Damp Surveys Ltd

I cannot recommend Simon enough. He is extremely professional, thorough and knowledgeable on all matters relating to damp. Overall a fantastic service.

Simon came round to address a case of lower-ground floor damp. He was able to fit our appointment in at short notice and, upon arrival, proceeded to spend 2-hours reviewing the property from top to bottom, focusing on the lower-ground floor issue while also providing recommendations around the house. Using his array of gadgets Simon left no stone unturned. Upon completion, we received a rich-in-detail final report outlining clear recommendations. Simon’s upfront fee means he provides agnostic feedback with no hidden agenda, we couldn't recommend him enough.

To a long-term North American owner of a flat in London to be told I had rising damp is probably the equivalent of being told you have a malignancy by a health professional! Not to worry - Simon to the rescue with his doctors bag full of instruments and sample bottles A fully two hours later I was relieved to know that there was no rising damp but had a host of simple remedies to the damp and mould in my flat. Simon was considerate, polite and thorough. He even went to the neighbours and had a scan of their flat! The icing on the cake was a coherent explanation of Brexit. And oh if he would fix that too!

We had a full structural survey carried out on a house we were buying which stated we needed to spend over £15,000 in damp proofing courses due to rising damp. We asked Simon for a second opinion. He swiftly located the cause of the damp to a leaking pipe in the basement which was repaired by a local plumber for under £200. He also wrote an extensive report which clearly stated how to dry out the walls, what we would need for this and time frames. The report incorporated the rest of the house and made clear recommendations for improving ventilation, as well as drawing our attention to areas which may need some attention in the future. He is a very qualified professional (Chemist, Damp Surveyor...the list goes on) who is down to earth, trustworthy and offered clear guidance throughout. He went above and beyond to help us within a short time frame and took time out of his evening to explain it all over the phone. He also confirmed we do not have rising damp and so damp proofing courses would be unnecessary. We have and will continue to recommend him to anyone who needs help with damp issues.

Our flat buyer's survey indicated a possible damp problem. Simon talked me through the possible problems and procedures, did the survey and gave a very quick and careful report which enabled us to decide that any damp problem was minor and not worth holding up the purchase. He took the time to be sure we fully understood our options.

Prior to the work being done, Simon (Hichens) was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, flexible and accommodating on the work I needed him to do on the flat we are purchasing. He efficiently organised to view the property and identified four areas of damp, two of which he tried (and successfully) solve/d while he was there. The report came through quickly, was well thought out and very detailed. His follow up has been brilliant. He is now doing some work my parents who are having similar problems at their property. I would recommend him to anymore that was experiencing problems with damp.

Simon was exceptionally knowledgeable and personable. I was able to attend the survey at the end and get examples of where he had identified issues. He also suggested areas where remedial work could be done and then cost. The report was thorough and well put together. Would 100% recommend.

I engaged Simon to do a survey of a newly purchased flat which had some mouldy corners that had been hidden by furniture. Simon was professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. He put my mind at ease by explaining the cause of the mould, and what I can do to mitigate the risk of it recurring. I especially liked that he double checked his hypotheses, and was thoughtful, meticulous and systematic in his approach. He was extremely thorough and the report is detailed and comprehensive. I would not hesitate to recommend Simon - I only wish I had booked him to do a survey before I bought the flat!

We contacted Simon following a building survey on a property we are purchasing recommended a damp and timber survey do to high moisture readings and timber staining. We decided to use Simon because he is independent and only does surveys. This gave us confidence that we wouldn't get a recommendation for work that was not required just get a contract. Simon has been extremely helpful, the survey was arranged with the estate agent very swiftly and we got the report back within 4 days (1 working day!). The report is very comprehensive, photo evidence provided of the readings taken and the methodologies are very well explained. Each issue found was well explained along with clear recommendations of how to resolve them, in our case these were relatively simple suggestions concerning ventilation of the property. I wouldn't hesitate to use Simon again if the need ever arose, and I cannot recommend his work highly enough

Simon is one of the best experts I've ever instructed. Simon combines his expertise with politeness, timeliness and honesty, which is fairly rare today. Following a vague generic buyer's survey, I then instructed Simon as a specialist to investigate some of the issues and/or claims made by the previous surveyor. Simon helped dispel certain myths quickly and provide clarity on the alleged issues, and proposed remedies. As an independent surveyor, Simon had no vested interests - he was focussed on getting to the answer rather than selling. Would recommend all future buyers on using him.