Our office is on Church Street in Houghton le Spring. We survey and value homes across the town and the villages around it.
Fife & Kimmitt is based at 1 Church Street, in the centre of Houghton le Spring. Our surveyors are RICS qualified and RICS Registered Valuers. Mark Fife and Bill Kimmitt have worked in North East property since 1981, so the house types around Houghton, Hetton and Penshaw are familiar ground.
We carry out RICS Level 2 Home Surveys, RICS Level 3 Building Surveys and Red Book valuations. Buyers use our surveys to understand a home’s condition before they commit. Executors, separating couples and owners with tax or Help to Buy questions use our valuations when they need a figure that will stand up to scrutiny.
Houghton grew around its parish church, St Michael and All Angels, and then around coal. Houghton Colliery was sunk in the 1820s and worked until 1981. Much of the older housing in the town and nearby villages was built for mining families, often in long brick terraces.
Later growth added inter-war and post-war council estates, private semis and, more recently, new-build estates on the edges of the town. That mix means a short street can hold homes built 100 years apart, each with different things to check.
These are the things surveyors look at closely on local property types. They are not problems every home has.
Houghton sits in a former mining area. A surveyor looks for signs of past movement, and your conveyancer should order a coal mining search (CON29M) from the Mining Remediation Authority, formerly the Coal Authority.
Solid brick walls, bridged damp-proof courses and raised external ground levels can all cause damp. We check walls with a moisture meter and explain the likely cause, not just the reading.
Many older terraces keep their original chimney stacks, some no longer in use. We look at pointing, flashings, leaning stacks and the condition of slate or concrete tile roof coverings.
Rear kitchen extensions and loft conversions are common here. We look at how they join the original house and note where your conveyancer should check for approvals.
In Houghton le SpringFor a standard brick terrace, semi or modern house in reasonable condition, a Level 2 Home Survey usually gives you what you need. Choose a Level 3 Building Survey if the house is older and unaltered, has been heavily extended, shows signs of movement, or you plan major work. If you are unsure, call us and describe the property. We will tell you which level fits.
Your new home is a standard house, bungalow or flat, built in the last hundred years or so, and looks to be in reasonable condition. A Level 2 HomeBuyer survey flags anything that needs attention — damp, movement, roof issues — without paying for depth you don't need.
The property is pre-war, stone-built, listed, significantly extended or converted — or you're planning major work. A Level 3 Building Survey digs into the structure itself: what's wrong, why it happened, and what putting it right will involve.
Still not sure? Call us on 0191 250 8258 — we'll tell you honestly which one you need, in about two minutes.
Three straightforward options, fixed fees, plain-English reports. Not sure which? Try the survey finder — it takes about 20 seconds.
from £425 inc. VAT
Best for conventional houses, bungalows and flats in reasonable condition — the classic HomeBuyer report.
from £950 inc. VAT
Best for older, larger, extended or unusual properties — a full structural picture before you commit.
from £250 inc. VAT
Best when you need a formal, RICS-backed figure — for a mortgage, a sale or probate.
Yes. Our office is in the town centre, and we regularly cover Hetton-le-Hole, Newbottle, Penshaw, Fence Houses and Shiney Row. We also cover the wider North East.
A survey cannot see underground. We report visible signs of movement, and your conveyancer should order a CON29M coal mining search, which covers recorded workings, shafts and subsidence claims near the property.
Yes. Our RICS Registered Valuers prepare Red Book valuations for probate, which HMRC expects for inheritance tax purposes. We can arrange access with the executor or the estate’s solicitor.
Yes. We are at 1 Church Street, Houghton le Spring, DH4 4DN. Please call 0191 250 8258 first so we can make sure someone is available.
"A very professional and helpful company who did the level 2 survey on the property I will be buying in Peterlee. The surveyor talked through any concerns I had following receipt of the survey report. I would highly recommend this company for property surveys."
"We had a level two survey on a 1980s build. I was unsure between a level 2 and 3, and was advised a level 2 in our circumstances, which impressed me as I wasn't oversold a more expensive service. Mark and Nichola were great throughout and answered multiple questions after our survey, which was invaluable as it is our first time buying."
"Excellent service from start to finish. Nicola was prompt and helpful with all communications, and Mark's report was thorough, clearly written and delivered quickly. A professional and approachable firm. I would not hesitate to recommend Fife & Kimmitt to anyone requiring a survey."
Send a few details and we'll come back with a fixed fee and the earliest available date — usually within one working day.
Every survey carried out under RICS professional standards.
Need us sooner? Call 0191 250 8258.
