Different Properties. Different Markets. One Depth of Knowledge.
One of the things I value most about Conway Chartered Surveyors is the breadth of property expertise we have within the practice. We work across London and South Buckinghamshire, two areas that are geographically close but can present very different property challenges. Within a relatively small geographical area, we can be dealing with a high-rise […]
The Sellers Pack Is Getting Closer: What Does It Mean for Selling Your Home?
Earlier this year, I wrote about why I believe a seller’s survey could be the secret to a smoother property sale. The idea was fairly simple: why wait until a buyer has made an offer before finding out what a surveyor might say about your property? A pre-sale survey gives a seller the opportunity to […]
Buckinghamshire’s 91,000-home plan: What could it mean for existing property owners?
When you hear that Buckinghamshire is planning for around 91,000 new homes, it’s easy to think that this is primarily a conversation for housebuilders, developers and people looking for land. But as a Chartered Surveyor working with both residential and commercial property owners, I think there is another question that deserves much more attention: What […]
Why an EPC Has Never Told the Whole Story
If you’ve ever bought a property, there’s a good chance you’ve looked at the Energy Performance Certificate before making a decision. Most people glance at the familiar A to G rating, compare it with similar properties and move on. The problem is that a single letter has never been able to tell the full story. […]
The Private Rental Market Is Changing – What Does That Mean for Landlords?
The private rental sector has been evolving for some time, but the pace of change over the last few years has been significant. Changes to taxation, rising borrowing costs, increasing compliance requirements, proposed EPC standards and, more recently, the Renters’ Rights Act have all contributed to landlords taking a fresh look at their property investments. […]
Why We’ve Invested in Our Own Drone
If you’ve had a survey carried out by us over the last few years, there’s a chance we’ve used a drone as part of the inspection. Until now, we’ve brought in specialist drone operators whenever a property needed a closer look at roofs or other areas that couldn’t be inspected easily or safely from the […]
Sustainability is no longer a specialist topic. It’s becoming part of everyday surveying.
Every so often a report comes out that feels less like guidance and more like a marker of where the profession is heading. The recent RICS publication on Sustainability Practice for Surveyors is one of those. For a long time sustainability has often sat in its own category. Something discussed separately from valuation, building surveying, […]
Don’t Leave Your Property Estate to HMRC: The Cost of Avoiding the Inheritance Tax Conversation
Earlier this week, I attended a red-book property valuation for a mixed-use commercial and residential asset, a shop with a flat above in West London. Immediately afterwards, I headed over to value a very similar property in East London. The valuations themselves were straightforward, but the context behind them was deeply poignant. The client had […]
Hidden Beneath the Surface: Why Modern Homes Aren’t Immune to Tree Root Damage in Extreme Weather
When most people buy a property that is less than five years old, they understandably assume that the foundations are rock solid and completely immune to structural movement. After all, modern building regulations are incredibly strict. However, as our team at Conway Chartered Surveyors frequently observes, nature has a way of testing even the most […]
Is Renting Broken? Navigating the Portfolio Pivot in the Age of the Renters’ Rights Act
The UK private rented sector (PRS) is currently navigating its most significant legislative shift in a generation. Between the findings of the recent ‘Is Renting Broken’’ report and the looming implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, many portfolio landlords are asking a fundamental question: Is the current model still viable? At Conway Chartered Surveyors, we […]
