A Day in the Life of a General Practice Chartered Surveyor

Being a Chartered Surveyor is an interesting and challenging career. There are various different areas that Chartered Surveyors can specialise in, but I think being a general practice surveyor has to be one of the most diverse and rewarding of all.

With my background in rural property management, I describe myself as a Rural General Practice Chartered Surveyor. I typically deal with valuations of property; I prepare and negotiate the settlement of compensation claims on behalf property owners and tenants in relation to works undertaken by utility companies and statutory authorities; I advise on sales and purchases, as well as lease arrangements for various types of property; I negotiate lease arrangements in respect of renewable energy schemes as well for telecommunications mast site developments; I also deal with rural planning matters.

Given the diversity of my role, I have to have a broad and thorough working knowledge of land and property matters, which include: land law; tenancy and statutory compensation legislation; planning and environmental legislation; valuation techniques; farming subsidy and agri-environment schemes; prevailing values in the property market, as well as contemporary prices for agricultural produce and commodities; and changes in taxation regimes and political policies.

People skills are essential

Surveyors are problem solvers so we all need good people skills. Being able to work out what clients need to achieve so I can advise them accordingly is essential so building trust and confidence is really important.

No two days in my job are the same, but I would say that there is a 50/50 balance between being out and about on site to inspect property and meet with clients and spending time in the office to complete desk-based professional work.

A week of two halves

Typically, from Monday to Wednesday morning, my day starts with me being out and about inspecting land and properties. I also need to designate time in the day for some client meetings to discuss a variety of new work instructions.

From Wednesday afternoon through to Friday I often spend time in the office undertaking professional work. This means doing things like preparing valuation reports and compensation claims, preparing sale and/or letting details and negotiating with third parties via letters, emails and telephone calls.

Although that is usually my plan, work is rarely that regimented and I have to be flexible in my working patterns in order to accommodate different types of work. Very often I have to deal with something at short notice if a client has an urgent issue that needs resolving. However, rising to such challenges is one of the joys of the role! There’s a lot of satisfaction in knowing that my advice in has frequently saved my clients an awful lot of time, money and grief.

Compensation settlements

Negotiating a good compensation settlement for a client in a land compensation matter is another example of where I feel very rewarded in my job. The client is grateful for my expertise and they also recognise that the settlement reached is far greater than they would have achieved without professional help. I often find, prior to my involvement, clients are unaware that they even have statutory rights entitling them to claim such compensation.

Edward Merriman BSc (Hons) MRICS FAAV

Using the advice and skills of a Chartered Surveyor adds real value to clients personal and business activities of when it comes to dealing with land and property matters. Contact the Forge team to find out more.