Hampshire · London and the South East
Hensting Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hensting and the rest of Hampshire. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
What we do, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. The visit normally takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Older rural homes like those around Hensting can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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Pre-purchase roof survey in Hensting: what you get
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. We are frequently asked to look into worn or lifted lead flashings and old water stains in the roof space, on chimney stacks, natural slate and lead flashings and valleys.
In a village or hamlet like Hensting, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Place
- Hensting (SO50)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Hensting questions
Do you cover smaller places like Hensting?
Yes. Hensting 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 as you book.
Is my home in Hensting listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Will you climb onto the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
How quickly will I get the report?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photographs.
Hensting homes and their roofs
Thatch survives on some older buildings in Hampshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
If you let a flat or house near Shawford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Hensting is about 3 miles north-east of Eastleigh, in Hampshire. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Hensting can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Hensting is one of the places in Hampshire we cover. Our Southampton page covers surveys nearby.
We work across SO50 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you’re just outside Hensting, we cover Owslebury (1 mile north-east), Owslebury Bottom (1 mile north-east), Baybridge (2 miles east), Morestead (2 miles north) and Lane End (4 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Winchester (4 miles north), Gosport (15 miles south-east), Eastleigh (3 miles south-west), Fareham (11 miles south), Horndean (14 miles south-east) and Totton (11 miles south-west).
Around Hensting
Typical jobs here are in homes near Ship Inn. The closest station to Hensting is Shawford station, about 2.2 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find St John's Rooms And Chapel (4.3 miles north) and Eastleigh Museum (3.5 miles south-west). Not far away are Shawford Down and Twyford Down.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Hensting?
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Take an older house close to Church of the Holy Trinity: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
What else we do in Hensting
What you can safely check yourself
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Hensting
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Hensting. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
Why get it checked now?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. The report shows what needs doing first, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Hensting, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Package prices that include VAT
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Tips from our surveys
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, especially after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.