Does your surveyor have the right experience?
Surveying practices are keen to report that they have experience with period buildings (or similar phrases), but you should check who exactly will be undertaking the inspection, what experience they have and ask to see examples of their reports.
Whilst knowledge is important, working with traditional buildings is more about adopting the 'correct approach' and having an understanding of sympathetic repair, but not compromising on the necessary time and care to fully understand the property whilst still working efficiently.
Larger practices particularly often require surveyors to deliver a quota of inspections, pressing for quantity rather than quality. As such the surveyors often do not have the time (or sometimes the experience) required to deliver a high standard of inspection.
RICS Conservation Accredited
At Bradley Jones Associates, we work with all ages of buildings including modern and new build. But in addition, we are able to offer appropriate advice for historic and listed buildings. Bradley Jones is a former Lethaby Scholar with the Society for the Protection of Ancient buildings (SPAB). He is also separately Conservation accredited by the RICS. Bradley is passionate about the care of buildings and delivering the right solutions for traditional buildings.
Former pub
Altered property
Former pub
