Not many people realise that there is a swimming pool in Clifton. This is a heated pool, so those in Henleaze really ought to try it. My Client lives opposite, and so he tells me he uses it most days, parading in his dressing gown to get there and back! The house that I saw was opposite the local pub, a community pub with a reasonable reputation. Pity the house had not been as well maintained as the pub’s reputation; otherwise it would have been in far better condition than I found it, oh dear, oh dear…   more »

Not many people realise that there is a lake in Henleaze, oddly called Henleaze Lake, in which the less discerning go swimming. I’m told, by those in the know, that it’s b****y cold in the water, but I am definitely not going to try it out. No one really knows what down there – supermarket trolleys no doubt, a car, a bus... Not only is there a lake, there are also innumerable houses in the area and I have just been to see one. It was constructed by a local builder in the 1930’s when building supplies were not readily available, so here there were asbestos ceilings throughout. They’ll have to come down, but don’t dump it in the lake; the mad swimmers won’t like it…   more »

Today I saw a mews house, a former stable that at some time in the long distant past had been extended. Bombs during the last war dropped fairly close by, and maybe that was the reason why there were cracks in the masonry, some of which were a little ‘tasty’. I have therefore suggested to my Client that these cracks further investigated by a structural engineer to see whether or not my opinion is confirmed, but I suspect that it will be. Was it not fro the settlement and the movement, this could have been a very pleasant house…   more »

Mr McGill would have been rightly proud of his houses that he built in Henleaze. They are in a level and convenient position close to Henleaze Road, with all its shops, including Lloyds, the greengrocer! They have stood the test of time well and this house was in good condition. It is very overlooked by a very large tree, which has a Tree Preservation Order on it, so every time it needs pruning there will be the additional cost of Arboriculturist reports and planning application fees with which to contend. Of course it does give some shade to the house and as I could find no structural damage that had been caused to the house, I have little concern for it. A pleasant house that I hope my Clients can buy and then wait for retirement, which is what most of the other owners are – retirees living in the sun in Henleaze…   more »

I was in Nailsea today, quietly minding my own business getting on with the job when it started to rain. I was outside under a tree. It wasn’t raining hard; I was dry so I thought I’d stay there until the shower passed. It didn’t! It became a tropical rain storm and then some! I had to get inside, but that was a longish ‘difficult’ run and by the time I got to the house I was drenched – completely! Mt wet weather kit was in the car, so my newly wet kit came off and I hung it up in front of the Aga to dry and carried on dealing with the roof space and the interior in my underwear. Never done that before, well, there’s a first for everything! The house was of course empty, and the Aga was on, so I was quite happy! By the time I’d finished the inside my clothes were dry so I completed the exterior, now fully clothed! Oh! the house, it wasn’t bad, and fortunately no nasties to put off my Client from proceeding. There might have been, however, if my Client or the vendor had arrived…   more »

James Henry Monk was Bishop of Gloucester in 1830 and Bristol who had ‘palaces' both in Gloucester and Stapleton for some peculiar reason. One of his Scottish trustees of his Bishop Monk Trust was named Fiddes, but what he did to whom or when or why I don’t know, but it must have been something because he had a road in Redland named after him. That name possibly has it’s origins in the Latin for ‘fidelity’ – the utmost good faith. The house here had been repaired under an insurance claim, but I’m not sure all of the work that was carried out was necessary, and I think that not all of the work that was requested was carried out, if you see what I mean. I don’t think that the house is about to collapse or anything like that, but my Client might like to have the floors ‘straightened’. A bit of modernisation would not go amiss, but the roof which has a ‘crooked’ ridge, can probably remain as is for some years to come. Let’s ‘pray’ that is the case…   more »

He lived in Lampeter, his home town, where his house was named Falcondale, now, of course both the names of roads in salubrious Westbury on Trym. Most of the houses were built in the 1930’s, some much older and some ‘new’. The detached house I inspected today was built in the 1950’s but it has three extensions built at later times (they couldn’t be anything else of course), one of which had a flat roof. The house had been recently modernised, but I was disappointed because none of the ceilings or any of the walls had been re-skimmed, and frankly they should have been. The bathroom was modern, up to the minute, right out of ‘Vogue’, so why did they leave the original cloakroom fitments in situ? An M.P., would no doubt have had all this removed on his expenses and claimed the cost of doing so back. Now there’s something on which to ponder…   more »

Burn in Scotland means a stream. A stream in England means there could be a flood, but not here in Henleaze, high up on a hill! The house that I saw today was almost, externally in ‘as new’ condition. It has been well maintained by the present owner who has lived there for over forty years! New roof, new guttering, new windows, though they’re a bit old! No evidence of any settlement whatsoever and a well insulated roof space. Internally, the house was almost as the vendor found it, so it’s all a bit ‘old fash’, but this will not be a problem for my client I’m sure.   more »

I have just seen a grand old house in the parish of Thornbury. There was evidence of human activity in the area in the Neolithic and Bronze Age times, and in the 9th century the area was called Thornbyrig. There was a manor noted as Turnberie in the Doomsday Book, and its charter was granted in 1252 by Henry III. It is or rather was a market town, but the market was closed in the 1990’s. People have lived in this seven bedroomed house probably since the 1700’s or there abouts, but then it might have been a small cottage. It was possibly extended twice in the 1800’s, but it’s all a bit of a guess really. Now it is occupied by a couple who rattle around in it, so they are selling it to my Clients who will have a large house, basically in acceptable condition, but needing attention to the heating, and no doubt, then everything else in due course. But they have pleasant pastures green on which they overlook and what was at one time in the past a large vegetable garden, now, sadly a walled lawn…   more »

I have been in the police station this morning, well to be truthful, and it’s always best to be truthful when in a police station, I was in a former police station that has been neatly converted into three flats. This flat is in an unusual building but was in acceptable condition. The bedroom windows here originally had bars to them as they were the cells for the ‘ne’er do wells’, and just in case, when locked up they tried to get out through the ceiling, it was built of re-inforced concrete! It was as you might have guessed, but I didn’t give you a chance, a substantial building. It was converted about ten years ago, but I suspect that little had been done to the roof then and precious little since. The result is that in the foreseeable future the whole roof is going to need a costly overhaul, that will be even more if the owners decide to strip the roof of it’s tiles and battens in order to felt the rafters, for the first time, then to re-batten and re-tile. In reality it may well stay as it is slowly deteriorating, but one day, and hopefully in the nick of time…   more »

…has absolutely nothing to do with the modern house that I saw today in Flax Bourton. It was, however built by Persimmon Homes of York, so I suppose there is a (slight) connection. Persimmon Homes said in June 2007, that they thought that the property market was ‘resilient’! Well times change, but here I am pleased to say that I found this house reasonably well built and fairly well maintained, but the double glazing to many of the ‘multi paned’ windows has broken down, so it probably means, eventually new windows throughout – a costly exercise. Apart from that and the ‘sluggish’ drains, where there maybe another problem, the house was fine; and it came out …smelling of roses…   more »

The regatta has been and gone in Henley, but in any event there are at least ten other ‘Henley’s in Britain, and where I’ve been today was ten miles away from Dorchester and not Oxford, which will please my Client. I don’t think this Henley is famous much for anything really, other than the relative peace and quiet of the countryside. The house I saw had a natural slate roof, and I consider therefore it was originally built in the 1850’s -60’s period, and then as two semi-detached cottages. They were built of stone and flint and brick, all hard and sound and in good condition. In the 1980’s a two storey brick and render extension was built at right angles to the original and the two opened up into one, so making it a ‘T’ shaped house. Later a conservatory was added, but as it faces almost due south it may even be too hot to use in the summer months. It was all in reasonable condition, but it’s a long way to travel up Bristol…   more »

I’ve just been down to Bedminster to an area of Bristol where all the road names begin with ‘M’, but there wasn’t a ‘Machynlleth’ Street, either because they ran out of streets, or the name was too long for a street sign! Whatever, this small terraced house that I saw today had been occupied for the last 35 years by the same person, which if nothing else constitutes stamina! The area was bombed during enemy action of the last war, but there was no visible damage dating back to that period. There was some visible damp damage at first floor and ground floor level of which the vendor was aware and this is going to need attention. One of the roof slopes remains ‘original’, so there is no insulation above the bathroom. This roof will need stripping of the existing covering, insulating from above and then recovering with new concrete tiles to match those on the remaining roof slopes. Ah! The problems of older houses in a street called ‘M’…   more »

William Banner was a builder, who was also a carpenter and an undertaker. He built the road named after him, which was probably just before 1872, because he was then living in the Cathay – China? Anyway this house that I saw today had been re-built at some stage of its life, probably, according to my records, shortly after the last war, when enemy action destroyed the original. The Local Authority built it almost like for like and it was in fairly good condition, but I expect that Mr Banner will be turning in his grave when he sees how the present owners keep the house. I could barely see it for all the clothes, toys, puzzles and general mess that littered the place, shocked I was, shocked….   more »

I have just been to see some ‘dreaded’ fungi under a door stop in a Georgian house in Westbury on Trym. The owner was concerned because dry rot had been found in a previous house. Here a bead of silicone had been used to set and seal the door stop, but pulling away a small section, it certainly had the distinct odour of ‘mushrooms’. I don’t think it is dry rot as it was outside the house, but, possible wet rot. Wot rot it is has been found and now it can be eradicated.

I then went to see what must be one of the best houses in Bristol, here in Henleaze. It was all up together, a well extended house in a large, very large garden and with an open aspect over the surrounding houses. All my Client wanted to know was would another surveyor find anything wrong with it. I said “No!” And, that if his purchaser wanted to renegotiate for anything trivial, I told him to say he should look elsewhere!

My wife tells me that I don’t live in a show house, I live in a ‘home’, so it does have a little bit of ‘untidiness’ about it. I tell her that I still like to live in a show house, but she prevails! This afternoon I did get to se a ‘show house’, actually a bungalow in Nailsea, where the vendor breeds and ‘shows’ fuchsias’, so he was an interesting bloke. Anyway this really was a show home and I liked it for what it was, despite some very modest, very modest repairs that will eventually be necessary. A good property with which to end the week.

However I then had to deal with estate agents and the Data Protection Act. Do vendors really mind if their telephone numbers are given out to surveyors, acting for their purchasers, without getting consent? Do vendors want to sell? Shouldn’t ‘real’ estate agents get that consent prior to putting the property on the market or what???   more »

Later today I went down to the Docks to see a purpose built flat. There are many flats down on the docks; some were not so well built as others, but fortunately this flat was one of the others. It was well laid out and had gas fired central heating, but the building was so well insulated that it probably does not need much heat even in the harshest of winters. No one left me a ‘zapper’ to operate the doors to the undercroft secure parking, so I had to ‘press gang’ one of the residents with the threat of the ‘black spot’, if they did not let me in. Long John Silver would have been proud of me…   more »

I have just been to Redfield to look at a mid terraced house, probably built in the 1870’s or thereabouts, although there was a road here long before that. ‘Rumour’ has it that in the early part of the 1900’s the Sweet family had a fruit and asparagus garden in the area known then as ‘Lip’ Close, which is now probably Tesco Metro - who knows? Anyway this house has a new roof and was largely in good condition. It has a pleasant garden and is close to all the local amenities and I suppose, if you don’t grow asparagus, then you could even walk into town, or buy it, ready prepared from Tesco…   more »

Well, I went back later today, as the sun was shinning to look at the roof that I wasn’t able to see yesterday, because of the rain, and guess what? The scaffolding had just been removed! Ah well I’ll just have to look at the property as a whole from ground level, pity really, but never mind…   more »

I have, at last been to see a relatively small flat, a one bedroomed apartment in a splendid semi-detached house right on the Downs. Difficulties arose because of the “Data Protection Act”, and I sometimes wonder who it is protecting! There are four flats in the building, one on each floor, but there are two at the ground level. The building is fairly well maintained by the Management Company, for whom, from time to time I act and I can see no reason why my Client, who is abroad at the moment, should not proceed. So, if my Client sees this note, have a good holiday….   more »

“Clifton, sweet Village! Now demands the lay,
The loved retreat of all the rich and gay”…

A ‘cult’ poet before his time, born in Redcliffe, opposite St. Mary, Redcliffe church, and although he was probably right, the flat that I half saw today was in a house built in 1845, but I don’t think it was named after him, probably just as well! I only ‘half’ saw it because it was raining, so I will be back later to place my ladders on the scaffold on the front elevation, to mget to the roof, again, not a word to Health and Safety. Can’t think what Thomas Chatterton would have written – “Clifton, sweet Village seen from on high, By a lunatic surveyor, seeing it from the sky”…   more »

….you’re sure of a big surprise, and that is exactly what I had today. I knew that there was to be another surveyor at this particular house, but I was not expecting two others, several potential purchasers an architect and a builder – it is surprising what comes out of the woodwork in a house of this style, not to mention the death watch beetle and woodworm and wet rot, so I won’t, but I hope they’re not all there if my Client is successful in his bit to buy this ancient olde worlde farmhouse. It apparently belonged to the Smythe family who bequeathed it to the City many many years ago, so long as the tenant was allowed to remain there. The tenant did so, so did their heirs, but eventually they died off and it was‘re-united’ with its ‘new’ owner, the City of Bristol at the end of last year. It remains largely un-modernised, full of damp and perished plaster as well as the above and needing COMPLETE modernisation, but why not? I really do hope that my Client is successful in his bid, because then he can surprise everyone, so that when you go down to the woods…   more »