What to look for in a home surveyor
Buying a new home is a scary time. A mortgage is the single most significant loan a person is ever likely to take out; therefore, doing everything you can to protect that investment is essential.
One of the most important ways you can check for problems in advance is with a professionally-done RICS home survey. A surveyor will inspect the property in question and produce a detailed report for you, listing all the good and bad aspects. You can then use this information to decide whether to proceed with the purchase, reduce your offer, or pull out completely.
But how do you know what to look for in a home surveyor? How do you know they’ll do a good job and can be trusted? This article will tell you all you need to know.
Experience
Experience is arguably the most critical aspect of all. The more a surveyor has seen, the more they’ll know to watch out for when inspecting a property. Ask a surveyor to tell you about their experience, particularly in the local area (more on that below). It would be best if you looked for someone with several years of experience, at least.
Accreditations
Look for a professionally-recognised awarding body. The most common accrediting organisation in the UK is RICS – the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It holds all its members to extremely high standards of competence, professionalism and ethics. If the individual you’re looking at is ‘chartered’, they will be registered with RICS. Check if someone really is RICS-approved using this tool.
Qualifications
You want to know that anyone poking around in a house knows what they’re doing. Asking for a surveyor’s qualifications is a perfectly reasonable question. Look for all surveyors to have at least a bachelor’s degree. This is particularly important because surveyors who aren’t registered with RICS – that is, ‘surveyors’ rather than ‘chartered surveyors’ – are completely unregulated. That means someone could just decide to call themselves a surveyor and get started on their own, with no experience or qualifications.
Reviews
Past work reviews are a great way to hear from previous clients, both satisfied and not. Of course, reviews can slant either way, depending on how well the surveyor asks their customers to leave them. Be sure to read individual feedback rather than only looking at the star ratings. That way, you’ll be able to tell if the customer in question was having a bad day or if there are real, serious issues at play.
Work samples
Work samples are crucial. They’re just another way to see how a surveyor works and whether that fits your needs. Some surveyors will offer testimonials and case studies to showcase their skills and satisfied customers. If you can’t see any on the surveyor’s website, don’t hesitate to contact them to ask. Also, all RICS members produce home survey inspection reports based on a template. Follow the link to see a blank Home Survey Level 2. This can be taken as a sample report. Your final version will look similar (but with the information filled out and expertise added).
Local presence
If a chartered surveyor has worked in your area many times before, it’s a huge bonus. That’s because certain problems tend to affect specific areas more than others. For example, houses in some areas are particularly susceptible to Japanese Knotweed, while those in others may be affected by coal mining subsidence. The more presence a surveyor has locally, the more likely they are to spot these common local issues.
GB Home Surveys matches might be who you’re looking for
GB Home Surveys is a friendly team of RICS-registered chartered surveyors. We have offices and experts in several locations, meaning our local presence is widespread. Currently, our staff work in:
- Bath
- Bristol
- The Cotswolds
- Devon
- Gloucestershire
- Herefordshire
- South Wales
- Taunton & North Somerset
- The West Midlands
- Worcestershire
Of course, we can’t share previously completed reports for privacy reasons, but we can walk you through a blank template and explain what you should expect from the final version. Our surveyors always act professionally and courteously, and they’ll get your report back within seven days – that’s faster than most.
Are you interested in learning a little more about us? In that case, why not get in touch? Drop us a message using the contact form below, or head to the Contact page to phone, email, or WhatsApp us. We look forward to hearing from you!
