This story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes.

A common form of home insulation can cause more damage than it prevents, and end up costing homeowners thousands to put right, a Harrogate property expert has warned. 

Spray foam is sold perfectly legally by insulation companies – including several in our district – as a way of stopping draughts and improving heat retention, and some vendors even claim it can act as a pest repellent. There are an estimated 250,000 homes with spray foam insulation in the UK.

But chartered surveyor Andrew Kempston-Parkes said it can seriously affect a property’s value and structural integrity. He said: 

“When I turn up to value a property, I’ll start with the exterior but once I’m inside, my first port of call is the roof void. My heart just sinks when I see that the underside of the roof has had spray foam insulation applied. 

“All too often, the foam expands and encases the timbers, so if they become wet, they can’t dry out and will rot. In the vast majority of cases, the whole roof will have to be stripped off and replaced.” 

He said as a result lenders will typically ask for full retention on the mortgage – that is, they won’t release the funds to the buyer until the vendor has carried out the remedial work. 

The alternative is for the vendor to drop the price substantially – by around £15,000 off a small terraced house, or £25-40,000 off a large, detached property. Removing spray foam insulation from one listed building recently cost an eye-watering £200,000.

Andrew, whose firm Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors sees several spray-foamed homes a year, said: 

“When I tell a vendor that they’ll have to either have their house reroofed or lower the sale price, they’re often shocked, and embarrassed that they’ve been sold a pup. It never goes down well to have to renegotiate the price.” 

The alternative to spray foam is 300mm fibreglass insulation, keeping the eaves clear to allow for air-flow. If a loft is being converted, the roof will need to be boarded and insulated, but even then, there needs to be air-flow behind the boarding. 

Andrew said: 

“There are still lots of firms going out and spray-foaming roofs, but generally speaking it’s a real no-no.  

“There are some instances where it’s OK to apply spray foam insulation, but those are rare. More often than not, it’s a delaying action – a false economy.  

“If you’re considering it, you should always seek professional advice from a chartered surveyor.”

Find out more:

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans.

For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111.

This story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes.

As concern grows across the country following the latest rise in interest rates, Harrogate’s foremost chartered surveyor says he’s confident the market will remain largely unaffected in our area. 

Last week, the Bank of England raised interest rates to 5% – a level not seen since 2008, when the global financial crisis hit. As a result, mortgage lenders have been withdrawing deals and raising their rates ahead of a predicted peak of 6% later this year. 

But Andrew Kempston-Parkes, of Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors, said: 

“A lot of people seem very fretful about the housing market at the moment – there’s a lot of bad news in certain sections of the press. But what I’m seeing here in Harrogate and the surrounding areas is that sales are still going ahead. 

“Interest rate rises don’t seem to be having much effect here, and Harrogate and Knaresborough still have a very strong market. Those agents that are busy are very busy, and the houses that are coming to market are still selling.” 

Mr Kempston-Parkes said the town and its surroundings had so many “pull” factors that the local property market would be able to weather any storm arising from the 0.5 per cent rate increase. 

He said: 

“In my career I have seen four sets of rises in property values and four sets of falls in property values (‘booms and busts’, if you are a certain tabloid newspaper), but the long-term trajectory is upward.

“And whatever happens in terms of a fall in value across the country, Harrogate and district has always been affected least and we have always recovered to the high level of values, quicker than anywhere outside of London. Our property market is resilient.”

He said the area has high levels of employment, good schools and a clean environment, meaning that plenty of people still want to settle here from other places. 

Mr Kempston-Parkes added that with six trains a day to King’s Cross, London is very accessible for commuters for those working in the capital for two or three days a week. 

He added: 

“Despite Menwith Hill being significantly rolled back in terms of personnel, it still contributes the Harrogate’s housing market, not least because most of the housing up there has been demolished. That means there are a lot of base personnel in the rental market, which in turn supports the general housing market.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes earned his professional qualifications form the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 1997, and founded Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors in 2011. It now employs 15 people from its offices in central Harrogate. 

Find out more:

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans. 

For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111.

The story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.

A firm of chartered surveyors founded in a back bedroom 12 years ago is on track to break through the £1 million turnover barrier this year, its founder has revealed. 

Kempston-Parkes has grown its client base and turnover every year for over a decade, and is now the foremost Harrogate firm in its sector, with nine professionally qualified members of staff and six administrators. 

The landmark turnover figure comes as a welcome milestone for Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who founded the firm in 2011. 

Having started his working life at the Valuation Office Agency – part of the Inland Revenue – he received his professional qualifications from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 1997. He started carrying out residential valuations and survey work in 1999, and worked for over a decade at a national firm of chartered surveyors in Leeds and then Harrogate before branching out on his own. He said: 

“Working for such a large company, I’d progressively moved further away from the client; in fact, I was encouraged to have as little communication with the client as possible, which I felt flew in the face of professionalism. 

“Setting up on my own was the right decision. There is a healthy market for honest, personal service with clear communication and a human touch.” 

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors focuses on pre-purchase surveys (RICS Level 2 HomeBuyerReport and RICS Level 3 Survey), along with valuations for all purposes: purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax and matrimonial assessments, as well as Party Wall Act boundary disputes and Land Registry plans. 

Mr Kempston-Parkes said a lot had changed since he first entered the profession, including the approach to customer service: 

“There’s a lot more diversity in the workforce now, which is great, and the technology’s developed beyond all recognition – we have iPads, laser measurers, drones, thermal imaging equipment, telescopic poles – lots of technology to help us see things that are out of reach.  

“And as an industry, we’re concentrating more and more on what clients need. We’re a lot more responsive. If you have a problem with land or property in the Harrogate area, we’re the people to come to.” 

Find out more: 

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans.  
For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111. 

This story is sponsored by Kempston Parkes.

House prices may plummet elsewhere, but in Harrogate they’ll remain buoyant, the town’s foremost chartered surveyor has said. 

Andrew Kempston-Parkes was speaking as one of the biggest national lenders, Nationwide, revealed that UK house prices fell for the fifth consecutive month in January. He said: 

“I’ve seen four booms and crashes in my career, and what I know about Harrogate is that when that happens, we’re affected the least.

“Harrogate gets back to its highest values quicker than anywhere outside London. We’re very resilient. 

“There might be a contraction across England and Wales over the next 12 months, but it will be relatively shallow, at just 2 to 3%, and here there’ll be no contraction at all.” 

Nationwide also warned that “strong economic headwinds” made it unlikely that sales figures would improve soon, meaning it would be “hard for the market to regain much momentum in the near term”. 

Mr Kempston-Parkes, who has more than 25 years’ experience in the property industry, said other market indicators told a different story:

“If they were concerned, they wouldn’t be offering 95% loan-to-value mortgages.” 

January’s Rightmove data, for example, showed a slight increase in house prices nationally, and lending institutions have done little to tighten availability of loans. 

Several factors weigh in Harrogate’s favour according to Mr Kempston-Parkes, including its proximity to Leeds and York, its high levels of employment, the clean environment, good schools, and even custom from the American base at Menwith Hill. He said:  

“Harrogate and its environs are still a destination place – people come to live in a spa town in a rural area. Communications are excellent – there are six trains a day to King’s Cross. 

“I had a client just yesterday from London who is moving up here to work from home three times a week and stay a couple of nights in London. There are still a lot of people wanting to live here. Half our clients are from outside the town. 

“My experience tells me that if there’s any correction here it’ll be mild and we’ll recover more quickly and better than anywhere else. The property market will remain strong.” 

Mr Kempston-Parkes earned his professional qualifications form the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 1997, and founded Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors in 2011. It now employs 14 people from its offices in central Harrogate. 

Find out more:

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans. 

For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111.