Homes we survey in Chesham, Amersham and the Chalfonts
Chesham and Old Amersham grew as market towns in the valleys of the Chess and the Misbourne, and both keep older cottages and period buildings at their centres, often in brick and flint. The Metropolitan line reached Chesham in 1889 and Amersham in 1892. Chesham has streets of Victorian terraces, many of them roofed in natural slate, while a new settlement, Amersham-on-the-Hill, grew up around Amersham station.
A large part of what we survey here was built between the 1920s and the 1970s, much of it semi-detached or detached. You will find these houses in Amersham-on-the-Hill, Chesham Bois, Little Chalfont, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross, often on generous plots with mature trees. The surrounding countryside lies in the Chilterns National Landscape.
From our survey reports in Chesham
Based on 35 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
- 29% semi-detached
- 26% detached
- 20% mid-terrace
- 14% flat
Main walls
71% cavity masonry · 26% solid masonry
Non-standard construction recorded
Timber frame. About non-standard homes
What to look out for
Slate roofs. Older slate roofs often suffer from corroded nails, known as nail sickness, so slates slip. Look for slipped or patched slates, and check valleys, flashings and chimney stacks.
Trees and clay. The trees that make these roads attractive can cause problems. Where there is clay, including the clay-with-flints on the Chiltern plateau, roots close to a house can dry the ground and cause movement, and can also damage older drains.
Flint walls. Flint walls need sound lime mortar. Hard cement pointing can trap water and loosen the flints over time.
Groundwater. Homes low in the Chess and Misbourne valleys can be affected by high groundwater after long wet spells. The GOV.UK flood risk service includes groundwater where data is available.
Drones near Denham. Gerrards Cross and Chalfont St Peter are close to Denham Aerodrome. Drones may not fly in an airfield's flight restriction zone without its permission, as the CAA drone code explains, so we check each address in advance.
Which survey?
Chiltern cottages, Victorian terraces and larger older houses usually call for a Level 3 Building Survey, from £550. Where flight is permitted, it also includes a drone inspection of the roof. A Level 2 Home Survey, from £440, suits many post-war semis and detached houses in reasonable order. Prices are fixed by property value and include VAT. Our which survey guide can help you decide.
Areas we cover
We cover HP5 (Chesham), HP6 and HP7 (Amersham, Chesham Bois and Little Chalfont), HP8 (Chalfont St Giles) and SL9 (Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross). This area is within about 25 miles of Hemel Hempstead, where no travel supplement applies.
Nearby: Berkhamsted and Tring, High Wycombe and Marlow and Watford, Bushey and Rickmansworth.