Testimonials
I've now had chance to read through the survey in full and would just like to say how thorough and informed it was! It has really helped me recognise the areas of issue and was worth every penny.
Patrick Gibb
At the eleventh hour we contact David to assist us with a house purchase and I cannot express how pleased we are that we did.
David Rawlins is a highly competent, articulate and passionate professional and the subsequent report we received exceed all our expectations.
Thankfully he spotted a serious problem with the property (one which had been missed when two other companies conducted reports) and we were able to pull out of the transaction.
We are extremely grateful for his advice (which was delivered in plain English) and would highly advise him to anyone requiring a property surveyor. We wouldn't hesitate using him again, indeed, I could not imagine purchasing a property without first engaging his services.
Rob White
"Thank you for the hard copy of the Building Survey we received Thursday. It was extraordinary comprehensive and helpful for both now and the future; our Solicitor said he had not seen such a thorough survey recently or if ever!"
Ian Taylor
Thank you very much for your excellent advice. Work is now in full swing to return the cottage to its former glory.
Neal & Sarah Jackson
Thank you again for spending the time on the telephone with us last week. It was a great relief to hear that the property is very much as it appeared to be. And it was enlightening to hear your observations – it's clear your expertise is just as astute as Robert described.
Elle Hill
“Thank you very much for your prompt survey of the above property. We were disappointed to read about the problems with the gable wall and so have not made a bid to buy the property.
“We were very pleased with the quality and detail of your survey and felt a lot of confidence in what you had to say and then the written survey. We are certainly looking for a house in the central area of York, either modern or old, perhaps in the older part of town or some of the Georgian and Victorian town houses. We would like to be able to call you again if and when we see something promising!”
David & Christina Stocks
“I am writing to thank you for providing your final report to our building society so promptly as I have received my copy this morning. I feel the service you have provided has been first class and I will not hesitate either to use our services in the future or to recommend you.”
Ingrid Lewis
“Many thanks for carrying out such a comprehensive survey on the above property for us.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work and the detail you went into. We really appreciate this and I thought you might be interested to note your report was very helpful to us in our decision making.”
Cathy Waters
“Many thanks for the survey report, which we have now read at length. We are proceeding with estimates for the works you have suggested. We particularly appreciate your sympathetic and practical approach towards the building, and the useful articles you sent.”
Dan
“We chose David Rawlins because he had a good understanding and appreciation of older buildings. This is the first structural survey I have acquired, so I don't have much to compare, but David's report was thorough, and his communications were excellent. The survey was completed quickly and professionally. It is frustrating that the surveyor's hands are tied when it comes to moving furniture, lifting carpet or entering neighbouring gardens etc, but we were aware of this from the start, and I appreciate that this is no fault of the individual surveyor. David took a practical and sympathetic holistic approach to the property and was able to provide advice on which work really needed to be done, and provided additional documentation on restoring buildings. I would certainly recommend him to others.”
Dan Parker
“David conducted a survey for us for a property we were purchasing in York. He was very competitively priced and was able not only to conduct the survey but also produce the report in an extremely helpfully short space of time. He also alerted us by phone to an issue that arose that required further specialist advice and was able to suggest several people who could conduct this. They were able to confirm the issue and allay our fears as to the seriousness of this and allow us to proceed with our purchase. We are extremely grateful to David for his extremely thorough report, the speed in which it was produced and his willingness to clearly and concisely discuss the report at length on the phone. We would definitely have no hesitation in using him again and recommending his services to anyone.”
Robinson
Thank you for your visit to our house yesterday. We found your comments extremely helpful indeed and have already contacted a local builder to start the process of implementing your recommendations. The dislodged tile was re-seated yesterday and while on the roof the builder discovered a historic repair to the roofing felt (i.e. done before we came 25 years ago) which had failed and was causing the staining down the wall which we noticed - all of which leads me to pursue a more realistic quote for a full re-roofing.
Many thanks once again for your help,
Robert and Liz Demaine,
Relating to a period cottage affected by damp and in need of extensive repair & upgrade:This is the first full building survey we have ever had and can honestly say that I think we will always have one from now onwards. Your advice has been invaluable and has given us a greater understanding of what to look out for when asking any tradesmen to undertake works. We will be continuing with the purchase (pending receipt of quotations) and once the roof works have been addressed, plaster and wooden floor removed and the outside levels lowered, we will then go one step at a time rebuilding it from there. Thank you again. Your work has been very much appreciated.
Lauren Harwood
Customer Reviews via FreeIndex
"Anyone considering a property purchase would be well served by choosing David Rawlins to undertake the essential survey. David is an authority on Property and his particular interest and expertise lies within the field of historic buildings. David has a huge working knowledge and expertise. He has provided opinion that has saved us a lot of money and stress, and he has helped us to sort out difficult and seemingly intractable property problems. He calls upon his extensive knowledge of law, regulation, conservation, professional associations, materials and building history etc etc.
David will always "speak for the building." He works meticulously and thoroughly and to great depth. It is so very reassuring to us that we can always call and rely upon his professional services. His service is five star in every aspect."
Janet McCarron 5.0 out of 5
“David Rawlins is an excellent surveyor and I would actively recommend his services. He recently carried out for us a Home buyer report on a 1970s house. The report was thorough, informative, clear and balanced. It provided us with the confidence to continue with the purchase. He produced recommendations on areas of concern and on how to proceed and pointed out issues which may arise in the future. He was also willing to honestly discuss his findings at length over the phone, which was invaluable. He also, earlier in the year, carried out a damp survey on our home which we were selling. Again, the level and quality of service was excellent and, because of this, we wanted David Rawlins to produce the Home Buyer report on our house purchase.”
Peter and Emma Krousti 4.7 out of 5
“I recently bought a listed property and contacted David Rawlins Ltd to arrange a specialist listed buildings survey. I thought that the price was very reasonable for a detailed full structural survey. Service was excellent - within a week David had been to spend a full day at the property and we received the full report shortly thereafter. The report is very detailed and provides detailed insight into how the property has previously been treated, where building works are likely to have taken place, areas for concern and where building works may be required in the future etc. He was more than happy to run through the report on the telephone in advance which was extremely useful and provided much needed assistance throughout our purchase, including providing contacts and guidance notes on specialist building materials. I would definitely recommend his services.”
Anna Grunwell 5.0 out of 5
“I have no difficulty in recommending David Rawlins as surveyor. The survey on the house we have just negotiated was exceptionally comprehensive and picked up many items which allowed us to rengotiate the price downwards by 7.5%”
Mike Janulewicz 4.7 out of 5
“David undertook a Building Survey for me on a 4 bed detached house I am to buy.
“The quality of the report and subsequent advice given to us by David was excellent and easily surpassed that of previous surveyors I have used. I would have no qualms whatsoever in recommending David to others. It was refreshing that there are still persons who take a pragmatic approach and pride in the level of service they provide.”
Rob McIntosh 4.5 out of 5