My role as Associate Surveyor at Oakwood Property Services predominantly consists of assisting the senior valuers with property inspections, research and report writing. We undertake valuations for numerous purposes including secured lending, tax requirements, matrimonial, pension schemes and dispute resolution for commercial, residential and rural property.
Why did you want to become a surveyor?
During secondary school and throughout University I actually wanted to become many things and a property surveyor wasn’t on my list!
I studied Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham and returned back to Manchester shortly after in search of my vocation. I wasn’t exactly sure which pathway I wanted to take in the working world but I did know I didn’t wanted to pursue the arts full time.
In October 2019 I joined Oakwood as a part time administrative assistant and have never looked back! Within months the workload increased so the ‘part time’ soon became full time.
I fell in love with the industry and decided I wanted to pursue the professional pathway and become a chartered surveyor. And the rest is history…
What does a typical day look like?
No day is ever the same in this industry! We work very flexibility at Oakwood so my day can vary depending on whether we have property inspections booked in, I’m working from home, based in the office or out and about meeting clients.
A typical property instruction might look a little like this…
Once we receive instructions, I draft up our terms of engagement and issue a copy to the client(s). If we require more information about the property i.e. maps, tenancy agreements, Land Registry copies etc, then I will request this now.
After our terms have been agreed in writing, I proceed in arranging the property inspection noting any restrictive areas, health and safety issues, parking arrangements, representative facilitating access and tenants in situ.
I generally assist the senior valuers with the property inspection by taking detailed notes, mapping out areas, taking photographs and measurements (using a digital measure) and asking relevant questions to the occupier(s), agent(s) or owner(s). During the inspection we are not only looking at the property itself but also the surrounding area.
The next stage is the research and report write up. I assist the senior valuers by drafting the report based on our observations noted during the inspection and researching the property using various sources. The sources include the government EPC register, local authority planning database, the Land Registry, mapping systems etc.
The valuation itself comes next. In order to draft the methodology I carry out the initial comparable research and document this on file. Again a range of databases are used here including Rightmove and Costar. The methodology can then be drafted, with support and guidance from the senior valuers.
What is the most interesting project you are working on at the moment?
This is a tough one. You may appreciate no instruction is ever the same. We recently undertook a valuation of a property which comprised an extensive series of old sheds and brick buildings. The site was once agricultural and had been converted for commercial use. There were 25+ tenants in situ ranging from a swimming pool to children’s day centre to storage of vintage cars. That instruction definitely stands out in my mind.
I hope this has provided an interesting insight into what I get up to as part of Oakwood.
If you have any questions about what we do and whether we can assist with a property valuation please call us on 0161 941 4228.
Lydia Sirovica BA(Hons)
8th March 2023
