A recent trend in the office is the increase in requests for measured surveys from retailers who are opening stores on the Continent. Although the physical process of surveying and drawing is the same, the geographic spread can bring with it a number of challenges; inefficient planning can dramatically affect your cost base.

However, nothing is insurmountable and you can avert a number of potential issues by following our top 5 tips for success:

1.    Give your survey supplier as much warning as possible.
Flights and hotels are a major part of the overall fee and you can achieve significant savings on a programme when these are booked in advance.

2.    Allocate site surveys in batches wherever possible
Grouping by country is one way of planning, but you will achieve greater efficiency if a survey team can hit the South of France and Northern Italy in one go, whilst another team deals with Southern Italy and Greece for example. Applications like Microsoft AutoRoute can really help to cut down on travel time – it’s all about proximity!

3.    Work with your survey supplier and let them know the bigger picture.
Negotiations are always a complex process, but if you are 90% sure you will be taking a lease on the Continent, it can often work out cheaper in the long run to have it surveyed whilst the team are in the area; rather than paying for a dedicated visit later.

4.    Ensure that all the agents and store managers know that the survey team is coming.
European retail survey programmes are planned as time-efficiently as possible, waiting times do escalate if an access issue can’t quickly be resolved.

5.    Be flexible on the drawing return date.
Wherever possible, we try to draw up surveys in the evenings when surveying in Europe. However, where there are a lot of surveys to get through, or where the site is very large, it is invariably more cost-effective to draw up surveys back in the UK than in a hotel.

Obviously it’s not always about cost, but we believe it is important that our clients don’t pay any more than they need to, so if you are considering expansion into Europe and want to use a survey company you can trust, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Ross

The Land Registration Act of 2002 set out new requirements on how title and lease plans should be presented and what information they should contain. In fact, you can buy a compliant survey on the internet for as little as £100.

My question is  does this really represent good value to the owner of a commercial property? An individual or business  may require a number of different surveys to be undertaken during the lifecycle of the building, and like many things surveys are too often purchased on price and not value.

To answer this question you need to understand the value of the information that can be gained by commissioning an accurate survey at an early stage. You also need to consider the usefulness of your survey for the lifecycle of the building, not just for a single purpose such as conveyancing.

Preparing an accurate representation of the building, the land it sits on and it’s context,  may cost more than purchasing a lease plan from the internet, but by doing so you are actually creating a permanent digital record. This record can be added to and used again and again, saving you money over the longer term.

By creating an accurate digital drawing file you are also creating a central repository for storing vital information about the building. This can used by solicitors, tenants, facilities management, energy assessors, building surveyors, letting agents, architects, health and safety advisors and maintenance engineers. Surely this represents good value?
Mark

National Accounts Manager

mjohnson@cadesignservices.co.uk

At CADS, we often get enquiries from people who aren’t sure of whether they need a land survey, and what the land surveying process involves. I’m going to try to answer 3 of the most common questions regarding land surveying. If you have any other questions, leave a comment and I’ll get back to you…

Q1. What exactly is a land survey?

Land surveys could also be known as topographical surveys, topo surveys or level surveys and will look like a planametric birds-eye view of the site.

A land surveyor visits site, measuring and recording details of your land and all relevant features on it, then produces a scale drawing in either digital and/or paper copy format.

The end result of a land survey gives Architects, Developers, Authorities or land owners a set of accurate scale drawings, for anything from a single building plot project to a major city redevelopment scheme.

Q2 Do I need a land survey for development work on my house?

An accurate land survey of your grounds or plot will allow an architect or developer to take into account any structures, trees, plants, water features, level changes etc., when drawing up your proposals or designs.

Any of these features could affect design or development work and if they are not accurately recorded you could find yourself shelling out more money later on. Not something I’d advise in these frugal times!

Q3 How much will a land survey cost?

This is dependent upon three simple elements:

1. Geographic location
2. Size of the plot
3. Level of detail required.

All we would normally need from you in order to provide a quotation is a house name or number along with the post code and what the end use of the drawings will be… simple as that!

It may seem an unnecessary outlay, but consider the hassle, stress and additional cost that you could be faced with later on, and invest in a land survey!

I’m happy to answer any further questions regarding land surveys so please comment below, or if you’re feeling shy, send me an email at imortimer@cadesignservices.co.uk. You can also find out more on theTopographic and Land Surveying section of the C A Design Services website: www.cadesignservices.co.uk/surveying/topographic.php

Ian Mortimer
Survey Manager
CADS Surveys