RICS Level 3 Building Survey Godalming

Godalming sits on tricky ground, and our surveyors know exactly what that means in practice. Much of the town lies on the Lower Greensand Group, with Frith Hill and Charterhouse on iron-rich Bargate Beds, while the northern parts of the civil parish at Binscombe contain Atherfield Clay. That clayey ground can shrink and swell, so properties in some spots may be prone to movement after long dry spells or wet periods. We look closely at foundations, walls, and other structural elements, with crack patterns and signs of historic movement very much in mind.

Being at the confluence of the Rivers Wey and Ock brings its own set of issues. Serious flooding has affected the town in 1968, 1990, 2000, 2013, and 2020, with Meadrow and the Lammas Lands among the places hit hardest. New flood defences, including a 525m flood wall and two pumping stations, went in during winter 2018-19, yet homes on the floodplain can still show the legacy of old water damage, damp penetration, or weak flood protection. We check for signs of earlier flooding and test how well existing defences work, from air bricks and vents to flood barriers.

Godalming’s historic centre is full of timber-framed buildings, some with origins going back centuries, alongside the 15th-century Church of St Peter and St Paul. In conservation areas and older period homes, we often find timber decay, old structural alterations, and roof systems that have simply had a long life. Our Level 3 surveys are set up for that sort of property, with the depth of inspection these homes call for. We inspect exposed timbers for beetle activity, wood rot, and structural stress that a buyer unfamiliar with period construction might easily miss.

There is more to the local ground conditions than clay shrinkage alone. The Sandgate Formation beneath parts of the town, including Holloway Hill and the town centre, can be clayey, which affects drainage around foundations. Homes built on the Bargate stone formations around Charterhouse may behave differently from those on the Hythe Beds. We adjust our inspection to suit the geology under each property, looking at how different formations respond in wet and dry weather and what that might mean for long-term structural integrity.

• Ground movement assessment for clay geology
• Flood damage and damp investigation
• Timber-framed structure inspection
• Historic building defect analysis
• Foundation and subsidence check
• Roof and chimney condition review

The ground under Godalming brings property buyers a few practical questions. The Sandgate Formation, which underlies parts of the town including Holloway Hill and the town centre, can be clayey, so drainage around the building may behave differently. Homes on the loamy and clayey floodplain soils to the north of Godalming, where groundwater can sit high, may face different pressures from those on better-drained sandy formations. Our surveyors understand those local contrasts and work accordingly, checking drainage channels, ground levels, and the condition of sumps or soakaways.

Former quarrying in the area matters too, especially the extraction of Bargate stone, which carried on until World War II. That means some locations may have been affected by historic quarrying activity. Godalming is not a mining area in the conventional sense, but old quarry sites can still raise ground stability questions, and our inspectors keep that in mind when they look at properties in the right places. Where records are available, we examine historical maps and other documents for clues about foundations or structural walls.

Homes close to the rivers, especially around the Lammas Lands and along Meadrow, still need to think about flood risk, even with the defences installed in 2018-19. Our surveyors look at flood resilience measures, check for evidence of earlier water damage, and judge how vulnerable each property really is. That matters even more as extreme weather has become more frequent in recent years. We inspect render and plaster at lower levels, search for tide marks or water staining, and see whether flood barriers are fitted properly and working as they should.

• Check soil geology and foundation type
• Assess flood risk and defences
• Review historical property records
• Examine drainage and groundwater
• Evaluate structural integrity of period features

Knowing the mix of homes across Godalming helps us shape the inspection properly. In Binscombe, around 45% of housing is semi-detached with approximately 26% detached homes, while the central areas and Ockford have a higher proportion of flats at around 25%. The Charterhouse area has a notable concentration of flats at nearly 35%, reflecting the converted period properties there. Our inspectors adapt their approach to the property type, with the likely defects in each category very much in mind.

Because Godalming has such a spread of property ages, our surveyors often inspect Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses in the town centre, especially along streets near the high street and around the station. These homes often retain original structural elements that have been altered over decades of use. We check for movement in load-bearing walls, examine original sash windows, and assess whether historic extensions or alterations were built properly. Many of these terraces have been changed over time, and we pick out any alterations that could weaken the structure.

The newer developments in GU7, including Catteshall Road and Mill Lane, call for a different kind of look. These homes usually have fewer structural concerns, but build quality, insulation, and ventilation can still give problems. Our inspectors treat new-build properties with the same care, because recently built homes can still hide defects that should be identified before you complete. We examine junction details between different construction elements and look for cold bridging or air leakage points that could affect energy efficiency.

• Period terrace inspection
• Modern flat assessment
• Detached family home survey
• New build snagging check
• Converted property evaluation