JBS Surveying

South East London

Residential surveyor in Dulwich

Dulwich Village grew around Dulwich College, founded by Edward Alleyn in 1619 on land he had bought in 1605, and much of the old manor is still the Dulwich Estate. Houses range from Georgian village buildings to Victorian, Edwardian and 1930s homes, while East Dulwich to the north east is largely streets of later Victorian terraces. The whole area is in Southwark.

Level 2 from £649, Level 2 Plus from £849, Level 3 from £895, including all taxes and fees.

Compare surveys
  • SE21
  • SE22

Local property context

What matters when surveying in Dulwich

Buying in Dulwich usually means a Victorian, Edwardian or 1930s family house, or a terrace or conversion flat in East Dulwich. On the Dulwich Estate the survey sits alongside a second set of controls: external changes and tree work need the Estate’s approval under its Scheme of Management, in addition to any planning permission, so unapproved alterations can matter as much as condition.

A Level 3 is usually the better choice for an older or extended house, a large family house where you plan works, or a house with cracking near trees. A Level 2 Plus often suits an East Dulwich terrace or conversion flat in decent order. A Level 2 can suit a later house with little alteration.

Local knowledge for Dulwich buyers

Edward Alleyn bought the manor in 1605 and founded his college in 1619, and the foundation has controlled development on its land ever since. The Scheme of Management was approved by the High Court in January 1974 and binds all freehold property on the Estate. Owners need prior approval to alter the external appearance of a house, put up garden buildings or fell or prune trees, and pay an annual scheme charge. Leaseholders in Estate blocks need a licence for structural changes and new windows.

Dulwich Village was designated a conservation area in 1968 and contains Georgian houses such as Bell House of 1767, Victorian and Edwardian terraces and cottages, and 1930s family houses. East Dulwich, much of which was built up in the later nineteenth century outside the Estate, is a different market of terraced houses, many converted into flats, where conversion approvals and lease responsibilities are the usual questions.

London Clay underlies much of inner south London, and Dulwich has many mature street and garden trees. Because tree work on the Estate needs approval, an owner cannot always reduce a tree quickly, so the surveyor’s reading of cracks, tree positions and drainage carries extra weight here.

Property types in the area

  • Georgian village houses
  • Victorian and Edwardian terraced and semi-detached houses
  • 1930s detached and semi-detached houses
  • Post-war Dulwich Estate houses and flats
  • Houses converted into flats in East Dulwich

Condition themes to consider

These are prompts for inspection, not a prediction that a particular home has a defect.

  • Dulwich Estate consent for past external alterations
  • Clay shrinkage movement near mature trees
  • Tree works needing Estate approval
  • Loft and rear extensions and their approvals
  • Bay window and front wall movement
  • Damp at ground floor level in older houses

Before exchange of contracts

  • Ask the conveyancer whether the property is on the Dulwich Estate and for Scheme of Management approvals for extensions, windows and garden buildings.
  • Find out the annual scheme charge and any outstanding Estate requirements before exchange.
  • Tell us about any extension, loft conversion or underpinning mentioned in the particulars.
  • Point out large trees close to the house and any cracking you noticed on a viewing.

Dulwich survey questions

What is the Dulwich Estate Scheme of Management?
It is a legal scheme, approved by the High Court in 1974, that binds freehold houses on the Dulwich Estate. Owners need Estate approval to change the outside of a house, add garden buildings or work on trees, and pay an annual charge. JBS Surveying reports on condition, and your conveyancer should check that past alterations had Estate approval.
Is all of East Dulwich on the Dulwich Estate?
No. Much of East Dulwich was developed on other land, so many of its houses are not bound by the Scheme of Management. Your conveyancer can confirm this from the title. JBS Surveying will still note alterations and extensions so that you can check the planning and building regulations approvals that apply.
Which survey do I need for a property in Dulwich?
A Level 3 is usually the better choice for an older or extended house, a large family house where you plan works, or a house with cracking near trees. A Level 2 Plus often suits an East Dulwich terrace or conversion flat in decent order. A Level 2 can suit a later house with little alteration.
How much does a home survey cost in Dulwich?
For homes up to £500,000, JBS Surveying charges from £649 for a Level 2, £849 for a Level 2 Plus and £895 for a Level 3, including all taxes and fees. Fees rise in steps with the property’s price, so we confirm the exact fee in writing once we know the price and the property.
What problems do surveyors often find in Dulwich homes?
Common themes in Dulwich include dulwich Estate consent for past external alterations, clay shrinkage movement near mature trees, tree works needing Estate approval and loft and rear extensions and their approvals. These are prompts for the inspection, not a prediction that a particular home has a defect; the report rates each part of the property and says what to do next.
Is Dulwich at risk of subsidence or flooding?
South east London has more varied ground than the north and west: London Clay across much of it, sands and pebble beds on higher ground such as Blackheath, and river alluvium near the Thames, where flood risk is a bigger question than clay shrinkage. Ground conditions vary street by street: the British Geological Survey GeoIndex shows the geology for an address, and the Environment Agency’s long term flood risk service shows the flood risk for the postcode. The survey reports any signs of movement or damp it finds and when to involve a structural engineer or insurer.
Do you cover SE21 and SE22?
Yes. JBS Surveying is based in Queen’s Park, NW6, and surveys homes in Dulwich (SE21 and SE22) and across London. Joe Weaver, AssocRICS, RICS Registered Valuer and MRPSA, inspects every property and writes every report. Level 2 and Level 2 Plus reports are typically issued within 5 working days of the inspection and Level 3 reports within 7.

Dulwich survey enquiries

Tell us about the property before you choose

Send the Dulwich postcode, sales particulars and any concerns you already have. JBS will confirm coverage and explain which survey level appears proportionate before you book.

Compare surveys

Official guidance and further reading

These independent sources explain the wider professional, legal and maintenance context. They do not replace advice about the particular property or its title.

Survey options in Dulwich

All three follow the RICS Home Survey Standard and use the same condition ratings. The difference is how much the report explains, and all three are available in Dulwich.

Compare all three levels

Valuations from £325. See valuations

Neighbouring areas we cover

South East London

Herne Hill

Herne Hill grew around its station, opened in 1862, and the railway line roughly divides Lambeth to the west from Southwark to the east. West of the line housing is mostly terraced, while to the east larger detached and semi-detached houses stand in bigger gardens, some built under Dulwich College estate control. Shops with flats above cluster around the station and Half Moon Lane.

View area guidance

South East London

Camberwell

Camberwell’s village centre sits at the foot of a hill, and wealthy families built up the slope from the 1770s, giving Camberwell Grove and Grove Lane long runs of Georgian town houses. Later Victorian and Edwardian streets, hospital and college buildings and post-war estates fill the rest of SE5, which lies mostly in Southwark.

View area guidance

South East London

Peckham

Peckham was a small settlement in Camberwell parish until the canal and then the railway, which arrived in 1865 and 1866, turned it into a busy suburb with Rye Lane as its shopping street. The housing mixes early nineteenth century villas around Holly Grove, Victorian terraces, homes above shops and large post-war estates, all within Southwark.

View area guidance

South East London

Forest Hill

Forest Hill grew as a Victorian suburb after the railway arrived in 1839, and most of its conservation area streets were built between 1840 and 1900. It sits on a ridge, so many roads climb steeply, with large Victorian villas, terraces, inter-war housing and later flats. Forest Hill is in Lewisham, with Honor Oak and parts of the ridge running into Southwark.

View area guidance

South East London

South East London

The SE postcodes run from the riverside warehouses of Bermondsey and Greenwich, through the Georgian and Victorian suburbs of Camberwell, Peckham and Brockley, to the hills of Forest Hill and Sydenham. Most of the area falls within Southwark, Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich, with parts of Lambeth around Herne Hill.

View area guidance