House surveys in City of London

The Square Mile is overwhelmingly commercial, so its homes are concentrated in a handful of residential pockets: the Barbican and Golden Lane estates, a scattering of converted offices and warehouses, and new-build towers on the eastern fringe. Almost everything is a flat, many buildings are listed or sit in conservation areas, and buyers need to look closely at leases, service charges, major works programmes and, for taller blocks, fire safety documentation.