How did you chose your surveyor?

[Glasspen]

Just that really - we aren't getting a mortgage and we don't live in the place we are buying in - so can't tap local knowledge.

Call up a local estate agent, they'll have someone they recommend.

@HouseyHouse21

Call up a local estate agent, they'll have someone they recommend.

I was looking for someone more independent - thoughts are the surveyor who finds problems, is not a surveyor who would be recommended by the estate agent.

Ring them up!

When we were moving to a new area and needed an additional survey we checked on the RICS website www.ricsfirms.com/ for firms in the area and then checked on the firms' websites.

Finally we rang up our shortlist of five to check availability and cost and to gain a general impression of the company; we were reassured to be put through to actual surveyors to discuss our requirements in most cases

We also asked our estate agent for his recommendation - he came up with a similar list to those that we found ourselves. Estate agents arent all acting as conspirators against buyers - its not in their interests to recommend a bad surveyor and on some level you have to trust a surveyor commissioned independently to act as a professional.

We got quotes through Really Moving. Haven't accepted any yet but at least it gave us an indication of charges.

Google? Check reviews on various websites eg Google. So check they're RICS registered.

I found mine though RICS. Basically just read reviews and their website. I ended up with a really small firm of 4 surveyors, all of whome have cv on LinkedIn so I can vet them in advance