What does a home drone survey inspection look for?
Moving home is an exciting time in life.
But let’s not gloss over the fact that it can be stressful.
Very stressful.
After all, it’s an awful lot of money we’re talking about, and seemingly endless legal hoops to jump through.
When you view a home, it’s tempting to focus on the interior. The layout, the décor, the room sizes and any obvious strengths or flaws in the building. A home survey from a chartered surveyor helps you spot anything wrong. It gives you peace of mind that you’re paying a fair price.
However, what about the parts you can’t see?
The roof? The chimney? The gutters?
You probably don’t even think about these in your current home. They stay unnoticed and untouched until problems arise.
That’s where a drone survey inspection comes in.
Reaching the unreachable
A chartered surveyor undergoes years of professional qualifications and in-field experience before they earn their title. In the UK, you must be a member of RICS, the governing body, to even use that title.
However, no matter how skilled a chartered surveyor is, they can’t see through walls or ceilings. In most RICS home surveys, a chartered surveyor has a couple of options for inspecting the roof. They can either put up scaffolding or ladders, or they can find a local vantage point (such as a hill or a nearby public building) from which to see the roof of the property in question. They’ll then use their specialist architecture and building structure knowledge to spot any potential issues.
This is certainly far better than nothing. Nevertheless, it leaves room for improvement. For example, scaffolding is expensive and time-consuming. Ladders can be especially dangerous. And all those methods mean a limited perspective, at best. For example, photos taken from vantage points often only show half of the roof. Even using a ladder in different spots might still miss issues hidden high up or tucked away on complex roof designs.
Drones change all this. With high-resolution cameras strapped to lightweight models, these battery-powered UAVs have no problem reaching and capturing hard-to-reach areas. They take detailed images of roof tiles, flashing, chimneys, gutters, valleys, dormers, upstands and much more.
What roof problems might a drone survey inspection find?
Many homes in the UK come with chimney stacks. In the modern era, central heating has all but eliminated the need for fireplaces, so most new builds don’t have them. However, anything built pre-2000 – and definitely those built pre-1980 – will likely come with some kind of brick chimney.
Since chimney stacks stick up out of the building, they’re more susceptible to wear and tear from the elements. They often suffer from loose bricks, damaged flashing or structural issues like leaning. However, it’s almost impossible to spot a compromised chimney stack unless it’s obvious from the ground.
Drones, on the other hand, have no problem inspecting chimney stacks. They can get as close as needed and assess the brickwork and flashing from various angles. With the images uploaded to the PC, the chartered surveyor can give you solid advice on the chimney’s condition.
Blocked guttering
A detailed drone inspection looks for a series of common (and uncommon) problems. Although they could find almost anything, here are some of the most likely culprits we spot:
- Missing or slipped roof tiles (caused by strong winds)
- Blocked gutters filled with moss, leaves, or twigs
- Cracked or leaning chimneys (more common on historic properties)
- Damaged lead flashing around chimneys or roof joins
- Loose or broken guttering and downpipes
- Moss build-up on damp, shaded roof areas (holding moisture)
- Signs of water staining on upper external walls
- Cracks in render or brickwork near roof level
- General wear on flat roofs, especially older felt coverings
- Poorly finished or temporary-looking roof repairs
How a drone survey benefits you when you buy a home
This approach not only means a more comprehensive home survey, but also cuts down on the time it takes to get your survey report back. Back at the office, the chartered surveyor combs through these images, looking for any signs of cracks, missing elements, pooling, vegetation growth and so on. They’ll annotate anything of note and include recommendations on how to proceed. Depending on your package, they may also estimate repair costs.
Here at GB Home Surveys, we strive to get your report back to you within seven working days of the inspection. It’ll arrive in your inbox as a PDF file. Then, feel free to print it and keep it as long as required. We’re always happy to answer any follow-up questions and queries, including the dreaded ‘is this a deal-breaker?’
Our home survey reports, which follow the RICS standard, are easy to understand and written in everyday English. The chartered surveyor will include at least four photographs from the drone inspection, even if there aren’t any particular problems to report. In some cases, you’ll get quite a few more.
You never know when they might come in useful. In the short term, you’ll find them very useful for renegotiating with the seller, if applicable. However, in the future, you might find them valuable if you come to get repair work, apply for planning permission for an extension, need to make an insurance claim, or even when it comes time to sell the house yourself.
Work with GB Home Surveys to get trusted local service. Our teams of chartered surveyors are all RICS members and come with years of experience. If there’s a problem with your roof, their drone survey will find it. Working under CAA regulations, we make sure everything we do is safe, above board and brings you as much value as possible.
So what are you waiting for? Get in touch today to book your drone inspection add-on today.
