Jenny Walsh
Jenny writes for Top Rated Surveyors, with a focus on helping homeowners compare quotes and ask the right questions. Away from the desk, she is learning Welsh one lesson at a time.
Articles by Jenny Walsh
What Is a Chartered Building Engineer and Why Does It Matter?
What the Chartered Association of Building Engineers is, the seven grades and titles GOV.UK lists, which titles are exclusive to members, how to check a member and what the title does not prove.
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Flying Freehold and What It Means When You Buy a House
What a flying freehold is, why some lenders will not lend and others set conditions, what a surveyor or valuer reports, and what a conveyancer checks on support, repair access and indemnity.
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Neighbour Building Without a Party Wall Agreement and What to Do
What the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and the GOV.UK booklet say when a neighbour starts work without notice: the notice rules, what the Act does not enforce, the court route and first steps.
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Shared Ownership Staircasing Valuation and What It Costs
How a staircasing valuation works when you buy more shares in a shared ownership home: who arranges it, the fees to expect, how long it lasts and what to do if it expires.
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Land Survey Cost When Selling Part of Your Garden
What a land survey costs when you sell part of your garden, what the Land Registry needs from the plan, the registration fees, and how to compare quotes for the same deliverable.
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Listed Building Surveys and Why Older Homes Need a Specialist
Why a listed home needs a Level 3 survey and a surveyor who knows traditional buildings, what listed building consent means for you, and how to check conservation experience.
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Minimum EPC Rating Rules for Landlords Explained
The current minimum EPC rating of E for rented homes, the fines and exemptions, and the confirmed move to EPC C from 1 October 2030, with the caveat that legislation is still to come.
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Bad House Survey Results and Your Options Before Exchange
What to do after a worrying house survey: read it properly, get repair quotes, then renegotiate, ask the seller to fix it or walk away before you exchange contracts.
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What a Level 3 Building Survey Covers and Who Really Needs One
What a RICS Level 3 building survey inspects, how it differs from Level 2, what it still cannot see and which homes really need one.
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Where Are the Best Rated Surveyors in the UK?
Our surveyors ratings report for 2026: the best rated counties and towns, the four nations compared and what customers praise most, from 66,006 Google reviews.
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How to Work Out Your Home's Rebuild Cost for Insurance
Why buildings insurance is based on rebuild cost rather than market value, how to use the free calculator, when a surveyor's assessment is worth paying for and what it costs.
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Spray Foam Insulation Mortgage Problems and What Surveyors Check
Why spray foam in a loft can stop a lender lending, what a valuer and an independent inspection look for, the paperwork that helps and when removal makes sense.
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How to Get an Independent Damp Survey and What It Costs
What an independent damp survey involves, why a free survey from a damp proofing firm is not the same thing, who to hire and what it typically costs.
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When You Need a Topographical Survey and What It Involves
What a topographical survey records, when a homeowner needs one, how it helps with boundaries and how to brief a land surveyor.
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