James Harrison Surveying

The Building Surveying Specialists

We are Building Surveyors based in Essex and carry out Home Surveys, Building Surveys (Structural) and a range of other property surveys throughout East Anglia (Suffolk, Norfolk & Essex) and the South East. We hope you can spend a few minutes to look through the services we offer. Please feel free to give us a ring to have a chat about the right sort of survey for you.
We provide a more personal service for our clients at competitive prices and actually phone you on the same day to explain our findings before sending off the report. When surveying properties for a prospective buyer we are quite happy to look at any possible extension opportunities or loft conversion ideas that you may have. 
We take the view that you want to buy the property so if there is anything that may be a problem we will help you find a way to resolve it. No delays – We aim to carry out the survey within 5 working days of the instruction if at all possible and you can have it emailed to you too if you like – often on the day of inspection.
We’ve been surveying homes in and around Essex and Suffolk since 1984 and have surveyed several thousand properties in that time. If you are buying a property, even a very modern one, you could really do with an independent survey of it.

We provide a more personal service for our clients at competitive prices and actually phone you on the same day to explain our findings before sending off the report.

When surveying properties for a prospective buyer we are quite happy to look at any possible extension opportunities or loft conversion ideas that you may have. 

We take the view that you want to buy the property so if there is anything that may be a problem we will help you find a way to resolve it.

No delays – We aim to carry out the survey within 5 working days of the instruction if at all possible and you can have it emailed to you too if you like – often on the day of inspection.

We’ve been surveying homes in and around Essex and Suffolk since 1984 and have surveyed several thousand properties in that time.

If you are buying a property, even a very modern one, you could really do with an independent survey of it.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Consumers’ Association magazine, ‘Which’, both recommend using an independent surveyor.

The Mortgage Survey

You may well be told by your lender that you need to pay for a mortgage survey. This is specifically designed for them and is very brief. If a mortgage surveyor spends more time at the property and carries out a more detailed report for you ‘while he or she is there’, they will be obliged to report any of the further issues that they find on to the mortgage company too, and this may affect your loan offer. You could have to deal with a retention on the loan or be required to increase your deposit.

The Independent Survey

You are advised to consider appointing a local Surveyor as well to assess the property with just you in mind rather than you and a lender. We have specifically designed a Purchaser Survey which also includes photos, assessments of repairs and the insurance valuation. It’s written in plain English too.

A Tip

Don’t instruct your independent surveyor to carry out the survey until you have received a written mortgage offer following the mortgage survey. If the mortgage survey is poor you may not get an offer so there is no point in paying for an independent survey until you have the offer.

About Us

  James Harrison first opened the practice in Essex in 2010 following 26 years of working in the business for others.
James was latterly a Senior Surveyor for a national building company working all over the country for ‘Blue Chip Companies’ as well as very ‘High Profile’ clients who value confidentiality as well as competency. He also worked in local surveying practices. James knows Essex very well having spent a great deal of his working life there and it is the county where he was born.

Having listened to you ...

You want to understand the report without any ambiguity. Our surveyors have to therefore produce good quality reports in clear English – in layman’s terms wherever possible. You want to talk to the surveyor and have the opportunity to discuss the findings. You want to receive the report promptly and have the opportunity to have it emailed to you. You don’t just want a list of further recommended reports, you want informed opinion. You don’t want to pay a professional to receive a report with pages of caveats of what wasn’t seen and why it can’t be commented on.

About Us

  James Harrison first opened the practice in Essex in 2010 following 26 years of working in the business for others.
James was latterly a Senior Surveyor for a national building company working all over the country for ‘Blue Chip Companies’ as well as very ‘High Profile’ clients who value confidentiality as well as competency. He also worked in local surveying practices. James knows Essex very well having spent a great deal of his working life there and it is the county where he was born. Having Listened to you… You want to understand the report without any ambiguity. Surveyors have to therefore produce good quality reports in clear un-ambiguous language – in layman’s terms wherever possible. You want to talk to the surveyor and have the opportunity to discuss the findings. You want to receive the report promptly and have the opportunity to have it emailed to you. You don’t just want a list of further recommended reports, you want informed opinion. You don’t want to pay a professional to receive a report with pages of caveats of what wasn’t seen and why it can’t be commented on.

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