Highlights - October 2025
October has been a varied month for the team, with Home Surveys, Valuations, and ongoing Contract Administration projects carried out across Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, London and Suffolk.
Recent locations include Bishop’s Stortford, Ely, Hertford, Ware, St Albans, Sawbridgeworth, Newmarket, Cambridge, Stevenage and Hitchin. The properties inspected this month ranged from a new-build barn style home, Victorian and Edwardian houses, a Grade II listed timber-framed house, and more modern flats and maisonettes.
RICS Home Surveys Level 2 and 3:
In a number of older properties this month, we also noted areas where cement-based mortar or hard cement render had been applied to external walls that would originally have been finished with lime-based, breathable materials. Cement can trap moisture within traditional solid wall construction, leading over time to dampness, salt movement, deterioration of brickwork and localised internal damp patches. Where this has occurred, we generally recommend allowing the wall to breathe by using lime-based repair materials and ensuring that ventilation and moisture pathways are maintained. This is particularly relevant in Victorian, Edwardian and timber-framed buildings.
RICS Valuations and Market Context:
This month, we’ve continued to provide RICS Red Book Valuations for Help to Buy redemption, probate, shared ownership staircasing, and private sales.
The current market remains subdued, with pricing sensitive and sales taking longer, where expectations haven’t adjusted to conditions. Well-presented and realistically priced properties are still attracting steady interest, particularly from cash and equity-strong buyers.
A fuller overview of the recent RICS UK Residential Market Survey and our perspective on local market conditions can be read in our dedicated market update post:
Read: UK Residential Market Survey, September 2025 (published 7th October 2025).
Contract Administration and Defect Analysis:
We continue to provide contract administration on remedial projects where clients require works to be coordinated, monitored and delivered to the appropriate standard. This often follows from our initial defect analysis work, where we identify and clarify the issues to be addressed.
A recent example is the ongoing remediation project in Little Hallingbury, where defective external boarding and render systems are being replaced following detailed investigation and agreement of scope with warranty providers and loss adjusters. Works are now in progress on site and are being monitored to ensure correct installation and sequencing.
A fuller summary of this project, including the background and approach taken, can be read in our dedicated update:
Read: Live Project - Contract Administration and Defect Analysis
About Navah Consulting Ltd
Navah Consulting is a firm of Chartered Building Surveyors and Valuers that specialises in surveying services throughout Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, London, and Suffolk.
We offer a full range of surveys and valuations, including the RICS Home Survey Level 2 (Home Buyer Report) and RICS Home Survey Level 3 (Building Survey). We’re also happy to advise on RICS Valuation, Reinstatement Cost Assessments and Defect Analysis for a range of purposes.
Our Contract Administration services help ensure your project is managed effectively from start to finish.
Navah Consulting aims to provide all services in a straightforward, efficient and client-focused manner. We understand the importance of providing reports and services in a concise, jargon-free format, in a quick time frame. Check out our reviews page here.
Navah Consulting - Surveying Made Simple.