Our Valuation Surveyors have current and detailed knowledge of today’s market for residential or commercial property. We analyse market trends; the changing legislation affecting landlord and tenant; rating; taxation and valuation.

All our valuers are Registered Valuers under the relatively new RICS Registration scheme. We offer the following valuation services: –

• Residential and Commercial Property Valuations
• Leasehold Enfranchisement and Lease Extensions
• Taxation, Probate and Partnership
• Lease Renewals
• Rent Reviews
• RICS Home Surveys (formerly known as Building Surveys and Homebuyer Surveys)
• Expert Witness Evidence for Court or Arbitration Hearings and Submissions
• Development Appraisals
• Landlord and Tenant Advice
• Fire Insurance Valuations

(Formerly known as Homebuyer Surveys)

The RICS Home Survey service is a very useful reporting format that provides prospective purchasers with a concise and easily understood report upon many types of property. It includes a valuation and a very clear reporting structure that aims to identify those matters that you should consider before proceeding with a purchase.

The reporting format ensures that the various areas of a structure are subject to inspection and comment.

In our view the report best suits modern property and is ideal for flats or smaller houses where extensive comment upon other parts of a block are not required or relevant.

A clear summary provides a purchaser with all the information that they require to consider a property and can include a Market Valuation and advise on Building Cost Reinstatement.

We regularly undertake Building Surveys on both residential (formerly known as Building Surveys) and commercial properties all over the London and the Home Counties.

Building Surveys are often seen as a non-essential part of buying/acquiring a property and many residential purchasers consider their mortgage valuation report a good indication of the condition of the property. This is often not the case and buyers are left with substantial repair bills.

Whilst not every building survey report discovers significant defects to a building, there will always be a number of issues reported on and in many cases this allows the purchaser to re-negotiate the purchase price with the saving far exceeding the cost of the survey.

Many clients often question us to why they should instruct a building survey on a newly constructed or converted property. Over the years we have seen some extremely poor conversions and new builds and in a few extreme cases recommended that the purchase does not proceed.

Each building survey is a bespoke and detailed report and will include a detailed conclusion/summary highlighting the issues that require attention or further investigation

We provide full support to both freeholders and tenants in respect of all residential leasehold matters. Knowledge of the relevant legislation including the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development act 1993 (as amended) and the Housing act 1996, enables us to deal with a range of complex valuation issues.

Expert services extend to the representation of clients at the leasehold valuation Tribunal and the Lands Tribunal as appropriate.

Our objective at all times is to provide a comprehensive service with advice being tailored to each client’s requirements. Whilst our reports encompass all the statutory valuation requirements they also endeavour to explain simply and clearly all the issues that may arise in negotiations.

Whilst conducting negotiations we endeavour to keep all parties appraised of progress and ensure that every effort is made to obtain a satisfactory outcome.

Dilapidations are a complex and contentious aspect of the landlord and tenant relationship. No two dilapidations claims can be identical because no two buildings are exactly the same, nor will the lease covenants or other circumstances necessarily be similar either.

It therefore follows that a tenant is always prudent to seek the advice of a Chartered Surveyor before contracting a new lease, or when served with a schedule of dilapidations in respect of an existing or historic lease.

We regularly act for both landlords and tenants in respect of dilapidations matters on a wide range of commercial property.

Our services for landlords include the preparation of interim and terminal schedules of dilapidations, schedules of condition, the pricing of schedules and negotiation with the outgoing tenants or their surveyors to agree the extent of the works to be undertaken or a financial settlement where the lease has expired or the tenant does not wish to undertake the works.

For tenants, we can negotiate a dilapidations claim with the Landlord or their surveyors and where a tenant is proposing to undertake the works, we can act as contract administrators by preparing a specification for the necessary reinstatement works, tendering to contractors, appointing the contractor and monitoring the works and hand over the premises to the landlord or their surveyors.

We also provide advice to tenants on exit strategy prior to service of a schedule of dilapidations by the landlord or expiry of the lease.

For a number of clients who have large portfolios of leased commercial property, we provide dilapidations liability advice including cost assessments for accounts purposes.

We offer a full rent review and lease renewal service from initial valuation and strategy advice, through to the negotiations and, if necessary, making representations to a third party where a negotiated settlement is not possible.

Most commercial leases contain provisions for periodic rent reviews over the course of the lease term. We have Chartered Surveyors with experience of acting for landlords and tenants of office, retail, industrial and other commercial properties.

Leases for commercial premises will normally qualify as Business Tenancies under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. Tenants are entitled to a new lease for the occupied premises under the same terms as the existing lease. Landlords have limited grounds for opposing the grant of a new lease.

For each party, a good knowledge of the local letting market and a clear understanding of the rent review/ lease renewal clauses are essential in order to reach a favourable outcome. We believe forward planning and sound professional advice are the keys to achieving the best possible result.

Please contact us should you require any advice or assistance with an upcoming rent review/ lease expiry.