If you are asking yourself how do I do a property survey myself?
You have come to the right place and particularly if you are looking at properties in Portugal.
There is no need to be a Structural Engineer or a Surveyor if you want to carry out your own assessment of a Portuguese house for instance.
The less background knowledge and experience you have of course makes it more difficult but not impossible and if you think about it. We all do this informal “Survey” when we are looking at buying a home in our home countries.
The most important thing is to get the basics right.
You need to know what the property is made of stone or hollow brick and render.
![how to plaster an old Portuguese house, length of concrete floor joists in Portugal, building materials Portugal, reclaimed building materials Portugal, how to build a first floor deck, recommended insulation for walls in Portugal, Portuguese outside paint, tiles for external terrace, ways of building well insulated house walls, house painting Portugal, staircases for small spaces, German terrace tiling, sandwich panels – Portugal, how to fit a damp proof membrane, Portuguese outside paint, plaster boarding old stone house,castelo construction, central portugal construction,building costs in Portugal, cost of building a house in Portugal,how are houses built in Portugal, how much to build a house in Portugal, insulate a stone house, home insulation in Algarve, portugal house plan, how much would it cost to build a house in Portugal, heating firms in central portugal sun shades outside of the house, rising damp in villa in Portugal, house cracks in Portugal, rain damage to stone house, leaking in house from rain. roof tile sagging in bedroom, rising damp in villa in portugal,how to build a sun shade, modern weather shades for building porch, pergolas rustica, wood sun shade, sun shades outside of the house, pergola uk, wood pergola and glass, sun shades for pergola rustic wooden post pergola, pergolen, glass pergola, alpendres,self build in Portugal, traditional house plans in Portugal, architect costs in Portugal, 3 bedroom low cost house, Portugal house plan, off the shelf plaster moulding for ceilings, stone surround windows, how to make a window opening in a stone wall, enlarging window opening in stone wall, windows and doors Portugal,positioning a wood burning stove, best position for wood burning stove, wood burner positioning, wood burner positioning, best position to put a log burning stove, where to position a wood burning stove, best place to position a wood burning stove, positioning a log burner, best position for a wood stove,does borax kill woodworm, borax treatment for woodworm, borax,why do woodworm like grouting, sodium tetraborate decahydrate for woodworm, wood worm in old joists, borax and wood worms, dry rot in stone walls, borax to kill wood worms, Wood infestation insects, safe ecological woodworm treatment, roof tile sagging in bedroom, woodworm in Portugal,living in central Portugal, houses for sale Portugal,portugal stone house,stone house, Portugal, stone houses for sale,building a fiberglass swimming pool in portugal,penela Portugal, properties for old concrete structures, beams for removing concrete,builders in central portugal,penela building restrictions, portugal home builder,stone built houses, traditional stone wall building, building a house in Portugal,english speaking builder in tomar Portugal, cost of construction in Portugal, roofs in portugal,plaster boarding old stone house, Dry lining old stone house , drylining old stone house, windows in stone walls,how to renovate schist house,how to cover a wall boiler, gas boilers supply in Portugal, gas boiler servicing in Portugal, wood stove positioning,fibreglass swimming pools Portugal, swimming pools for sale in portugal,insulating stone walls, dry stone wall insulation, insulation for stone built houses, portugal building materials,portuguese new build costs,construction cost in Portugal, renovation and building cost in portugal,how steep stairs should be able, narrow and steep stairs,stone staircase,knocking through a wall for windows,insulating a stone built house,heating house with stone walls, stone built house,insulation, stone house insulation,fitting cornices ceiling,positioning a wood burning stove, damp problem Portugal, damp problem, best position for wood burning stove, can a wood burning stove cure damp, wood burner positioning, wood burner positioning, woodburner damp, rusty woodburner, best position to put a log burning stove, where to position a wood burning stove, best place to position a wood burning stove, positioning a log burner, best position for a wood stove, builders Portugal, English builders, English speaking Portuguese builders.,dampfixpt,Which property to buy in Portugal, castelo Construction, dampfix,how to plaster an old Portuguese house, length of concrete floor joists in Portugal, building materials Portugal, reclaimed building materials Portugal, how to build a first floor deck, recommended insulation for walls in Portugal, Portuguese outside paint, tiles for external terrace, ways of building well insulated house walls, house painting Portugal, staircases for small spaces, German terrace tiling, sandwich panels – Portugal, how to fit a damp proof membrane, Portuguese outside paint, plaster boarding old stone house castelo construction, central portugal construction,building costs in Portugal, cost of building a house in Portugal,how are houses built in Portugal, how much to build a house in Portugal, insulate a stone house, home insulation in Algarve, portugal house plan, how much would it cost to build a house in Portugal, heating firms in central portugal sun shades outside of the house, rising damp in villa in Portugal, house cracks in Portugal, rain damage to stone house, leaking in house from rain. roof tile sagging in bedroom, rising damp in villa in portugal how to build a sun shade, modern weather shades for building porch, pergolas rustica, wood sun shade, sun shades outside of the house, pergola uk, wood pergola and glass, sun shades for pergola rustic wooden post pergola, pergolen, glass pergola, alpendres self build in Portugal, traditional house plans in Portugal, architect costs in Portugal, 3 bedroom low cost house, Portugal house plan, off the shelf plaster moulding for ceilings, stone surround windows, how to make a window opening in a stone wall, enlarging window opening in stone wall, windows and doors Portugal positioning a wood burning stove, best position for wood burning stove, wood burner positioning, wood burner positioning, best position to put a log burning stove, where to position a wood burning stove, best place to position a wood burning stove, positioning a log burner, best position for a wood stove does borax kill woodworm, borax treatment for woodworm, borax,why do woodworm like grouting, sodium tetraborate decahydrate for woodworm, wood worm in old joists, borax and wood worms, dry rot in stone walls, borax to kill wood worms, Wood infestation insects, safe ecological woodworm treatment, roof tile sagging in bedroom, woodworm in Portugal](https://www.casteloconstruction.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/B-300x225.jpg)
Then think “GRAVITY” when you carry out your personal survey.
Starting at the top of the house and work downwards like gravity.
Walk around the outside of the property and if you can’t see all sides go onto adjoining land to make sure that you can. Take lots of zoomed in photos. You have brought your camera with you not a mobile phone!
We have covered the roof previously.
Now let’s start on the top floor.
Is the ceiling sagging. Stand at an external wall and look back across the ceiling if there is one. If not you will be able to get a good look at the condition of the roof timbers (discussed earlier).
Take great care in walking around these spaces falling through rotten floors is dangerous and very embarrassing if you have not already bought the property.
Look at all the walls for evidence of water having run down them.
Look at all the walls for evidence of cracking or leaning.
Look at all the walls for evidence of them moving away from the perimeter walls.
Are there any windows or doors that have been bricked up.
Do you have access to all the rooms in the house? If not tell the seller that you will not proceed unless you see everything.
Are the internal doors and door frames rotten or riddled with woodworm holes
Are the window frames rotten or riddled with woodworm holes. Is the glass in place.
Can you see little spots of sawdust on the floor.
Can you feel the floor sagging or moving as you walk over it.
Are there any wet patches on the floor.
The above is your list to get started on a survey and we are only at the top of the house!
If you would like a bigger check list please get in touch. If you would like Castelo Construction to take a look on your new home or a home that you are interested in buying we can do that even if you are not here in Portugal.
Our written reports with lots of photographs enable you to make a quick decision on the purchase price and whether to buy or not.