Mills Building Consultancy knowledge basePlain-English articles on building surveys, defects, damp, subsidence and insurance claims — from Jarelle Mills MCIOB.https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/en-gbParty wall agreements: what buyers and owners actually need to knowhttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/party-wall-agreements-what-buyers-and-owners-need-to-know/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/party-wall-agreements-what-buyers-and-owners-need-to-know/Party wall matters catch out more buyers and owners than they should. What the Act actually covers, when it applies, and how it interacts with what a survey finds.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTRegulatory framework and building regulationsJarelle Mills MCIOBUsing your survey to negotiate: what actually workshttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/using-your-survey-to-negotiate/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/using-your-survey-to-negotiate/A survey report that changes nothing about the deal has only done half its job. What genuinely moves a seller, what doesn't, and where negotiation isn't the right response at all.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuying and selling propertyJarelle Mills MCIOBRoof surveys: what a drone can (and can't) tell youhttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/roof-surveys-what-a-drone-can-and-cant-tell-you/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/roof-surveys-what-a-drone-can-and-cant-tell-you/Drone inspection has changed what's practical to check on a roof — but it hasn't replaced judgement. What a drone genuinely adds, and where it still falls short of a hands-on look.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTRoofs, walls and building elementsJarelle Mills MCIOBHow a building defects investigation actually workshttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-a-building-defects-investigation-actually-works/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-a-building-defects-investigation-actually-works/Finding a defect is easy. Finding the actual cause is the job. A look at how a proper defects investigation separates symptom from source, with real examples.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuilding defects and pathologyJarelle Mills MCIOBCracks in walls: what actually causes movement (and what doesn't)https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/cracks-in-walls-what-causes-movement/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/cracks-in-walls-what-causes-movement/Most cracking isn't subsidence. A practical guide to reading a crack properly, drawn from years of technical surveying across stone and brick property.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTSubsidence and ground movementJarelle Mills MCIOBRising damp, condensation or penetrating damp? How to tell the differencehttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/rising-damp-condensation-or-penetrating-damp/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/rising-damp-condensation-or-penetrating-damp/Most 'rising damp' isn't. How the three main types of dampness behave, why misdiagnosis is so common, and what an independent survey looks for.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTDamp, mould and timberJarelle Mills MCIOBWhich home survey level do you need?https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/which-home-survey-level-do-you-need/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/which-home-survey-level-do-you-need/Level 1, 2 or 3? A plain-English guide to choosing the right home survey for the property you're buying.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnderstanding survey reportsJarelle Mills MCIOBHow subsidence claims actually work: a step-by-step guidehttps://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-subsidence-claims-actually-work/https://millsbuildingconsultancy.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-subsidence-claims-actually-work/What happens after you report cracking to your insurer — investigation, monitoring, repair and the Certificate of Structural Adequacy — from someone who handled these claims.Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTInsurance claims and processJarelle Mills MCIOB