Seller-side surveys
The report mentions a thatch ridge age next to the seller's memory. Has a survey observation the memory is not been tested, or only named?
The thatch ridge age sitting next to the seller's memory has been named, not tested. A survey observation is not the memory, and the memory has not been checked against the coat. The visit can record what the ridge looks like now and that a figure or a story was offered. It has not decided when the ridge was last worked, how thick the coat still is, or whether the seller's date is right. Treat the age as an untested label beside a visual note.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Ridge work is the top coat and the finishing detail along the crown, and it can be renewed while older thatch stays underneath. A tidy ridge can hide an older coat, and a tired ridge can sit on a coat that is still doing its job. The surveyor sees the outside and, if the loft allows, the underside. Neither view dates the ridge by laboratory means or by counting seasons. Writing the seller's memory beside the note keeps the two sources apart. It does not confirm either one.
Give your solicitor both the report sentence and whatever the seller actually said, and ask that they are not merged into one fact. If a buyer is expected to rely on a date, the seller should put that date in the written replies rather than leaving it as a remark beside the survey. A thatcher can inspect and advise on the coat. The home survey has not appointed that specialist and has not verified the memory.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What did the surveyor actually see on the ridge, as distinct from the memory?
- Is the stated age marked as the seller's account rather than a measured result?
- Would a thatcher need access the visit did not take?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep the seller's date separate from the visual note.
- Ask for the ridge history in the written replies.
- Instruct a thatcher if a buyer will rely on the coat.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a neat ridge mean the whole coat was renewed together?
A neat ridge only shows the finish the surveyor could see on the day. Ridge work is often renewed on its own while older thatch remains below. The visit did not cut the coat or date the layers. A thatcher would have to advise if anyone needs the build-up, and the seller's memory does not fill that gap.
Should the seller correct a memory that the report has already quoted?
If the seller knows the quoted memory is wrong or incomplete, say so in the replies before a buyer treats the sentence as history. The survey named the remark. It did not test it. Leaving a doubtful date uncorrected invites the buyer to argue later that the pack mixed a story with an observation.