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Why Choose an RICS Accredited Surveyor?

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Why Choose an RICS Accredited Surveyor To Reduce Your Risk And Anxiety In A Valuation or Property Purchase?

By Camsure Home Surveys, July 7th, 2021, 8 min read

Whether you’re buying a property, looking for a valuation, renovating or doing repairs, it’s critical to reduce the risk of something going wrong which is why choosing an RICS accredited surveyor is so important.

This is because sadly, not all surveyors are born equal. In the UK anyone can call themselves a surveyor. It’s only an RICS chartered surveyor that can genuinely give you the security and peace of mind your project needs.

Why Choose an RICS Accredited Surveyor?

When you choose an accredited RICS chartered surveyor you get the unbiased expertise of a certified professional and the guarantee that the RICS strict codes of practice regulate them.

Knowing that you’re protected by professional indemnity insurance will reduce the anxiety around your valuation


Who Are the RICS?

In brief, they are the governing organisation of chartered surveyors.

“The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is a professional body promoting and enforcing the highest international standards in the valuation, management and development of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.”

RICS: Upholding Professional Standards

RICS train, regulate, promote and facilitate the continuous professional development of all chartered surveyors.

In fact, their mission has a wide scope and is truly international in setting high measures for the industry to follow.

As you can see:
“RICS delivers confidence through respected global standards, adopted and enforced by over 134,000 qualified and trainee professionals across the built and natural environment.”

RICS: Mission.

Anyone, with a relevant RICS qualification, proves they have a high degree of specialised professional knowledge.

But that’s not all, and just as important, being a member of RICS shows a commitment to a strong standard of ethical practice.

Why choose an RICS accredited surveyor? Well, it’s because they are part of one of the most respected bodies in the industry.


How Do You Become an RICS Accredited Surveyor?

Being RICS certified is the industry standard, and achieving this prestigious qualification is difficult.

There are 3 routes to certification:

  • “Professional: With a degree and 5 years experience.”
  • “Graduate: With an accredited degree.”
  • “Associate: With 4 year’s experience and vocational qualifications.”

Becoming an RICS Member

Why is an RICS Chartered Surveyor Important?

Because their training is exceptional.

Even if you fit the criteria to join any of the three routes to become RICS qualified, the academic standards are significant.

Clients want the confidence of knowing they’re working with a professional chartered surveyor. To ensure quality, the qualification is intentionally tough because gaining these critical skills needs rigorous practice at the highest level.

This commitment to excellence sets an RICS chartered surveyor apart from other professional surveyors with non-chartered status.

How to Spot an RICS Accredited Surveyor?

First, as an RICS accredited chartered surveyor they will need to show their membership status.

They’ll be an MRICS, AssocRICS, or FRICS. It should be on their business card and on the website.

Second, you can check directly with RICS to see if their on the members roll.
RICS Find a Member
RICS Find a Surveyor Firm


What Does an RICS Accredited Surveyor Do?

From house building and buying to renovations, repairs and planning consent, RICS chartered surveyors offer a wide range of services.

In particular, they specialise in many types of property valuation and surveys, including:

  • New build property valuations.
  • First-time buyer valuations.
  • Spotting defects for repairs.
  • Assessing structural problems.
  • Checking out issues around damp.
  • Proving advice upon further investigations required prior to purchase.
  • Homebuyer Reports.
  • Help to Buy Valuations.
  • Building Surveys.

Drawing from a deep well of expertise, they are indispensable in giving you an unbiased, professional appraisal.

Also, with the backing of the Institute, you know you’ll get the security that they are expertly trained with significant hands-on experience.

Why choose an RICS accredited surveyor? Because they offer all of this and more.


Is an RICS Survey Worth It?

In one word, yes, it’s absolutely worth it.

Not only do they follow the quality standards of the RICS, but professional indemnity insurance covers them to protect you against any errors in the work they do or even worse any negligence they are responsible for.

People often ask,

“Are they a waste of money?”

“Surely I can just use a normal surveyor and not an RICS chartered surveyor?”

In answer to this, an RICS survey is an essential investment.

Everyday, people use unaccredited surveyors who simply don’t have the skills of an RICS surveyor. In a lot of cases, using their services can be a waste of money as they can’t pick up the important aspects of the job and evaluation.

This puts you and your home in jeopardy as it increases the risk of not spotting something significant.

Why choose an RICS accredited surveyor?

Because only an RICS surveyor has the expertise needed to give your survey a thorough evaluation. So choosing an RICS accredited surveyor is important.

What Are the Potential Risks of Not Having My House Surveyed?

Caveat emptor… let the buyer beware.

If you don’t get a thorough survey, you really are walking in the dark.

From potentially not spotting issues such as damp, subsidence or even biohazards, or structural issues, the bottom line is you will be financially liable if you go ahead.

Also, your insurance might be void and may not cover what you need.

The pros far outweigh the cons.

Why choose an RICS accredited surveyor? Because they can help prevent this and so much more.

What if My Lender Has Already Done a Survey, Do I Need an RICS Survey?

Ideally for peace of mind and to reduce the risk of anything disastrous happening it is good practice to always get an RICS survey and valuation. Lenders tend to just get a simple survey to check they’ll get the forced sale value back of the property.

Why choose an RICS accredited surveyor?

Because they will give you further information on the property that a normal lending valuation won’t. This is essential for avoiding big expenses later on for renovations and repairs.


How Can I Find an RICS Surveyor Near Me?

There are several ways that include;

  • Going to the RICS website and checking out their member’s list.
  • You can Google, “RICS surveyor near me.”
  • Also, Camsure Surveys have local RICS surveyors across many parts of the UK, who have experience in your local area.

All of Camsure’s chartered surveyors are RICS qualified and pride themselves on their local knowledge. So choosing an RICS accredited surveyor is so much easier. You can find a surveyor near you easily by visiting Areas We Cover.


Which RICS Survey Should I Choose?

There are 4 main types of survey and at Camsure Home Surveys we offer all of them.

They include:

  1. 1. The Homebuyer Survey Report (RICS Level 2 Home Buyer Survey Report)

    Buying a house can be a stressful and costly experience, especially if you’re not sure of the condition of the property.

    This RICS Homebuyer Survey Report is an independent report, conducted by an RICS Accredited and Regulated Surveyor who will complete a detailed visual inspection of the property.

    From this, you’ll be able to see the property’s condition and any areas of concern prior to purchase.

    You’ll know exactly what you’re getting before you buy.

  2. 2. The Homebuyer Survey Report With Valuation (RICS Level 2 Home Buyer Survey Report with Valuation)

    Buying a property is a big decision. You’ll want to know you’re getting the best deal. Also that the property is structurally sound and that it fits your needs.

    To support you in making the right decision, It’s vital to have someone make sense of all the information and find out what’s really going on with your property.

    This is where the Home Buyer Survey Report With Valuation will really help.

    Having a team of RICS Accredited and Regulated Surveyors and Registered Valuers will make sure you don’t get stung.

    It’s ideal for anyone who wants confirmation that they are paying the market value for the property and also require a rebuild cost for the insurance.

  3. 3. Building Survey (RICS Level 3 Building Survey)

    Formerly known as a Full Structural Survey, this is the most comprehensive home survey you can buy.

    It’s ideal for older properties, those in poor condition or for planned major works.

    The report includes a more in-depth analysis of the property's condition, comprehensive advice and an insurance rebuild valuation.

  4. 4. RICS 'Red Book' Valuation

    This is a written market valuation of your property for situations like Help To Buy, Shared Ownership and for appraisals concerning inheritance tax.

    You can add valuations and rebuild costs to a Building Survey by request, for an additional fee.

    If you’d like a more detailed explanation of the different surveys, check out this article "Everything you ever wanted to know about Homebuyer Survey Reports"

What Does an RICS Survey Cost?

No two surveys are the same, so it depends on the job.

If you’d like a free quote or just a chat about the best way forward please get in touch.


Why Choose an RICS Accredited Surveyor From Camsure Home Surveys?

It’s a good question.

  • We cover many parts of the UK.
  • Even though we are an independent family-run firm, we have built a fantastic team where we aim soon to have complete coverage
  • As experienced RICS Accredited and Regulated Surveyors and Registered Valuers, providing you with quality service is at the forefront of everything we do.
  • When you’re looking for “an RICS chartered surveyor near me” you will always come across Camsure.

Why Our Surveys are Different

With over 35 years of experience, we are proud to say that “We are experts in all aspects of construction from the middle ages to the present day.”

This makes our services rather special, particularly around:

  • Home Buyer Reports
  • Help to Buy Valuations
  • Building Surveys

Don’t take our word for it. In fact, we won the Southern Home Surveyors of the Year 2019 and we’re rated “excellent” by Trustpilot. So, if you are looking for more information about your project and fancy a chat, please get in touch.


Useful Links

RICS - www.rics.org

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