West Sussex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Newtimber
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Newtimber, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Newtimber
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the roof space where it’s safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. If you’ve noticed signs of past leaks inside the loft and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a village or hamlet like Newtimber, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Newtimber (BN6)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
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. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
Places near Newtimber
Also in Newtimber
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Newtimber
Do you cover Newtimber?
Yes, Newtimber is within the area we cover. We work right across London and South East England. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details.
How do I find out if my home in Newtimber is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it is safe to do so. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
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. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Newtimber
Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. The covering on a house you are 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.
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of St John Evangelist are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. If you own a rental within reach of Hassocks station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. With Portslade Manor about 4.6 miles south, the area around Newtimber has a long history. 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.
Newtimber is about 5 miles south-west of Burgess Hill, in West Sussex. Anywhere in Newtimber, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Newtimber is one of the places in West Sussex where we work. There is also a page for Brighton.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BN6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Other places close to Newtimber include Clayton (2 miles east), Hurstpierpoint (2 miles north), Hurst Wickham (2 miles north-east), Hassocks (2 miles north-east) and Keymer (3 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Crawley (14 miles north), Horsham (12 miles north-west), Worthing (11 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (8 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (5 miles north-east) and Shoreham-by-Sea (6 miles south-west).
What’s near Newtimber
The nearest railway station is Hassocks station, about 2.4 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include The Dene Hospital (4.2 miles north) and The Budding Foundation Museum of Gardening (2.1 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Woods Mill and Wolstonbury Hill.
The survey, step by step
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take an hour or two for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. For a village or hamlet like Newtimber, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Why act early in Newtimber
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now, whatever anyone remembers. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Newtimber, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You will know the price for the job before booking.
What you get with us
- 20+ years’ experience
- Visits on any day of the week
- An independent view of the roof
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Newtimber
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.