East Sussex · London and the South East
Hellingly Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Hellingly. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Hellingly
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Common reasons to book are gutters choked with leaves and moss and flashings that have lifted or split, on chimney stacks, gutters and downpipes and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
In a smaller place like Hellingly, some houses face open ground, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather normally shows first. Whether you’re buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a careful look. Wind lifts anything already loose, so a small fault on an exposed roof does not stay small for long.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Hellingly (BN27)
- Region
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Slate is common on Victorian and Edwardian houses. We check for slipped, cracked and missing slates, plus the metal clips that show earlier patching.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. We fill that gap before you’re tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Homes in smaller places like Hellingly can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Each storm lifts it a little further.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Why book with us
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- A report with photos
- 20+ years’ experience
Checking the roof from ground level
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Towns and villages near Hellingly
More services for Hellingly
Buying a home or a new roof in Hellingly
Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you own a rental within reach of Polegate station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Horselunges Manor lies about 0.6 miles west, so building around Hellingly goes back a long way. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Hellingly is about 1 mile north of Hailsham, in East Sussex. We visit Hellingly as part of our work across East Sussex, for homes and businesses alike. Hellingly is one of the places in East Sussex we cover. There is also a page for Brighton.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BN27 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Station Road, Cheviot Street and Iris Close or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Hellingly, we cover Upper Horsebridge (1 mile south-west), Lower Horsebridge (1 mile west), Magham Down (1 mile east), Hailsham (1 mile south) and Tile Hurst (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns like Eastbourne (7 miles south), Hastings (13 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (9 miles east), Seaford (10 miles south-west), Lewes (11 miles west) and Crowborough (12 miles north).
Local landmarks in Hellingly
Around Hellingly, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Hailsham Community College, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Polegate station, about 4.3 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find Hellingly Hospital Railway (less than half a mile north) and Sussex Farm Museum (3.6 miles north).
What we do, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take between one and two hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a smaller place like Hellingly, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from ground level and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Tell us about parking before the day
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
For landlords and managing agents
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it as you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Hellingly: your questions answered
Is Hellingly within the area you cover?
Yes, Hellingly is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Is Hellingly in the area you cover?
Yes, Hellingly is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
How long does the survey visit take?
It usually takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It’s a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It is not a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.