How to choose the best structural surveyor for your home
Whether you own your home or want to buy one, a structural surveyor plays a key role. Their job is to carefully inspect the building, looking for any signs of risk.
In particular, they’re watching out for safety and stability issues and how these might impact your home’s value.
This page explains how to choose the right structural surveyor for your home.
Use a chartered surveyor
In the UK, ‘chartered surveyor‘ is a protected title. Only members and associates of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or RICS) can use it.
In short, RICS is a governing organisation. Its members must pass approved courses and degrees, demonstrate professional competency, and have at least three years of in-field experience.
As a result of their membership and the ‘chartered surveyor’ job title, you know they have comprehensive insurance and the trust of many others.
Of course, other surveyors (who aren’t RICS-registered) might also do a great job. However, it’s a greater risk. Absolutely anyone can call themselves a surveyor – even if they’ve never touched a damp piece of timber in their life.
If you decide to go with a regular surveyor instead of a chartered surveyor, you’ll need to do more thorough research. Vet their past clients and experiences, check online reviews, and ask to verify their memberships or qualifications as applicable.
Instructing a chartered surveyor brings peace of mind and reassurance. And, in the unlikely situation you aren’t satisfied, there’s a formal complaints procedure you can go through.
Read their testimonials
Now that you’ve decided to go with a chartered surveyor (or anyone else), reading testimonials is essential.
Online reviews have their limitations. No doubt. Some people only write about their experiences if they’re bad; others are clearly bribed to always wax lyrical about the incredible skills someone has shown.
Testimonials on the surveyor’s website are a great start but perhaps tricky to verify. See what online review companies like Google or TrustPilot say about the services, too.
We advise reading these reviews and testimonials carefully. You’re looking for evidence of skills, efficiency, attention to detail, professionalism, etc.
So, a one-star review ranting about the surveyor’s high estimated repair costs should be discounted. There’s nothing wrong there. Likewise, the five-star review detailing how nice they are and nothing else is also somewhat irrelevant.
These things aside, it’ll become clear whether they typically do a good job.
Use a local surveyor
Finally – and this is one of the most crucial factors – use a local chartered surveyor.
What does this mean?
Well, many surveyors work for national companies, and they’re often all based in one location (usually big cities like London). When clients instruct a survey, they’ll visit the home, conduct the inspection, and return to their office.
Does this really make a difference? Aren’t problems always the same, wherever they are?
It makes a huge difference. It’s true, though – damp is damp, no matter where in the country you are.
Using a local chartered surveyor brings the following advantages:
- Cheaper – they have less distance to travel
- A clear understanding of the local market
- More accurate valuations (as a result of the above)
- They know which common problems typically affect the area (such as subsidence or improperly-insulated timber frame rot)
- It’s good for your local economy.
Ask for their advice on the best survey
GB Home Surveys has its head office in Gloucestershire. From here, we also service Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
But that’s not all. We’ve set up offices in local regions throughout the South-West and West Midlands, as well as South Wales. Our staff work in and around Cornwall, Devon, Bristol, Bath, Taunton, the Cotswolds, Cardiff and Birmingham, too.
In summary, GB Home Surveys offers local chartered surveyors – precisely what you need.
If you need a structural survey, we typically recommend the RICS Home Survey Level 3. Coincidentally, the old name for this was a ‘Structural Survey’ or ‘Building Survey’.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information on this (or a chat about your other options). Fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible for a commitment-free, friendly chat.
