Residential Surveyor

What is a Residential Surveyor?

A Residential Surveyor is a professional who specializes in assessing the value of properties, including buildings, land, and personal items, and provides advice to clients on various aspects such as sales, loans, taxation, acquisitions, and compensation claims. They play a critical role in property valuation, helping individuals, companies, and government bodies make informed decisions. In this guide, we’ll explore the role of a Residential Surveyor, how to become one, potential earnings, career prospects, and related opportunities in the United Kingdom.

What Does a Residential Surveyor Do?

Residential Surveyors have a range of responsibilities that involve property valuation and related tasks:

Property Valuation

Assessing the value of properties, which can include residential buildings, land, and personal assets, based on various factors like location, condition, and market trends.
Providing accurate and well-documented valuations that clients can use for various purposes, such as selling, renting, mortgaging, taxing, or making compensation claims.

Commercial and Industrial Property Assessment

Evaluating new commercial and industrial properties to determine their value and suitability for specific uses.
Reassessing existing properties that have undergone alterations or renovations, ensuring that their valuations remain up-to-date.

Reporting

Creating detailed reports that document valuations and property assessments, which may be crucial for legal negotiations, insurance claims, or tax purposes.

Auctions

In some cases, Residential Surveyors may organize and run live auctions, where they sell items they have previously valued, or they may refer these items to specialists.

Consultation

Advising clients on how to navigate property-related decisions, including sales, purchases, taxation, and compensation claims.

Residential Surveyors play a significant role in helping clients make informed choices about their properties, ensuring that valuations are accurate and aligned with legal and market standards.

How to Become a Residential Surveyor

Becoming a Residential Surveyor involves specific qualifications, training, and professional development. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to pursue a career in this field:

Entry Requirements

To enter this profession, you would typically need a degree or professional qualification accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Relevant subjects include residential surveying and valuation, building surveying, law, or real estate management.
Common entry requirements include holding at least two A levels or three H grades and having five GCSEs/National 5s with grades C or above (or 4 or above in England).
Alternatively, individuals with an HND or HNC can start as surveying technicians and progress to associate and chartered statuses with further training and experience.

Training

Apprenticeships are common in this field, offering the opportunity to gain NVQs/SVQs required to become a qualified Residential Surveyor.
Apprenticeships typically last between 2 to 4 years and involve a combination of on-the-job training and formal instruction at a college.
There may be age restrictions on apprenticeship eligibility.

Professional Membership

Once employed in the industry, working towards gaining chartered membership of a professional body like RICS or the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV) is essential.
Graduates of RICS-accredited degrees are required to complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) to gain chartered status. This process includes two years of postgraduate work experience and an interview with a panel of assessors.
Those without a relevant degree can consider RICS-accredited postgraduate degree or diploma courses in valuation subjects, combined with work experience and further professional qualifications.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Keeping your skills up-to-date throughout your career is crucial. The IRRV offers qualifications and training that cover valuation, legal, and taxation aspects, ensuring Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Given the nature of the work, having a driving license is often a requirement.

Working Conditions

Residential Surveyors typically work about 35-40 hours per week, from Monday to Friday. However, depending on the project or employer, they may need to work weekends. Their work environment includes both office-based tasks, such as planning site visits and organizing jobs, and practical work on-site.

Frequent property inspections and client meetings necessitate local travel, making a driving license highly recommended. Additionally, protective clothing and equipment may be required for certain visits to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.