Homes we survey in Barnet, Enfield and Potters Bar
Houses from the 1920s and 1930s head our records for this area, and semi-detached houses are the type we see most. Long roads of them run through Enfield, East Barnet, New Barnet and Potters Bar, which was part of Middlesex until 1965 and grew quickly between the wars around its station.
Solid walls are more common in our reports here than cavity walls. They are found in Victorian and Edwardian houses and in some interwar ones, which were built in solid brick and often rendered or pebbledashed.
Older streets survive around Chipping Barnet's High Street and in Enfield Town, Bush Hill Park has a planned estate of late Victorian and Edwardian houses, and the Lea Valley side of Enfield has Victorian and interwar terraces. Newer homes include flats and houses on former industrial land, such as Enfield Island Village on the site of the Royal Small Arms Factory.
From our survey reports in Barnet
Based on 28 DBISS surveys in 4 postcode districts since 2022. Figures are rounded; homes can fall in more than one wall category.
When the homes were built
Property types
- 36% semi-detached
- 7% mid-terrace
- 7% flat
- 7% maisonette
Main walls
43% cavity masonry · 64% solid masonry
What to look out for
Render and pebbledash. On a solid wall, rain that gets through cracked render can soak into the brickwork and show up as damp inside. Keeping the render, gutters and ground levels in order matters more than any damp-proof course.
London Clay. Much of the area is on London Clay, which shrinks in dry weather. Trees near houses, including street trees, can cause movement, and roots can get into older clay drains.
Interwar details. Look closely at bay windows, original clay-tiled roofs that may be near the end of their life, and chimney stacks.
Conversions. Some larger houses have been converted into flats. Check the lease, and whether the conversion had building regulations approval.
Flood risk. Homes near the River Lea and brooks such as Salmons Brook and Pymmes Brook can be checked on the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.
Which survey?
Because so many houses here have solid walls and have been altered over the years, we often recommend a Level 3 Building Survey, from £550, with a drone roof inspection where flight is permitted. A Level 2 Home Survey, from £440, suits a well-kept interwar or later house that has not had major work. Reports are typically ready within 5 working days of the inspection. Our which survey guide explains how the two compare.
Areas we cover
We cover EN1, EN2, EN3, EN4, EN5 and EN6, including Enfield, Bush Hill Park, Enfield Lock, Cockfosters, Hadley Wood, Chipping Barnet, New Barnet, Potters Bar and Cuffley. No travel supplement is charged here, as the whole area is within about 25 miles of Hemel Hempstead.
Nearby: St Albans and Harpenden, Harrow, Pinner and Ruislip and Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth.