Hampshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Forestside
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Forestside from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Forestside
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you are worried about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and loose pots and cracked flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on natural slate, chimney stacks and clay and concrete tiles alike.
Older buildings in small places like Forestside may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
We write the report in plain English, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Place
- Forestside (PO9)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Forestside
What else we do in Forestside
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Let us know your timetable
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Questions from Forestside
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Forestside, take more of a battering?
Often, yes. Forestside is within about 5 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Is Forestside within the area you cover?
Yes. Forestside is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. The outcome is between you and the seller.
When will the report arrive?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when booking.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Sellers are not always aware of roof problems. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. An independent look tells you how the roof is now, whatever anyone remembers. In a place like Forestside, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You will know the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- Photos and a written report every time
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent view of the roof
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Buying a home or a new roof in Forestside
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Forestside, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
For landlords with property near Rowlands Castle station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Historic houses such as Uppark, about 3.2 miles north, show how far back building around Forestside goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Forestside is about 4 miles east of Horndean, in Hampshire. In Forestside, as across Hampshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. Forestside is one of the towns and villages in Hampshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also survey roofs in Portsmouth.
Here we cover the PO9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Streets in the area include Lodge Lane and Forestside, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in West Marden (1 mile north-east), Chalton (3 miles north-west), Blendworth (3 miles west), Buriton (5 miles north) and Nursted (5 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Gosport (13 miles south-west), Havant (5 miles south-west), Fareham (13 miles west), Horndean (4 miles west), Waterlooville (6 miles west) and Petersfield (7 miles north).
Local landmarks in Forestside
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Stansted Park. For rail, the closest station is Rowlands Castle station, roughly 2.2 miles south-west. A little further out are Clanfield Earthwork (4 miles north-west) and Havant War Memorial Hospital (5 miles south-west). The countryside around Forestside includes Compton Down and Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.
What we are asked to look at in Forestside
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Flashings that have lifted or split
The streets around a church like Christ Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will the report include photos?
- What happens after the report arrives
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
How it works
We’ll ask a few questions first, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Forestside frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about parking near the property
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.