Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Little London, Buckinghamshire
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Little London, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Flashings that have lifted or split
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Little London
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is frequently not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We look at 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 is checked as far as access allows. We survey chimney stacks, natural slate and gutters and downpipes, and common reasons people get in touch are ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and old water stains in the roof space.
In a village or hamlet like Little London, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Little London (HP18)
- Region
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
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.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Also near Little London
Other services in Little London
What we do, step by step
We check the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Little London needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know about parking near the property
How to book
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Buying a home or a new roof in Little London
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The wider area around Little London has a long history of building, with Boarstall Tower about 1.7 miles north-west. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
Little London is about 6 miles north-west of Thame, in Buckinghamshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Little London and the surrounding area. Little London is one of the towns and villages in Buckinghamshire we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also survey roofs in Oxford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: HP18. Streets in the area include Brill Road, Bicester Road and The Nap, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Oakley (1 mile west), Brill (1 mile north-east), Piddington (3 miles north), Ludgershall (3 miles north) and Blackthorn (5 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Aylesbury (11 miles east), Buckingham (14 miles north), Elmhurst (11 miles east), Southcourt (11 miles east), Princes Risborough (12 miles south-east) and Haydon Hill (10 miles east).
Around Little London
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Royal Oak pub, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Thame Community Hospital (5.9 miles south-east) and Waterperry Gardens Rural Museum (3.9 miles south). The countryside around Little London includes Bernwood Meadows.
What we can’t see
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether timbers meet design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- The roof space
Little London questions
How do I find out if my home in Little London is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Little London?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or email us. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access is not possible, we note it in the report.
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.
Why it is worth a survey now in Little London
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. In a small place like Little London, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book with us
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Surveys seven days a week
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Little London?
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
What to check before booking
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What happens after the report arrives
Checking the roof from ground level
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.