Homes we survey in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead was designated a new town in 1947, and a large share of the homes we inspect were built in the decades that followed. The new town was planned as a series of neighbourhoods, such as Adeyfield, Bennetts End, Chaulden, Warners End, Gadebridge and Highfield, with Grovehill and Woodhall Farm following later. Semi-detached and terraced houses make up much of this stock, usually with brick cavity walls and concrete tiled roofs.
Not everything is post-war. The Old Town High Street, Boxmoor and Apsley have Victorian and Edwardian houses and some earlier buildings, and newer estates have been added on the edges of the town since 2000. We also see non-traditional construction here, including Wimpey No-Fines poured-concrete houses, cross-wall construction and timber frame.
From our survey reports in Hemel Hempstead
Based on 139 DBISS surveys in 3 postcode districts since 2022. Figures are rounded; homes can fall in more than one wall category.
When the homes were built
Property types
- 25% semi-detached
- 17% mid-terrace
- 13% detached
- 12% end-terrace
Main walls
73% cavity masonry · 16% solid masonry
Non-standard construction recorded
Timber frame, Wimpey No-Fines, Cross-wall construction. About non-standard homes
What to look out for
- Flat roofs. Garages, porches, dormers and extensions from the 1950s to the 1970s often have felt flat roofs. These have a limited life and tend to fail first at the edges, joints and outlets.
- Cavity walls. Insulation was often injected years after the house was built. In exposed walls, or where it was poorly installed, it can carry damp across the cavity. Steel wall ties in older cavities can also corrode.
- Asbestos. Textured ceilings, soffit boards, garage roofs and flue pipes installed before 2000 may contain asbestos. We flag materials that look suspect, but only testing can confirm it.
- Non-standard construction. Lenders take different views on no-fines and some other systems, so check early. Our non-standard homes guides describe each system.
- Chalk. The town sits on chalk in the Gade and Bulbourne valleys, and natural solution features occur in the chalk in parts of Hertfordshire. Read the ground stability section of your solicitor's environmental search.
Which survey?
For a new-town house that has not been much altered and looks in reasonable condition, a Level 2 Home Survey (from £440) is often enough. Choose a Level 3 Building Survey (from £550) for older houses in Boxmoor or the Old Town, homes that have been extended, or non-standard construction. It includes a drone roof inspection where flight is permitted. Neither survey includes a valuation. Our which survey guide sets out the differences.
Areas we cover
We cover the HP1, HP2 and HP3 postcode districts, including the town centre, the Old Town, Boxmoor, Apsley, Nash Mills, Leverstock Green and Bovingdon. We are based in the town, so there is no travel supplement here; it only applies beyond about 25 miles.
Nearby, see Berkhamsted and Tring, Watford, Bushey and Rickmansworth and St Albans and Harpenden.