ResiView

Residential surveying in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch

ResiView is a residential surveying practice working across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the surrounding area. The firm states that it concentrates exclusively on residential work, and its service range is built around three products: the RICS Home Survey Level 2, the RICS Home Survey Level 3 and private property valuations. The practice presents itself as regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which it describes as the benchmark for residential surveying.

The company was set up by Mike Frith and Phill Birr after what it describes as years spent inside other surveying companies and property services firms, with the stated aim of offering a more client-focused standard of residential surveying. Reports are presented as concise and written in plain language, with photographs included as standard.

Survey and valuation products

• RICS Home Survey Level 2: aimed at buyers of standard properties in reasonable condition. It gives an overview of the property's condition, including maintenance points and defects, and can be commissioned with or without a valuation.
• RICS Home Survey Level 3: a more in-depth survey intended for older or larger homes, properties with substantial alterations, or otherwise complex buildings. It produces a detailed report on the property's condition.
• Private Property Valuations: professional valuations carried out in line with the RICS Red Book Global Standards. The firm cites probate, Help to Buy and Shared Ownership as situations where this valuation is used, alongside standard property purchases.

The two co-founders

Both directors hold the AssocRICS designation and each brings a distinct background to the practice.

Mike Frith, AssocRICS, BSc (Hons), is described as having more than 20 years of industry experience and as one of the more established surveyors in the South West. His stated area of interest is energy efficiency, including how energy performance can be used to improve a property's value. He works alongside Phill Birr, AssocRICS, CertDEA, who counts more than 30 years in the Bournemouth and Poole property market. Before co-founding ResiView, Phill ran a property management firm, an experience the company links to his understanding of defects, refurbishment work and risk factors in residential buildings.

The practice stresses that clients deal directly with the surveyors rather than through an intermediary layer, and that the same people who carry out the inspection are the ones explaining the findings.

How the reports are presented

Clear communication is a recurring theme in the firm's own description of its work. ResiView says its reports translate complex property information into straightforward language and include photographs as standard, so that the reader has the material needed to reach a decision. The company also frames its local knowledge of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area as part of the service, on the basis that property characteristics vary between locations.

Advice on choosing a survey

Among the guidance published by the practice is the recommendation to speak with a surveyor before booking a survey. In ResiView's account, the type of property, its age and any specific concerns determine which level of survey is appropriate, and a short conversation can establish the right level of detail before instructions are placed. The firm also notes that newer or modern homes can present issues, so the age of a building does not by itself rule out the need for an inspection.