Sussex Heritage Damp Restoration (SHDR) - Henfield

Pete B.

Finally - a company that actually understands the needs of trickier period properties. After we wasted money, time, and materials using 'roofers' and builders to try and remedy our water ingress issues, we finally came across SHDR who came up with an effective, wholesome, and mindful solution for us (we wish we'd found them sooner).

Rain was penetrating so many weak spots; it made winter months quite miserable to be frank. We loved our home in summer, but winter was bleak. We dreaded it every time it rained.

Not only did their comprehensive survey highlight our roof issues (we have a complicated roof design as well) they suggested further ways to help keep our Victorian house warm, dry, and damp-free in the future. It is now all of those! For someone who is hands-on, nearly all of their suggestions have been completed myself.

It was reassuring having a team come in, and not just add another patch-up job on top (and make it worse), but to actually fix the issue. And to do it well too - the work was done with care & attention. Their work ethic & comms were top-notch, with any questions answered by either email or Whatsapp.

If I could turn up the star review to 11, I would.

sheona E.

Outstanding Service and Expertise - Highly Recommend!
We genuinely cannot thank Aaron, Matilda, and their team at SHDR enough for their incredible advice and hard work in helping us restore our home, after damage caused by a neighbouring property.

From start to finish, Aaron was amazing. His advice and expertise are second to none, and his passion for what he does shines through. From the first moment we spoke, he was true to his word, completely resolving all our problems and going above and beyond at every stage.
Impeccable customer care and outstanding workmanship - A gem of a company!
All the stars!

Sarah L.

I cannot recommend Aaron highly enough. His knowledge and enthusiasm about helping our homes breathe is quite contagious and I have found myself becoming totally obsessed with hygrometers. He has given his time generously asking nothing in return and has diagnosed the humidity problem in my home – which currently is around 65-75% throughout most of the time – and has recommended a plan of action that can be followed in bite-sized steps making it far less daunting than previously anticipated. A friend recommended Aaron and I am very happy to recommend him to anyone reading this. Give him a call – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Lisa L.

What a splendid service! This organisation provides first rate expertise, and was able to diagnose an issue with my property that perplexed myself, my family & friends and multiple trades for approx four years. After many attempted 'fixes' including by multiple roofers I was introduced to Aaron who managed to determine the cause at pace (cold wall + warm humid air = condensation, enabled due to lack of home mechanical ventilation). His considerable expertise established the facts using objective data rather than conjecture, and he defined effective solutions for the short as well as long term. Such a relief to find a collaborative, trustworthy and effective expert - who is also a pleasure to work with. Renewed my faith! Totally recommend.

M F.

After suffering damp problems in my house for over 20 years with several builders saying there was nothing that could be done, I was recommended to Aaron whose work on my house has completely eliminated the damp issues including transforming my cellar from a damp and unpleasant space to a dry, bright room which I now use as an office. Aaron is very knowledgeable about damp problems and how to deal with them properly which in many cases does not require huge financial outlay. I was delighted with the work done and grateful not only for Aaron's expertise and the work he and his team did on my house but also the after 'sales' care where he has kept in touch to ensure everything is going ok.

RhymesWithSymes

We were looking to buy a Grade 2 listed property and needed a surveyor. We found Aaron from Sussex Heritage Damp Restoration via the Listed Property Owners Club where he had written some really good articles on damp and its associated problems. After speaking to him and two other surveyors who specialised in listed properties, he was by far the most knowledgable and enthusiastic. And we felt safe in the knowledge that his continued services would help us through the many problems that such an old property would throw at us. However, Aaron saved us before we even started, pointing out so million problems that would take forever and a day (and a whole lot of money) to fix. We will always be grateful for his honesty at this stage – he saved us a lot of heartache. We then found another property (not listed), and immediately got him involved. Again, he was invaluable – like a damp-finding super sleuth! He gave us the thumbs up (and a comprehensive survey with remedial tasks) on the smelly, fungally tumble-down bungalow (it's been empty for over 10 months), and we are now in the process of buying it. We would highly-highly recommend Aaron - aka Dr Damp - if you have a property that has damp or structural issues, or need one surveyed. Both he and Georgia (in the office) are so helpful, reassuring and friendly. SHDR is a professional and committed company with a big heart.

Rizwan

Can highly recommend - Aaron is very knowledgeable and far more thorough than any other surveyor. After having ‘damp proofing’ works carried out a few years ago which failed and then a ‘reputable surveyor’ advising that I had to removing my staircase and tank an entire external wall, Aaron was the first person to pinpoint the root cause of the issue and advise on exactly what was needed. His recommendations were pragmatic and very well detailed in his report. He was also fully available to answer any questions I had. I would not consult anyone else for damp and condensation related issues.

Bau P.

Hands-down the best surveyor we've ever worked with. We purchased a period home last year, only able to visit it 2x ourselves. Alexander Lyons, Alpine Preservations and the bank all came in to look at the property on our behalf, with Alpine doing a double-click on the damp and potential woodworm issue and recommending ~£8k worth of remedial work. When we arrived at the house, it was in a cold sweat. It was so bad, we resolved to get a second-opinion, and searched for the highest-rated local expert: we found Aaron West ("Dr Damp") and SHDR.

Aaron and his team went above and beyond for us, from start to finish. On short notice, they fitted us in and conducted a full survey, providing immediate to-dos to get things on the right track and following up with a comprehensive report for medium- and long-term fixes. They confirmed there were *no* woodworm and no underlying damp issues - we saved £8k right there. They flagged multiple issues that we needed to tackle, providing easy-to-follow and cost-effective methods to do so: from removing non-breathable paint from the window frames (causing cracking and rotting) to repointing (the concrete used in the brickwork was damaging the bricks and had led to window and facade damage), to removing a vigorous climber from the front facade, which was strangling one of our drainage pipes and letting mice into the property.

For us, what sets Aaron and SHDR apart are three things:
1) The level of expertise is unmatched
2) They put your interests as a client first
3) They treat you like family - with integrity, respect, and giving 100% to equip you to achieve your goals with the budget you have - whether that means giving you the knowledge and tools to address issues yourself or providing trustworthy tradespeople who can help.

If you suspect you have a damp issue, or want a property you own or are thinking of buying, looked at properly, do not hesitate to engage SHDR. Without doubt, they must be within the top 10% of surveyors in this country.