About rightsurvey.co.uk

About Rightsurvey

Rightsurvey.co.uk was launched in 2008 as a ‘Rightmove for surveying services’. The aim was simple – to make it quick and easy to get competitively priced quotes for RICS home surveys anywhere in the UK.

Prior to this, obtaining a quote for a survey could be a baffling and secretive process.  Trying to compare prices was enormously time consuming and difficult.

Today Rightsurvey is one of the UK’s top property services price comparison websites and is headed by founder Ian Rock FRICS, author of the highly acclaimed Haynes House Manuals series. It is run by qualified RICS Chartered Surveyors (but is not a part of RICS).

Higher quality

Picking the right type of survey for your house or flat isn’t always as straightforward as it should be (hence the name of the website).  There is still a fair amount of confusion about the different types of surveys.  So we have tried to clearly explain the various options (in most cases a less expensive Homebuyer survey should be sufficient) – see our descriptions.

However there is another, more worrying, reason why Rightsurvey.co.uk was needed.  The fact is, the quality of surveys can vary widely, depending on how experienced and knowledgeable the surveyor you pick is.

Most surveys in Britain are carried out by large corporate surveying firms, appointed by the banks to carry out mortgage valuations, and quite often Homebuyer and Building Surveys as well.

The worry is that corporate staff surveyors tend to be under enormous pressure to carry out very high volumes of inspections every day, covering large geographical areas, sometimes extending to several counties. Worse, many are relatively inexperienced. Although competent with valuation inspections, there are concerns that some may not have the necessary expertise and experience to accurately assess complex buildings.

The danger is not only that serious defects may be missed or misdiagnosed, but that relatively minor defects may be erroneously flagged up as serious, leading to a lot of unnecessary expense, worry and hassle.

This is why Rightsurvey works in partnership with ‘local surveyors direct’ whose members are mostly smaller local firms or individual RICS members who are highly qualified and experienced –  with good knowledge of their local areas.

Lower prices

Local surveyors can often charge lower fees, some being exempt from VAT (where turnover is below the annual tax threshold) and without expensive corporate overheads. Plus you’re welcome to phone them afterwards to have a chat about your report.

Rightsurvey also provides access to a wide range of related specialist property services – from architectural design and structural engineers to asbestos, drainage and electrical testing via local surveyors direct.