Thinking of a career as a residential chartered surveyor?

When I think of all the jobs I could have done and here I am a chartered surveyor looking at houses all day, I do wonder how I got so lucky.

Years ago, my father suggested I needed to work in the local engineering factory...start by sweeping the floor he said. For once I was strong and adamant what it was I wanted to do. I wanted to go back to University as a mature student and study to become a chartered surveyor.

With only six o'levels it took a carefully planned application to Nottingham Trent University to get on the HND Estate Surveying course. Once I had passed this course, not easy for a mature student, I decided to leave and get a career back in estate agency. I hoped for a management position and that I would look at becoming a chartered surveyor some other time.

The ambition remained and a couple of years later I revisited the surveying career and took an almost voluntary position for Savills in their newly formed national auction department. It was a very exciting time and the auction was a success. So much so, that they moved the department to London. I (regrettably - hindsight is wonderful) remained in Nottingham and took on more estate agency work.

A couple of years passed and the desire to complete the training became huge. I took a big salary drop to follow chartered surveyors at BBG Surveyors in Derby and Leicester and continue my studies doing a RICS accredited course at MANCAT. I achieved the Diploma in Valuation and next I had to prove I had learnt enough by following surveyors for two years by producing a record of my diary. This was internally known as the ISVA route to RICS status.

I finally qualified after years of sacrifice as a Member of the RICS in 2001 and instantly found myself with offers of employment all over. I took a job with e.surv at Leicester with a great team that included James, John and Andrew, who would look after me whilst I got used to doing the job proper.

I look back now at those days with fondness. A great team that really supported me and a great regional director, Steve Hall. Like him, I still would love an Aston Martin, but for me the emissions are to high! I moved to Yorkshire to work in Leeds when my partner and I decided to move to the beautiful countryside and open an ethical coffee shop in Hovingham, North Yorkshire.

Two years working in Leeds, York and Harrogate led me to consider my long term goal, I still wanted to work for myself and have my own surveying practice. An old friend, Julian Spencer, had inspired me years ago; whilst working in an estate agency he turned up in the office opposite with antique furniture and a fast sports car. I had thought then at 21 years old, that could me.

Here I am now, E Surveyors almost a year on and growing steadily and hoping to create associations across the country to provide a similar friendly level of service at an affordable price.

I have grown up so much since my dreams of becoming a chartered surveyor started, I now have a wife and two children, a house in the country and an ethical lifestyle. Not that I have an electric car, but I use recycled paper, envelopes and send reports by email. I shop ethically; my wife has an ethical shop so most of our food is organic, locally produced, free range or fair trade.

I also like to think that I am good at my job too, I love houses and I love people, what else could I do?

RICS HomeBuyer Report

The new RICS Homebuyer Report is finally here and E Surveyors have finally had the opportunity to test the software developed by RICS called RICS Survey Writer.

Despite a few minor problems with Survey Writer, E Surveyors are delighted to have been involved in the very early days of this new report. Gary Edgar of E Surveyors carried out the survey last week and took the opportunity to offer his clients the brand new Homebuyer Report. Gary Edgar commented that although the inspection took a little longer than normal and the report itself took a couple of days to type and check, the new Homebuyer Report looks a great deal for Home buyers. Condition ratings stand out to help the customer see exactly which jobs are a priority and which are significant/urgent.

With the ability to attach photographs of areas that buyers would not normally get the chance to view, such as the loft space, the home buyer gets so much more information and help to ensure they are well aware of what they are trying to buy.

The new Homebuyer Report is not compulsory yet, but as from January 2010 all Chartered Surveyors will be using them. E Surveyors with the help of Core Business Virtual PA, a virtual assistant company that carries out all of E Surveyors administration and call answering, are looking at the possibility of extending the Survey Writer software, with E Surveyors advising Core Business Virtual PA how they can type surveys, letters, terms and conditions, etc for other similar minded RICS Surveyors.

Gary Edgar of E Surveyors said that Core Business Virtual PA have been fantastic. "They take payments for me, they send out letters and valuations and have been quick to respond this week when I needed a report typing and sending urgently to avoid repossession. New terms and conditions were rewritten by Core Business Virtual PA and I was amazed how quickly they returned 5 pages of small print. "

The new Homebuyer Report is gaining momentum and more customers are find E Surveyors. Some are surprised how reasonable the survey prices are; two customers have been delighted in the last week to find their survey was half the price they expected it to be. Other customers have been delighted how fast the surveyor got the chance to get out to the property and carry out the survey.

Gary Edgar said "The operation has to be very slick as E Surveyors are a small company. There are no office staff based in my office, so when I am out, calls would not get answered. Instead, all my calls go through to Core Business Virtual PA and they handle everything for me. Even the sales calls by yell.com, scoot, and today unicom. Rather than wasting my time by putting sales calls through, they send me an email to let me know any calls that have been made and if I need to return any. If a customer rings, they call my mobile and transfers the call. Brilliant."

Surveyors, like many self employed people, earn their living by working away from their office and are sometimes unable to answer their calls. Core Business Virtual PA ensures that not one potential customer is lost.

So, if you are buying a home, talk to E Surveyors about what survey you need and let us give you some free guidance. Survey prices are openly advertised on the website. Or if you call and you like the way we answer the phone, ask us how we could help your business when you decide you can't afford to miss any more calls or perhaps you need a survey typing too?

E Surveyors is regulated by RICS and covers the Yorkshire area, although Gary Edgar would be delighted to advise if there is a surveyor he knows in another area that could help you. Call on 08456 437097 or check out the website http://www.esurveyors.com/ now.