News & Features
All the latest news, articles, features and tips
Welcome to our blog page, where we share our years of experience as chartered surveyors to provide you with valuable articles, features, and practical tips about homes. Whether you’re a homeowner, buyer, seller, or investor, our blog offers expert insights on everything related to the housing market. From property inspections and valuations to renovation and repair, our blog covers it all, providing you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your home.
Winstanley Christmas Shop and Business Windows Competition 2023
Snow Walker is delighted to be awarded 3rd Prize in the Winstanley Christmas Shop and Business Windows Competition 2023. Click below to see the full story: www.swinitiative.org/xmas-shop-windows-competition
Are you finding condensation a problem?
Water trickling down the inside of the windows? Black spore mould on surfaces? Random damp patches up on the walls? It is often grossly underestimated, but [...]
Witch Marks
Witches aren’t superstitious. Witches are what people are superstitious about. (Terry Pratchett). Heavy timber frame assembly marks which the original builder used to show what went where, are not to [...]
Home Surveys – Should you have a survey on your new home?
“Four out of five homebuyers don’t bother with a survey.” FT Weekend. “20% of people who bought a home without a survey found sufficient defects to make them wish they had [...]
Staddle
A base support about a metre high. Often used as foundation supports to jack a building up above the ground. Thought to originate from steddle (stones) and stathol (for foundation). Often formed in two [...]
The Walden Workhouse called The Spike
Conversion was undertaken by Taywood Homes in 1999 and it is now mainly residential apartments. The building is of mid-19th century origins and Grade II Listed to recognise its architectural and historic importance. This [...]
Saffron Walden THE BEATLES and a Yellow Submarine!
One of Snow Walker’s most notable building surveys was of a thatched, period property nestled in a beautiful river valley. Located just 5 miles from Saffron Walden, this picture-box listed cottage was once home [...]
Choosing the right logs for your woodburning stove
The new wood-assured directive is now in place whereby only seasoned timber, ideally hardwood, with a maximum moisture content of up to 20% should be burned in hearths and stoves. A good merchant probably [...]
As the cold nights approach, a wood burning stove might well appeal!
If you're thinking about a wood burning stove, here's some independent guidance and advice from expert surveyors. In 2001, the Government reduced the tax on diesel to encourage its use as a cleaner fuel [...]