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Do I Really Need a Chartered Surveyor When Selling?

Thu 19 Jun 2025

George Scriven BSc (Hons), FNAEA, AssocRICS, Director

Do I Really Need a Chartered Surveyor When Selling?

If you’re preparing to sell your home or investment property, you may already have your checklist: choose an agent, set the price, prepare for viewings, and appoint a solicitor. But one question that often arises—particularly with less straightforward sales—is: “Do I really need a chartered surveyor?”

The simple answer is no, a chartered surveyor is not a legal requirement to sell a property. However, if you want accuracy, credibility, and peace of mind throughout your sale, then the more considered answer is yes.

Here’s how working with a RICS Chartered Surveyor, such as those at Scriven & Co, can offer significant advantages when selling your property.

1. Accurate and Professional Valuations

Estate agents can provide a market appraisal based on recent sales in the area and current trends. But a chartered surveyor brings a regulated, professional approach to valuation, which is especially valuable when the market is shifting or when your property is out of the ordinary.

As RICS-qualified surveyors, we base valuations on:

  • Detailed market evidence, including sales data from the Land Registry

  • The condition and construction type of the property

  • Legal considerations such as lease terms or covenants

  • Planning permissions or restrictions that affect the value

  • Comparable local sales and yield assessments (for investment properties)

If your property is unusual in design, has been significantly altered, is part of a shared ownership or leasehold arrangement, or is located in an area where property values vary widely from street to street, a surveyor’s input can make all the difference between a realistic sale and months of delays.

2. Our Reports Are Trusted by Professionals

RICS Chartered Surveyors are held to strict professional and ethical standards, which means our reports are not only detailed but also recognised and accepted by lenders, solicitors, tax advisors, and public bodies.

For example:

  • If the property is part of an estate being sold after probate, HMRC will require a formal valuation.

  • If the property sale involves separation or divorce, solicitors may need a formal Red Book valuation.

  • If there are capital gains tax implications (for instance, on a second home or investment property), a RICS valuation may be used in tax reporting.

Using a qualified, regulated valuer protects you from potential disputes or challenges later on in the process.

3. Pre-Empting Buyer Concerns

One of the most frustrating experiences for a seller is having a sale fall through at survey stage. Buyers will often appoint their own surveyor, and any unexpected findings—whether major or minor—can lead to renegotiations, delays, or a complete collapse of the sale.

By working with a surveyor before listing, or early in the process, you can:

  • Identify issues such as damp, movement, roof condition, or outdated electrics

  • Understand how these issues may affect market value

  • Plan how to deal with any findings—whether through repair, pricing, or disclosure

This proactive approach can make you a more informed and confident seller, and in some cases, may even allow you to command a stronger asking price by addressing potential concerns early.

4. We Offer More Than Just Valuations

At Scriven & Co, our role as chartered surveyors goes beyond simply assessing the value of a property. We also offer specialist advice and support on a range of matters that often arise during or prior to a sale, including:

  • Lease extension advice, which can affect saleability and value

  • Boundary disputes or queries about land ownership

  • Party wall matters, if works have been carried out on or near a shared boundary

  • Development potential, particularly for homes with large plots or outbuildings

  • Commercial sale support, including rent reviews and investment assessments

This breadth of service means we can assist not only with your immediate sale, but also with strategic decisions that may affect your long-term return.

5. Local Expertise, Chartered Standards

Scriven & Co have been operating in the Quinton, Halesowen, Oldbury, and surrounding areas for decades. As a long-standing firm of RICS-regulated chartered surveyors, we combine in-depth local market knowledge with a professional, ethical, and qualified approach to property advice.

When you instruct us, you're not just getting a number. You're getting a considered, evidence-based view rooted in current legislation, regulation, and local insight—designed to support a successful and informed sale.

Final Thoughts

So, do you need a chartered surveyor to sell your property?
Technically, no. But if you want to sell confidently, accurately, and professionally—particularly if your sale is not entirely straightforward—then working with a chartered surveyor can offer significant benefits.

From valuation and legal documentation to pre-sale advice and specialist support, a RICS surveyor adds real value to your sale journey.

If you’re thinking of selling and would like to arrange a no-obligation discussion or formal valuation, please get in touch with the team at Scriven & Co. We’re here to help.