Really great service from Dan at Ark; once instructed the survey was completed within 48 hours (on a Friday) and the report was with us on the Sunday evening. Very thorough report and Dan was immediat... See more
Company replied
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
See what reviewers are saying
Ark Surveyors no 3 survey was done in a timely and efficient manner and the surveyor Dan was happy to answer questions about the findings. Which enabled me to make a well informed decision about wheth... See more
Company replied
Appointment was booke in within days and we have received our level 3 report within a week. Report was very thorough and gave us a great insight. Plenty of pictures were included in the report which h... See more
Company replied
Patient and Helpful. Dan did our surveyor some time ago. As first time buyers, we did not know what to expect. The report produced was very comprehensive, well organised, and caught many details we... See more
Company replied
Company details
Information provided by various external sources
We are a team of Rics Surveyors and Valuers and we have expertise in Valuations (Help to Buy, Shared Ownership, Probate and CGT), Homebuyer and Building Surveys.
Contact info
27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, London, United Kingdom
- 02071181192
- info@arksurveyors.co.uk
- arksurveyors.co.uk
4.6
Excellent
332 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 2 weeks
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
Unprofessional, misleading and a waste of money
The surveyor seemed available where others weren't and there were many positive reviews, so we went ahead with the homebuyers' survey (plus a market valuation). The survey seemed to have been done to an acceptable degree of diligence and the report was OK (a few issues identified) although there was a lot of content that seemed cut-and-pasted from a standard report and which was not applicable to us. I had sent him some detailed information about the property, which he told me that he never reads before engaging with a property and which I found puzzling. While discussing the property on the phone after the survey was completed he asked for more money because the property was bigger than what he expected (even though I received a written quote on the basis of the address and size of the property and he had said he ignored my pre-survey information). I found this very unprofessional. Subsequently, the market valuation was a disaster and had nothing to do with the value of the property, which he "valued" at about half the amount it was actually on the market for. After a few back-and-forth emails where we were asked to provide "market information" and "valuation information from the mortgage provider" (so basically, to give him all the information we paid someone else for) to disprove his valuation, he persisted in claiming that the house was worth half the amount on the basis of comparable properties, which we pointed out were not comparable at all for obvious reasons (much smaller and older). Finally, we found out online that his accreditations only date from 2019 even though his website implies long experience and refers to a team of people rather than to an individual (the latter appears to be the reality). I would never engage this surveyor again despite the few positive features in our interactions and we are out of pocket hundreds of pounds because of the issues above, not to mention that the report was very overpriced. And at the end of the day, this ended up being one of the unpleasant, rip-off experiences that many homebuyers (especially inexperienced ones) go through and an example of why many people dread buying property.
FOLLOW UP - the surveyor reported me to Trustpilot for using his real name (even though it is in many of his positive reviews AND on his website!). You can easily find his name by looking for the company on the Companies House website. However, in his reply to my review he used my real name (and other personal information related to my property) without permission and would not take it down until forced to do so by Trustpilot. Talk about vindictiveness! Anyway, he has also been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office and to the surveyors' governing body (RICS).
15 May 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear DN
We write further to recent correspondence regarding your complaint in respect of the Level 2 Home Report conducted on 30th March 2022. We are sorry to learn you remain dissatisfied with the service provided and have undertaken a full review of the concerns you have raised. Following this further review, we would respond to the points raised as follows:
Pre-Survey Information
We note you are dissatisfied with the surveyor’s response that the information you provided pre-survey was not acknowledged. Whilst it is accepted it would have been courteous to acknowledge receipt of your request, much of the requested investigations are actually covered within the Level 2 Home Survey itself. Flooding and subsidence issues are only generally commented upon as this is an area usually covered by your legal advisor. Likewise, the reference to the possibility of the property being located in an area suffering from radon is also explained that this may not specifically relate to the subject property. It serves purely as a point of reference and possibility. There were no cut and paste as purported.
You are correct that two Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) have been issued for this property with different outcomes. The most recent EPC is the one which applies to the property, with an energy rating of D. These were undertaken by different energy assessing firms and you may wish to query this directly with either of them. We are unable to pass a comment upon another firm’s findings.
Valuation
We understand a valuer, acting on behalf of your mortgage lender, has valued the property for £1.95 million. We are not aware of the comparable evidence utilised to arrive at this valuation and therefore we are unable to comment in detail. However, it would seem likely the valuer has based the advice upon the property having six bedrooms, when you specifically requested a valuation from this company to be based upon four bedrooms/two attic rooms.
Whilst not wishing to go into further detail regarding comparable evidence examples that are available, it is important to note that the valuation advice provided took into account that the property may be suffering from structural movement. The Surveyor has clearly stated that the valuation advice can be revised following a report from a structural engineer if the structural movement is historic rather than ongoing. The Surveyor is not a structural engineer and is therefore concerned this may have an impact upon value. We understand no report has been provided for the Surveyor’s consideration so far.
Although comparable evidence obtained should be adjusted up or down, depending upon each example in comparison to the subject property, it is of relevance that many of the examples identified also benefit from double garages, which the subject property does not. This will have an impact upon the valuation, along with the loft conversion, which does not appear to have planning permission or building control authority. Notwithstanding, this additional space, along with the large plot, is of benefit to the property and has been given due consideration when arriving at the figure provided.
In this respect, valuing on the basis of square footage calculations alone must also be treated with caution. Although the property is located within a Conservation Area, other comparable examples which reflect higher values may be situated in more desirable locations. It is appreciated however, that Grange Street itself has not seen many properties being offered for sale in recent years, indicating this could also be a sought-after location due to lack of availability.
We would offer our assurance that the Surveyor has followed the guidance from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in arriving at the valuation figure and is willing to review this following the outcome of a structural engineer’s report. In the meantime, should any additional comparable evidence come to light that supports a higher figure, then this will be fully considered in any further review of the valuation.
Until such time as the Surveyor has had sight of a structural engineer’s report, the valuation advice remains unchanged. We trust you will appreciate our position in this regard and the reasoning why no amendment is proposed to the original advice at this stage.
We would offer our assurances that Ark Surveyors Limited are a team of independent RICS surveyors, whereby all our experienced surveyors are members of RICS and follow the guidance laid down for undertaking property surveys. Although you have raised concerns that the surveyor who inspected the property may have been inexperienced, we can confirm that this is not the case. Notably, we have received many favourable testimonials from satisfied customers over the years regarding his service, and we are sorry you have had cause to question his ability.
We trust this review of your concerns provides confidence the matter has been fully investigated and provides clarification for the basis of the valuation advice given.
Yours sincerely
Ark Surveyors Limited
Our surveyor was fantastic
Our surveyor was fantastic communicator. He explained how it works and how he came to the report. Highly recommended!
5 September 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Susumu
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Kind regards
Ark Surveyors
Dan was excellent all round
Dan was excellent all round! Timely communication, fast booking, thorough report with a phone call summary on the day and follow up phone call to discuss the full report.
12 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Madeleine,
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating. We are happy to know that you enjoyed your experience with us. We always remain at your disposal and look forward to seeing you again next time when you would need our help.
Kind regards, Ark Surveyors
Professional and thorough service
Dan was professional, thorough and maintained good communication throughout. Definitely recommend.
4 August 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Paulo
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Kind regards
Ark Surveyors
Very informative
Very informative, level 3 home survey all done and received on time, a great service, will recommend 👌
20 August 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Thank Carl and Emma for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey. Kind regards Ark Surveyors
Excellent service
Excellent service. The survey was carried out promptly and I was happy with the report that I received. I would recommend them for their speed and efficiency as well as affordable price.
17 August 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Ebenezer, Thank you so much for the 5-star rating. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed your experience with us. We always remain at your disposal and look forward to seeing you again on your next purchase. Kind regards, Ark Surveyors
Thorough, efficient and helpful
Thank you so much for your help. The survey was organised promptly and efficiently. Dan was very thorough and easy to communicate with. The report was clear and extremely useful. Would recommend.
16 August 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Lucy
Thank you for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey. Regards Ark Surveyors
We are very lucky to have Dan as our…
We are very lucky to have Dan as our surveyor. He provided a great report and has given us very sound advises on our purchase. Will definitely use him again the in future.
7 August 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Thank you Ye and Michael for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. Its been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey.
Dan was very professional and provided detailed survey report
It was great to contact Dan from Ark Surveyors Ltd for Level 2 Homebuyer Report Survey for our new property. His quote price was within our budget and better than other surveyors in same level. The survey appointment was booked soon and we didnt have to wait much longer to get the report. Dan also gave us a summary over phone and answered all my queries in details. The report was very detailed with pictures included. It was like a second viewing for us. I would highly recommend Ark Surveyors for Level 2 survey of new home.
24 July 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Arijit
Thank you both for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey. Kind regards Ark Surveyors
Home buyers level 2 report
Detailed report and quick turn around from the time we first spoke to receiving our report
19 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Sylvester and Claudia
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed your experience with us. We always remain at your disposal and look forward to seeing you again on your next purchase.
Kind regards
Ark Surveyors
Waste of time and money!
Poor service, not willing to look at comparable evidences for a review of their valuation. Evidences provided to the Surveyor are all available from public domain and land registry and available at the time of the valuation, despite the fact that these were more recently sold properties, they refused to consider but used outdated sales from previous year for their valuation. Surveyor failed to follow guidelines of my Housing association for a valuation. Waste of time and money!
Lack of experience in the domain. Have since instructed a different company.
"The best evidence of value is always what has been sold and registered by HM Land Registry." - Which is why I had provided not 1 but 2 more properties within 0.1 miles nextdoor sold this year, as opposed to the comparables you have used from last year!
The reason is not because I wanted to pay my housing assoc. less and you are well aware that I had communicated to you that Nationwide did their own valuation as a lender and they would not be willing to lend for the inflated value you have came up with as your comparables are not holding grounds!
Some of your comments are accusatory and it's such a shame!
16 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Response following an upated review on the 20/09/22
Dear Ashley
Thank you for taking the time to comment on the service we have provided to you.
I can confirm that you first left a five-star review on the 16thof July 2022 commending the service that you had received From Ark surveyors. A response was subsequently issued on the 17th of July for your five-starreview. Our respose can be seen below
You made contact with the Ark via email on the 5th,6th, 11th 12th 13th, 16th,and 20th of September 2022 in an attempt to negotiate a lower valuation because you wanted to pay less to your Shared ownership scheme. You had stated that another property had sold for a lot lower than your flat and hencethe reason why you wanted a lower valuation.
The surveyor made some enquiries and the agent advised that the property was under offer and had not yet been exchanged. Your shared ownership scheme Nothing Hill Genesis has also confirmed in writing that they agree with our survey’s valuation method. The best evidence of value is always what has beensold and registered by HM Land Registry.
It should also be borne in mind that valuation advice is provided in accordance with the standards set out by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) which demonstrates the best practice for providing valuation advice. This makes clear to Valuers the approach for valuations and refers to the comparable method of valuation, how comparable evidence should be used, and consideration is given to form an opinion of value. It is, therefore, open to interpretation, and valuation advice will often be subjective. However, that is not to say the opinion of value is negotiable. Regretfully we do not consider the information you have given represents sufficient evidence to support an amendment/lower valuation to the advice originally given.
This has been communicated to you and how comparable are selected. You also received a call from our surveyor as part of our client care and this call lasted for over 40 minutes. It’s a shame that you have gone in and edited your five-star review given on the 16th of July 2022.
Regards
Ark Surveyors
Our Response on the 17/07/22 - Following your five star review
Dear Ashley
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the best.
Kind regards
Ark Surveyors
I am disappointed with the survey…
I am disappointed with the survey report since most of the points are vague and suggesting to consult specialists.
15 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Naraynnan
Thank you for your recent email/review regarding the Level 2 Home Survey Report provided to you by Ark Surveyors Ltd. We are sorry it has been necessary for you to contact us in this regard and understand you have raised concerns with regard to the scope of the inspection/services for which we have recommended further investigation. Following a review of your concerns, we can offer the following clarification:
1. We have spoken to Sam Conveyancing who took the booking on our behalf, and we are reliably informed that you were not mislead as to what you may have understood regarding the services inspection. I also sent you our terms and conditions together with the RICS Level-2 Home buyer survey description which you accepted and returned to us.
2. Furthermore, it is stated within the RICS description of a Level two survey that we do not carry out specialist tests and only conduct visual inspections. The visual inspection cannot assess the efficiency or safety of the gas, electric, plumbing, etc.
3. Your dissatisfaction is mainly to do with the services, and the surveyor spent 37 minutes with you on the 9th of July 2022 as part of our client care trying to help you understand your report and the limitations imposed. The report is very comprehensive and clearly gives you an overall opinion and other significant areas that you must address before committing to purchase.
4. The points you have raised can be clarified by a further investigation by specialist engineers. Services such as heating, electricity, plumbing, and drainage are only inspected visually by the Surveyor where it is possible to do so. I was not able to test these services and the comments in the sample report are not much different from what I have mentioned in my report.
5. Ark Surveyor did not promise you that the services were going to be tested and we did not have any contact with you until the instruction was sent to us. Your response to our questionnaire dated the 26th of June 2022 indicated that you were only concerned about the roof and no mention of services either. As such we would not have been able to pre-warn you and nevertheless you had sigh of our terms and RICS description of the scope of the survey.
6. There is no RICS surveyors who can or are qualified to test the services and our opinion as directed by RICS has not changed either.
Kind regards
Ark Surveyors.
Dan he was very good and professional…
Dan he was very good and professional He carried the work very nicely. He is very gentle man polite and respectable man.this is my first time I met him we get on very well again very nice man no complain at all
11 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Makalay
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Kind regards Ark Surveyors
Dan was very communicative and the…
Dan was very communicative and the report very thorough
5 July 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Robert
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Regards
DArk Surveyors
Dealing with Dan was a pleasure
Dealing with Dan was a pleasure. Very professional, great customer service and his survey was very detailed and helpful. Would highly recommend
24 June 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Lucyna
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Excellent service.
We have been very happy with the great and in-depth analysis we have received from Dan. His report highlighted many issues that we would have not discovered otherwise. Dan has been very approachable and answered all our questions in a very timely fashion. We can highly recommend Dan.
22 June 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Miriam
Thank you both for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey. Ark Surveyors.
Great job,good communication
Great job,good communication, Dan was great what he was doing .If you want job done properly Dan will be the your best survey in town.Thank you Dan.
21 June 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Nihal
Thank you both for choosing Ark Surveyors and for your kind words of review. It’s been an absolute pleasure for us to have delivered your expectations in our professional capacity. We value your business and wish you all the best in your property journey.
Patient and Helpful.
Patient and Helpful.
Dan did our surveyor some time ago. As first time buyers, we did not know what to expect. The report produced was very comprehensive, well organised, and caught many details we would have otherwise missed. More importantly, Dan was also willing to get on a couple of calls to briefly discuss the report and its critical findings. We would recommend homebuyers to go to him for their surveys!
21 June 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear TK Hay
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
I thought Ark Surveyors were great
I thought Ark Surveyors were great. Got through to the team very swiftly each time, followed up with courtesy calls. Arranged a date very quickly and the follow up call was very informative. The report came back quickly and was extremely detailed too. All in all a good experience and would use again if need be or recommend
12 June 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Gemma
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Great job
Great job, timely and accurate and amazing service from Dan. Highly recommended.
26 May 2022
Reply from Ark Surveyors Limited
Dear Fabio
We are incredibly pleased to have met your expectation whilst providing an excellent service. Thank you once again for choosing Ark Surveyors and please share your experience with your friends, and anyone who may require our services. We wish you all the absolute best with your purchase.
Regards Ark Surveyors
The Trustpilot Experience
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.