealing with heritage constraints as much as bricks and mortar. The parish has eleven listed buildings, and the whole village is a Conservation Area, so many homes come with preservation requirements and layers of historic alteration. Our Level 3 Survey sets out the technical detail needed to understand the condition of the building and the likely cost of future maintenance or renovation. The Church of St Mary, rebuilt in 1890, is a good example of the area's heritage character, and similar construction features turn up in residential property too.

• Sandstone construction assessment
• Flood risk and drainage evaluation
• Listed building condition review
• Traditional roofing inspection (green slate)
• Structural movement analysis
• Damp and timber decay investigation

Flooding is not a side issue in Cumrew, it is one of the main risks a buyer should weigh up. The village saw significant events in June 2012, May 2013, and June 2013, with heavy rainfall overwhelming Cumrew Beck and creating surface water runoff problems that led to internal flooding in at least seven properties. On June 28, 2012, five properties were flooded internally. On June 28, 2013, a further two properties in the village were affected.

In our Level 3 Survey, we assess flood risk by looking at the property's position, its elevation, and the drainage systems serving it. We consider how water could affect the building, note any flood mitigation already in place, and give practical suggestions where reducing risk is possible. That is especially useful for homes in lower parts of the village or for buildings with a past record of water ingress. Ground levels, Hardstanding areas, drainage channels, and the way surface water is directed away from the property all form part of that inspection.

Across Cumbria, flooding has been severe in recent years, with Storm Desmond in 2015 flooding over 50,000 homes across the county. Cumrew's own incidents were more localised, but the pattern is clear enough, heavy rainfall can overwhelm smaller watercourses here. For anyone buying in the village, it is important to understand both the property's flood history and how well it would cope now. We always suggest asking directly about previous flooding during viewings and checking what flood mitigation measures, if any, have been installed.

Traditional Cumbrian Pennine materials are all over Cumrew's older buildings. Most of the historic stock is built in local sandstone, and some properties still have the green slate roofing that is so typical of the region. Those materials behave in particular ways, especially in a wet local climate, so understanding them properly matters in any accurate assessment. We have surveyed buildings such as Cumrew Farmhouse and a range of farm structures that show these construction methods clearly.

Sandstone construction needs to be read carefully, and our surveyors know what to look for. We assess mortar deterioration, weathering of the stone itself, and moisture penetration, all common issues in older Cumbrian buildings. Traditional roof coverings, including slate and stone tiles, are checked for slippage, breakage, and the condition of the battens and rafters beneath. Green slate roofs in this area are distinctive, and we understand how they tend to perform under Pennine weather conditions.

Some of the parish's traditional agricultural buildings, including cruck-framed barns, point to the possibility of historic timber framing in other properties too. That calls for a specialist eye. Our Level 3 Survey looks closely at structural timbers and highlights rot, insect attack, and movement that could affect the building's stability. This is especially important in converted barns and older agricultural buildings, and we have seen examples in the surrounding area where structural defects led to major remedial work.

Listed buildings in Cumrew often carry later additions, with some extensions dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Our surveyors assess these separate phases of construction as a whole and pay particular attention to the junctions where old and newer work meet. Those points can be weak spots. Movement and water penetration are more likely where different materials or building methods come together, so they need careful checking.