Civilised Surveying Services Ltd - Bedford

Zainab

I would highly recommend Nick from Civilised Surveying - Nick was very easy to communicate with and explained the different areas of the survey in a straightforward manner which made a world of a difference in comparison to other surveyors who can leave you feeling lost in word jargon.

The report provided was very detailed and Nick was willing to go over any areas that I did not completely understand which was great. I was also very impressed with how areas in the report were supported by photographic evidence - again adding to the clarity of the survey.

Further, Nick was really prompt in arranging for the survey to be carried out and my report was emailed to me within a week which was brilliant.

I look forward to using Nick's services again in the future.

Paul B.

We've used Nick to survey 2 properties for us and he has been great, he got in touch with the agent and arranged a time that was convenient for the owners which is always helpful and provided a very thorough report that gave us confidence in the property we were purchasing. We'll definitely use him again if we purchase another property locally.

Adam W.

Good Survey but Let Down by Poor Management

We purchased a Level 3 survey, which took place on January 3rd, and received the completed report on January 26th. While this may be a typical timeframe, the process of getting there was frustrating and stressful due to the poor communication and mismanagement by Nick, the surveyor.

We had to call for updates on five separate occasions because Nick repeatedly set deadlines and then failed to meet them. Each time, we had to chase him for an update. On Wednesday, January 22nd, he confirmed the report was complete and just needed a final proofread, promising it would be sent by the end of the day. However, by Thursday, I still hadn’t received anything. I called again, and he assured me it would be sent by the end of the day.

By Friday, I had still not received the report. When I called yet again, he claimed he had sent it but that it must have been blocked due to the file size. Given the lack of communication and mismanagement up to that point, I found this explanation hard to believe. As a company that sends surveys regularly, they should surely be aware of any file size limitations. He then said he would resend it later that evening when he was back in the office, which left me questioning why it would take so long to simply resend a file. He also promised to call me to confirm I had received it.

Saturday arrived, and still, nothing. I called, but there was no answer. Frustrated, I sent a complaint email, requesting the report by 10 a.m. on Monday, a refund, and a new point of contact, as I no longer wanted to deal with Nick due to the lack of trust.

On Sunday, I finally received the report from him via email. He didn’t acknowledge my complaint, simply writing, “Apologies for the wait.” He also instructed me to "delete any version I’ve previously received," which further reinforced my belief that he hadn’t actually sent anything before Sunday.

It’s a shame because the report itself was very thorough, and Nick is clearly a skilled surveyor. However, his repeated failure to meet deadlines, broken promises, and lack of communication made the experience unnecessarily stressful. If he had just been honest about needing more time from the start, it would have been understandable. Instead, he repeatedly set unrealistic expectations and failed to deliver, which ultimately damaged my trust in the company.

Carina D.

We used Civilised Surveying Services Ltd. Nick was absolutely fantastic. He was very thorough and explain everything about the survey. If we decide to move again, will definitely use Nick 👍🏻👍🏻

Richard R.

This is not the first time I've used Nick's services at Civilised Surveying Services and as on previous occasions, a very thorough survey and equally detailed report produced with a helpful post visit de-brief to ensue my understanding of the more technical points. Highly recommended.

claire L.

This is the second time I've used CSS. Nick and Chloe are always very thorough and explain what we need to know in great detail. Highly recommend.

Eden J.

Civilised surveying services helped us immensely. Great report and great communication with a knowledgeable insight into our new home - I highly recommend Nick and the team

Simon E.

Nick performed an extremely comprehensive survey of a period house we are planning to purchase; a complex job due to multiple extensions having been performed over time. He was also very quick answer follow up questions in a very informative manner. The price was also extremely competitive.