Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gushmere, Kent
A careful look at the roof at your property in Gushmere, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gushmere
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. We survey lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and clay and concrete tiles, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are blocked or leaking gutters and sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes.
Being in a small place like Gushmere makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed in advance. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at as you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Location
- Gushmere (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Let us know your timetable
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report is not clear, ask us.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A structural engineer’s report
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Cottages and farmhouses around Gushmere often 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 can’t see is noted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
How to prepare
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know about parking near the property
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Common roof problems in Gushmere
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we check.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
For landlords with property near Selling station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Questions to ask before you book
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Gushmere homes and their roofs
Gushmere is within about 5 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, so exposed details get a proper look whether you’re buying or signing off new work. With Belmont House and Gardens about 3.6 miles west, Gushmere sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Gushmere is about 3 miles south-east of Faversham, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Gushmere can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. Our Canterbury page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the ME13 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Selling Road and Vicarage Lane. Other places close to Gushmere include Crouch (1 mile north-east), Selling (1 mile south), Neames Forstal (1 mile south-east), South Street (1 mile east) and Hogben's Hill (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (10 miles south), Canterbury (7 miles east), Sittingbourne (9 miles north-west), Whitstable (7 miles north-east), Faversham (3 miles north-west) and Herne Bay (11 miles north-east).
What’s near Gushmere
Around Gushmere, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Sondes Arms and Mount Ephraim Gardens and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Selling station, roughly 0.6 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Tower keep castle at Chilham (2.9 miles south-east). For a walk, there is Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Nearby places to Gushmere
What else we do in Gushmere
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Gushmere
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Gushmere?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it usually shows, and Gushmere is within about 5 miles of the coast.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Gushmere?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Do you cover Gushmere for pre-purchase roof surveys?
Yes. We survey roofs in Gushmere and the rest of Kent. To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We will give you an idea of timing as you book.
Checking the roof from ground level
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. You’ll know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Gushmere, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
For a price for your roof in Gushmere, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
See what a roof survey costs and our case studies.