Howe Surveyors Ltd

Independent pre-purchase surveying from Bedale

Howe Surveyors Ltd is a surveying practice set up in 2024 by Johnathan Howe, a former builder with more than twenty years of experience in the construction trade. The firm presents itself as independent and unbiased, and its work centres on helping buyers make informed decisions before committing to a property purchase.

The practice operates as a regulated RICS firm and states that it does not pay referral fees to estate agents, a point it uses to frame the impartiality of its advice.

From the building site to the survey

Before moving into surveying, Johnathan Howe worked hands-on across several trades, including bricklaying, joinery, ground works, roofing and internal finishing. That background covered repair work on existing properties as well as new builds on small local development sites run by the family firm he was part of.

He later completed an industry-recognised training diploma with SAVA, which allowed him to enter the profession at AssocRICS level and to provide residential valuations after becoming a Registered Valuer. His surveying career began with other practices in the North East area; after three years he became self-employed, focusing on pre-purchase surveys in his local area with what the firm describes as a more personal, bespoke service.

Survey and valuation products

The core offer is pre-purchase survey reporting, with several distinct report types:

• Level 2 Home Survey, formerly known as the Home Buyer Report.
• Level 3 Home Survey, formerly the Building Survey.
• New build snagging surveys.
• Seller condition surveys, aimed at vendors who want to understand defects that could affect a sale.
• Help to Buy valuation reports.
• Inheritance Tax and Probate valuation reports.

The firm states that reports can take into account any plans or concerns the client has about a prospective purchase, and that technology is used where appropriate to support accurate, relevant advice.

How the two RICS levels differ

According to the practice, a Level 2 Home Survey is a concise report suited to properties up to 100 years old that have not been significantly altered since construction, remain in reasonable condition and are of traditional construction. The Level 3 Home Survey is more detailed and comprehensive, offering greater depth in defect diagnosis, typical repair details and an explanation of the likely consequences if defects are not addressed. It is presented as suited to buildings over 100 years old, properties significantly altered since construction and non-traditional construction, and can also be requested for modern properties.

The firm indicates that a Level 3 survey offers guidance on typical repair costs where further investigations are not required.

Reporting style and client contact

Howe Surveyors Ltd describes its reports as jargon-free and straightforward, combining technical terminology where needed with plain English descriptions. The practice offers telephone conversations to all clients to go through the report, explain what the findings mean and set out next steps; online meetings or local meet-ups are also mentioned as ways to discuss matters.

The firm states that it will identify what needs repairing or replacing and when, note typical maintenance to consider, and point clients towards the relevant trade or profession for each issue.

Coverage across North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley

The practice specialises in pre-purchase surveys on buildings of all ages, detached or otherwise, and of all sizes. It covers Bedale, Catterick, Darlington, Northallerton, Knaresborough, Harrogate, Richmond, Ripon and Thirsk, together with the surrounding rural villages in those areas.

Complaints handling

As a regulated RICS firm, Howe Surveyors Ltd operates a complaints procedure aligned with RICS regulatory requirements. Stage one gives the firm the opportunity to review and consider a complaint in full, with written acknowledgement, investigation and an aim to resolve queries within 10 working days. If the client is not satisfied or no resolution is agreed, the complaint can be escalated to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) at 100 St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8BU, United Kingdom, for both consumer and business clients.