Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Totland, Isle of Wight
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Totland.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Old water stains in the roof space
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Totland
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’re tied in. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. You get a report with photos. Common reasons to book are loose pots and cracked flaunching and damp timbers or stains in the loft, across clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and lead flashings and valleys.
In a smaller place like Totland, some houses face open ground, which can mean more wind and rain on the roof. Ridges, verges and flashings are where that weather usually shows first. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at closely. Wind lifts anything already loose, so a small fault on an exposed roof doesn’t stay small for long.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Totland (PO39, PO40)
- Wider area
- Isle of Wight
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Homes around Totland frequently have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Let us know if any side is fenced off or hard to reach. The loft, where there is safe access, completes the picture.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Totland, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Read more
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Totland
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Totland, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 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, so the council is the place to ask.
For any home in Totland, it’s the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Totland is about 5 miles south of Lymington, in the Isle of Wight. Wherever you are in Totland, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Southampton page.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in PO39 and PO40 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Meadow Barn Close, Ward Road and Weston Road or a nearby road, we can help. Being close to the B3322, Totland is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Colwell (1 mile north-east), Freshwater (1 mile east), Easton (1 mile east), Norton Green (1 mile north-east) and Afton (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include Newport (11 miles east), Cowes (12 miles north-east), East Cowes (12 miles north-east), Barton (11 miles east), Hunny Hill (11 miles east) and Cross Lane (11 miles east). If you are somewhere remote, the survey takes a little more planning, so let us know when you contact us.
Around Totland
In Totland, that means homes and buildings near Colwell Bay Inn. Other landmarks nearby include Yarmouth Castle (2.5 miles north-east) and Dimbola Museum And Galleries (1.2 miles south-east). Open spaces near Totland include Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve and Tennyson Down.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Places near Totland
Also in Totland
When to book a survey in Totland
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that isn’t obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. We check them as part of the survey.
Common reasons to book include:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Christ Church, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and lead is also a target for theft.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. On a bungalow or cottage around Totland, the roof sits close to the rooms below, so a small leak can mark a ceiling within a few storms. Catching the cause first saves redecorating as well.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- 20+ years’ experience
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Plain-English reports with photos
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Totland
Is my home in Totland listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is the coastal weather around Totland hard on roofs?
It can do. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Totland is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you as you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photos to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.