Summary

Sarah Tanner, associate director at Stanley and Strong, joins me to talk all things party wall surveying. From her unconventional career journey to the realities of fees, disputes, and neighbour relations, this episode lifts the lid on one of the most misunderstood areas of surveying.

What we cover

• How Sarah became a party wall surveyor
• What triggers the Party Wall Act
• Consent, dissent, and what they really mean
• Party wall fees and what “reasonable” looks like
• Communication, conflict, and emotional intelligence
• Women in party wall surveying
• Advice for homeowners and surveyors

Guest links

• Sarah Tanner on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-tanner-40a57976/
• Stanley and Strong – https://stanleystrong.co.uk/

Useful links

• SurvPal software https://survpal.co.uk/
• Party Wall Surveying – https://fpws.org.uk/

Guest Bio

Sarah Tanner is an associate director at Stanley and Strong, a specialist firm of party wall surveyors. With over a decade of experience in party wall matters, Sarah entered the profession through an unconventional route, progressing from PA to surveyor with the support of strong mentorship. She is known for her practical approach, firm views on fair fees, and her emphasis on communication and collaboration in resolving disputes.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

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Summary

In this episode of This Is Surveying, Nina Young speaks with Rosie Wills, a chartered construction manager and ASSOC RICS surveyor based in North Devon.

Rosie shares her journey from over ten years in social housing into private residential surveying. We discuss damp and mould, peer review, Level 2 surveys, estate agent relationships, vendor surveys, pricing transparency, and why collaboration matters across the UK surveying profession.

This is a practical conversation about raising standards, reducing complaints, and building trust in residential surveying.

What We Cover

• Rosie’s route into surveying and chartered construction management
• Damp and mould expertise and building pathology
• The transition from housing to private practice
• Peer review between surveyors
• Understanding the RICS Home Survey Standard
• Working constructively with estate agents
• Vendor surveys and pre-sale strategies
• Transparent pricing and website improvements
• Complaints handling and professional risk
• Collaboration across UK surveyors

Guest Links

Rosie Wills LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-e-wills/
Nova Surveyors – https://novasurveyors.co.uk

Useful Links

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – https://www.rics.org/

Guest Bio

Rosie Wills is a chartered construction manager and Assoc RICS surveyor based in North Devon. She spent over ten years working in social housing, developing specialist expertise in damp and mould and building pathology. Rosie now works in private practice delivering residential property surveys, including Level 2 and Level 3 home surveys, alongside specialist defect investigations. She is passionate about collaboration, peer review, professional standards, and improving trust in the surveying profession.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

Summary

In this episode I’m joined by commercial property surveyor and Property Elite co-founder Rachel Saint. We talk about APC pathways, the Senior Professional route, and why structured support matters so much for UK surveyors at every stage.

Rachel shares how she went from secretary to chartered surveyor, built a career in landlord and tenant and retail consultancy, and then pivoted into training surveyors across a huge range of pathways. We dig into the reality of the RICS APC, how to choose the right route for you, and what good mentoring and counselling actually looks like in practice.

What we cover

• Rachel’s unconventional route into surveying and early years in residential block management
• Moving into commercial property, retail consultancy and mixed use development
• Setting up Property Elite and the surge in demand for support during COVID
• How diverse the surveying profession really is, and why that makes APC complex
• Choosing the right APC pathway and competencies for your actual work
• The role and challenges of APC counsellors and supervisors
• Why structured support is harder in smaller or non-surveying organisations
• The three alternative RICS routes, including Senior Professional, and who they suit
• Senior Professional interviews, leadership and management-focused competencies
• Why valuation is both science and art, and why you still need to get out and see property
• Market myths about people “giving up” on APC, and why the picture is more nuanced
• Free resources and newsletters from Property Elite for APC candidates

Guest links

• Property Elite website: https://www.property-elite.co.uk/
• Rachel Saint on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-saint-1103b09/

Useful links

• LionHeart charity for surveyors: https://www.lionheart.org.uk/

Guest bio

Rachel Saint is a chartered commercial property surveyor with over 30 years of experience across landlord and tenant, retail agency, and retail and mixed use development. She started her career in residential block management before moving into commercial work, advising on shops, supermarkets and wider retail strategy. Rachel is the co-founder and owner of Property Elite, a specialist training and mentoring business that supports surveyors through RICS routes to qualification, including APC, Associate and Senior Professional routes. She now spends most of her time helping UK and international surveyors navigate pathways, competencies and assessments, and is particularly passionate about making the process accessible for candidates who do not have structured in-house support.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn