Kent · London and the South East
Old Wives Lees Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Old Wives Lees. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blocked or leaking gutters
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Old Wives Lees
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles, and the problems we are asked to look at most are blocked or leaking gutters and old water stains in the roof space.
For a small place like Old Wives Lees, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Place
- Old Wives Lees (CT4)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in Old Wives Lees
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that do not match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- A ridge or slope that dips
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St Mary, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before booking anyone
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How soon the report will arrive
- What experience they bring
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
The survey, step by step
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Somewhere as small as Old Wives Lees, access is frequently the only tricky part. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- 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 a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
How to book
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Read more
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Old Wives Lees
Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. 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.
Landlords with a home close to Chilham station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Old Wives Lees is about 5 miles west of Canterbury, in Kent. Roofs in Old Wives Lees get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Kent. Our area takes in places right across Kent.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CT4. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Cherry Orchard, Cobbs Hill and Green Lane or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Chilham (1 mile south), Mountain Street (1 mile south), Oversland (2 miles north), Neames Forstal (2 miles north-west) and Shottenden (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (9 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north-west), Folkestone (15 miles south-east), Whitstable (7 miles north) and Faversham (5 miles north-west).
Around Old Wives Lees
In Old Wives Lees, that means homes and buildings near Broadham Down and The Star Inn and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Chilham station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Chilham Castle (0.9 miles south-west) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.1 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Towns and villages near Old Wives Lees
Other services in Old Wives Lees
Old Wives Lees questions
Is my home in Old Wives Lees listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Old Wives Lees in the area you cover?
Yes, Old Wives Lees is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Old Wives Lees as anywhere else.
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 loft space. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where applicable.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we cannot promise any saving.
How do I book a survey in Old Wives Lees?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we will take it from there. We survey seven days a week.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Why it is worth a survey now in Old Wives Lees
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it won’t look closely at the roof. Our survey is done for you, and the report is written for you to use. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Old Wives Lees, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can be seen safely and which survey you book.
What you get with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent view of the roof
- Plain-English reports with photos
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
What we can’t see
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Share the report with your solicitor
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.