Tony Lewis Frics Chartered Surveyor

Independent Chartered Surveyor based in Darlington. Working in the residential property markets of North Yorkshire, County Durham, Cleveland and Tyne and Wear.

I am an independent Chartered Surveyor based in Darlington. I have spent the whole of my career working in the residential property markets of North Yorkshire, County Durham, Cleveland and Tyne and Wear.

I aim to offer a personal but wholly professional service to my clients, grounded in my long experience and clear understanding of the local residential property markets, and the particular idiosyncrasies of the many and varied constructional types of dwelling that make up those markets.

I prize my independence – I have no business connection to any estate agent, insurance company or other body apart from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

RICS Home Surveys
RICS provide surveyors with several different standard survey types designed to meet a broad range of client needs in the field of economic, concise and easy to understand survey reports. These are:
RICS HomeBuyer Report (Survey and Valuation)

The best known of these reports is the (Level 2) RICS HomeBuyer Report (Survey and Valuation). The ‘HomeBuyer’ has been the staple mid-range survey product for some considerable time. It is a proven and well-designed service meeting the needs of the majority of house buying clients for the majority of house types.

The service includes an inspection of the property, the provision of a report and a valuation allowing the client to:

• make an informed decision on whether to go ahead with buying the property
• make an informed decision on what is a reasonable price to pay for the property
• take account of any repairs or replacements the property needs; and
• consider what further advice you should take before committing to purchase the property.

The HomeBuyer is not suitable for all property types. It is not appropriate for very large, unusually dilapidated, complex or older property types.

Building Surveys
A Building Survey is a bespoke survey product designed around the client’s particular needs and is carefully matched to the requirements of the subject building. It is suited to larger, more complex, older, perhaps listed buildings, or those in particular disrepair or having some peculiarity in their constructional type.

Valuations
Market Valuations of residential property are required for a wide variety of purposes, these include:

• Purchase (including as a Market Valuation Appendix to a Building Survey);
• Sale;
• Matrimonial;
• Legal dispute;
• Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax

All these and most other valuations must be compiled in full accordance with RICS Valuation – Global Standards 2017 commonly known as the RICS Red Book.

Lease Extension and Freehold Enfranchisement
Lease extension and enfranchisement are highly complex matters. You may also wish to review The Lease Advisory website. Lease is Government funded independent advice on residential leasehold. If you own a flat or are considering purchasing one then you will find that you almost certainly own, or will own, a leasehold interest rather than a freehold. Almost all flats are leasehold.

The length of the remaining lease is of particular importance. A short lease, in fact anything below 100 years, adversely affects value and the value of the flat reduces year on year as the lease term reduces. Eventually, when there is no term left it is worth nothing.

Help to Buy
With a Help to Buy: Equity Loan the Government lends the purchaser up to 20% of the cost of the newly built home, so the purchaser only needs a 5% cash deposit and a 75% mortgage to make up the rest. The purchaser is not charged interest on the 20% loan over the first five years.

Help to Buy is, in effect, an artificial subsidy that increases the prices of new homes to levels that they would otherwise be unable to achieve – but that is a separate issue! At the end of five years interest is charged on the equity loan and most owners decide to buy out the remaining equity share with cash or by remortgaging. This is referred to as ‘stair casing out’.

Expert Witness
I am highly experienced in the field of Expert Witness reporting. This is a specialist field where Expert reports and representation are required in the process or anticipation of legal proceedings. Such reports are prepared in accordance with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 and its Practice Direction or Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and its Practice Direction for matrimonial and related cases and Surveyors Acting as Expert Witnesses (RICS Practice Statement and Guidance Note) 4th Edition.

Where valuation opinions are included in these reports they are prepared and reported in accordance with the RICS Valuation- Global Standards (the Red Book) requirements and procedures.

I have produced very many expert reports across a wide range of residential property related matters. I have given oral evidence in County Court and High Court proceedings. Expert representation is normally charged on an hourly rate.