Homes we survey in Oxford
Much of what we inspect in Oxford was built before the Second World War. The city's Victorian and Edwardian suburbs include the terraces of Jericho, built in the 19th century for workers at the University Press and a nearby ironworks. There are also the large villas of North Oxford and the terraced streets of east Oxford, off the Cowley Road and around Iffley Fields and St Clement's. Many have solid brick walls and natural slate roofs.
Car making at Cowley, which began in 1913, brought interwar housing to Cowley, Headington and Florence Park, and semi-detached houses are the type we see most. After the war the council built large estates such as Barton and Blackbird Leys. Some post-war housing in the city used non-traditional methods, and we have come across Laing Easiform poured concrete and cross-wall construction.
East of the ring road, villages such as Wheatley, Horspath and Garsington have stone cottages alongside later housing.
From our survey reports in Oxford
Based on 24 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
- 38% semi-detached
- 21% mid-terrace
- 17% end-terrace
- 13% detached
Main walls
58% cavity masonry · 46% solid masonry
Non-standard construction recorded
Laing Easiform, Timber frame, Cross-wall construction. About non-standard homes
What to look out for
Slate roofs and chimneys. Old slate roofs often suffer from corroded nails, so slates slip, and many have been patched or re-covered. Chimney stacks, lead valleys and the gutters behind parapets deserve a close look.
Conservation areas. Oxford has many conservation areas and listed buildings. Changes to windows, roofs and extensions may need consent, as the government's historic environment guidance explains, so ask your solicitor to check past works.
Flooding. Low-lying streets near the Thames and the Cherwell have flooded in the past. Use the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service and ask the seller about any history.
Non-standard houses. Lenders' approaches to poured-concrete systems such as Laing Easiform vary, so check early. Our guides to non-standard homes cover the main systems.
Which survey?
For a Victorian or Edwardian house, a conversion or anything in a conservation area where repairs need care, choose a Level 3 Building Survey (from £595 (including the £45 travel supplement)). It includes a drone roof inspection where flight is permitted; some villages, such as Chalgrove, are close to an airfield, so we check each address first. A Level 2 Home Survey (from £485 (including the £45 travel supplement)) can suit an interwar or later house in reasonable condition. Compare them in our which survey guide.
Every Oxford postcode district is more than 25 miles in a straight line from our base (HP3 8PF), so the £45 travel supplement applies, and the prices shown on this page include it.
Areas we cover
We cover OX1, OX2, OX3 and OX4 in the city, including Jericho, North Oxford, Summertown, Botley, Headington, Marston, Cowley, Iffley and Blackbird Leys, and OX33 and OX44 to the east and south-east, including Wheatley, Horspath, Garsington and Chalgrove.
Nearby: Aylesbury and Princes Risborough and High Wycombe and Marlow.