Thomas James Residential Reviews 

Stole my hard earned money,full of lies and empty promises.

This man is disgusting.
He conducted a survey on my home, he called me several times before the day he was due, almost acting like my pal, kind of weird.

Walked round with nothing but a notepad which he then scribbled in like a 5 year old. Zero other equipment and just took terrible pictures, mainly of the windows and access areas which seemed suspicious and made me feel uncomfortable.

He smelt as though he hasn’t washed for a very long time, personal hygiene didn’t exist. His clothes were covered in what looked like bird poo and the whole experience was just awful.

He never produced a report for the buyers, just met up with them and terrified them about made up problems.
Yet, called me after they apparently met up for lunch, to say he’d spoke to them and “everything was sweet”.
What came next in my sale was very stressful, because of his whole ordeal.

I’ve never experienced dealing with someone so rogue and unprofessional. It was dishonest and frankly, fraudulent behaviour.
I doubt he’s even a surveyor.

This same person also had a business called Tothill Residential but the business was suspended by the RICS association.
Home Estate Agents recommended this man and they should not be, he is a fraud.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!

Please never use Thomas Tothill. We paid him for a survey and we have never received the report. He has ignored all our calls and emails. We have given him over 2 months to come back to us. Also please note that he has been suspended by the RICS Assocation. Also check out Companies House.

DO NOT USE THIS GUY. SCAMMER BE AWARE OF HIM. Use below info to report him, and get your money back if you dispute him

Thomas Tothill
RICS no: 6672899
Firm: Thomas James Residential
Company no: 09424219
Company Address: 30 High Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, OX16 5ER
Dissolved: 29th June 2021

Has 2nd business that's bust
Tothill Residential Surveying
Company number 14015438

Address: The Library, Minerva Centre, Burnham Road, Mundon, CM9 6NP

Scam. Please avoid him and any of his other company names. He collected the full money for the home buyer survey and didn’t provide a report or the survey. Very disappointing and now reading all the previous messages, I can only imagine how many scams he was able to pull off. He is also now suspended from the RICS and I hope he is not allowed to practice as a surveyor in future too. This is unacceptable.

Previously known as Tothill Residential Surverying. Took money from me Oct 25 and barely contactable after and of course didn't carry out the work like many others since have found out since.

We commissioned Thomas to undertake a survey on a property we are buying, following lots of messages and sending payment, we finally met Thomas at the property on the 14/03/26. He was apologetic about his dress style (Jeans & T-shirt) he said he had been driving all day and was on his way home to Burnham-on-crouch
We walked around the house together and he seemed knowledgeable about his service, he even used AI to show us different styles we could do to the house, he left us feeling confident with his service.
Since the 14/03 following several messages and phone calls saying it’s being processed, we still have not received our survey and all correspondence from Thomas has stopped (very disappointed)
We would advise to avoid and go with another company

I commissioned this company for a RICS L2 which was recommended up be upgraded to a L3. The communication was shocking. We had arranged two evenings calls that we never received and no answers to messages asking if they were still due. The date of the inspection was changed and we weren’t told and it took multiple unanswered messages and eventual contact from our estate agent to receive the report. I would advise against using them.

NO SURVEY OR REFUND PROVIDED.

Thomas was paid in advance for a survey that was meant to be completed in the beginning of March.
On multiple occasions, the survey needed to be rescheduled due to issues such as illness, car recovery and family emergencies.
Communication reduced significantly and I had to do lots of chasing.
I gave Thomas a deadline of today (Friday 17th April 2926) or my money but he never got back to me.
Do not use this company.

I instructed a residential property survey whilst the company was operating as Tothill Residential Surveying. Payment was made in advance and, once payment had been received, communication reduced significantly.

Unfortunately, the service provided fell significantly below the standard expected. The survey report contained inaccuracies, part of the property was not surveyed at all, and there were multiple communication failures throughout the process, including a pre-survey call that was never carried out and financial reimbursement for the shortcomings of the service which was not fulfilled.

A formal complaint has been upheld by an independent dispute resolution process, with findings that the service fell below professional standards and caused avoidable inconvenience and financial detriment. Compensation was recommended. Despite this, payment has not been made and the matter remains unresolved. We are now considering legal action to retrieve the money owed.

Since raising the complaint, the company appears to have ceased trading under its previous name and may now be operating under a different name. I am aware that reviews relating to the company under its previous trading name are no longer readily available. I would encourage anyone considering their services to carry out thorough checks and proceed with caution.

Tom recently carried out a RICS Level 2 survey for me, and I was very impressed with his professionalism and efficiency throughout the process. He was punctual, thorough, and clearly very knowledgeable, taking the time on-site to ensure everything was carefully assessed.

Although I am still waiting for the final report, my experience so far has been extremely positive. Tom made the whole process feel straightforward and stress-free, which I really appreciated.

Based on this experience alone, I have already recommended him to my cousin, who is about to purchase a house. I would not hesitate to recommend Tom to anyone else in need of a reliable and efficient surveyor.

*SEE UPDATE 6th May below:

I instructed and paid £1,000 for a Level 3 survey package, including valuation, drone inspection, damp test and rebuild cost. After payment, I was told the Level 3 was “overkill” and that only a Level 2 would be done instead. I did not agree to that downgrade. Given the age and nature of the property, I had specifically instructed a full structural review. It is also my understanding that only around 30 minutes was spent at the property. Based on advice I have since received from chartered surveyors, around 30 minutes would not be considered sufficient for a property of this nature or for a survey of this level.

I was also promised follow-up calls, a quick turnaround, and a refund. The follow-up did not happen, communication became very poor, and I had to chase repeatedly. A full refund was eventually agreed in writing, but it was then delayed and only partly returned at first.

Another major red flag was that, when requested, no complaints-handling procedure was provided, no Professional Indemnity Insurance details were provided, and I was unable to verify any current ombudsman or redress scheme membership. What concerns me further is that this experience appears consistent with concerns raised publicly under the earlier Tothill Residential Surveying / TRS name, which is also referred to on the current review page.

I am now following up with RICS and all other appropriate routes, including legal action. My review is based on my own direct experience, documents and correspondence, and on that basis I would strongly advise others to keep everything in writing and proceed with extreme caution.

***UPDATE***

6 May 2026: Following no resolution, I have now filed a County Court claim against Tothill Residential Surveying Ltd (trading as Thomas James Residential) and submitted a formal complaint to RICS Regulation. I have also objected to the company being struck off at Companies House. If you have had a similar experience, I strongly encourage you to do the same — file a claim at gov uk, make-court-claim-for-money. Report to RICS. And object to the strike-off at gov uk object-to-a-company-being-struck-off. Don't let it go.

couldnt recommend him enough, bent over backwards to help me out and really explained a the process to me as i didn't have a clue. honestly one of the nicest guys

When I was looking for an RICS surveyor my Grandson immediately recommended Thomas James residential he has used him in a buisness capacity many times. He wasn’t wrong . Tom was excellent . Very professional from start to finish . Was on time kept me informed throughout the whole process and even came back and took photos of the whole property for me. Also extremely competitive. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone you won’t go wrong .

Thomas was extremely helpful and professional throughout the whole process. He assessed the property thoroughly and took the time to explain everything in plain terms, which I really appreciated. His report was clear, detailed and helped me properly understand what was causing the issues in the property, which allowed me to ensure they were addressed and resolved correctly.
I’m very grateful for the time and care he put into the survey - he really went the extra mile. His independent assessment has been incredibly helpful and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Thomas to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and trustworthy RICS surveyor.

Great experience with Tom, very quick in response and very helpful, would definately recommend

I instructed Thomas James Residential to carry out a Level 3 Home Survey on a period property in Chelmsford.

The report was thorough, very detailed and highlighted a few serious issues that we had not considered.

We were able to meet him at the house when he had finished the survey which my wife and I found very useful

I have recommended the service to my family and friends and will continue to do so

This bloke is a scammer. DO NOT USE!

Stole my money when operating as Tothill Residential Surveyors.

Have reported him to the Essex police for fraud.

Save your money and go somewhere else!

Below is a review he had banned as illegal or harmful of his original company Tothill Residential Surveyors.

He is now attempting to block out all negative reviews.

DO NOT USE!
Booked a survey in August and over 2 months later he still hadn’t carried it out despite being paid immediately upon the invoice being sent over.

I asked for a refund and he has promised to fully refund many times but as of today still hasn’t paid.

Has about 3 different addresses linked to his company but no clear office address as I wanted to personally go and speak to him/them.

Have begun the complaints procedure through the RCIS in a hope to get this company to pay up what is owed.

Update on 26/12/25

Still no money returned and have informed the police as I believe he does this with zero intent on completing the job which is illegal.

Update 14/3/26

He has since blamed me for him not refunding me because of my reviews. States he is not getting any work because people read this and luckily walk away before they to are robbed of £450.
Has also reported this review for harmful or illegal content.

Still no refund!

Update 02/4/26

Still no money and now won’t answer my calls or messages.

Update 04/4/26

Finally received my full refund just shy of 10 months after paying for the survey.

I don't often write reviews on trustpilot but I felt compelled to write the truth about my recent experience (agreed on Monday, and I had the report by Wednesday fyi).

Excellent experience with Thomas James Residential for a level 3 survey as a first time buyer. Thomas was professional, approachable and provided a comprehensive report that helped me make an informed decision on what work needs to be carried out after completion.

He highlighted issues but also stressed what was critical giving me peace of mind. Great consistent communication throughout the process, giving me a high level summary prior to the report being completed (which I must say was rapid). My dad is a sparky and he confirmed that the report was thorough. Thomas and I also talked through the report so even after the service was done, he went above and beyond.

Highly recommended and I genuinely would not hesitate to use again in the future. Your support was much appreciated.