These Terms of Service govern the provision of surveying and valuation services by Oxford Surveyor. By instructing us or using our website, you agree to these terms. Please read them carefully. These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
1. Definitions
In these Terms:
- "Oxford Surveyor", "we", "our", "us" means the professional surveying firm trading as Oxford Surveyor.
- "Client", "you", "your" means the person or organisation instructing us for services.
- "Report" means any survey report, valuation, letter or formal written advice we produce.
- "Property" means the land or building that is the subject of our services.
- "RICS" means the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
2. Our Services
Oxford Surveyor provides independent professional surveying, valuation and inspection services for residential and commercial properties in Oxford and Oxfordshire. Our services include, but are not limited to:
- RICS Level 2 Home Surveys (HomeBuyer Reports)
- RICS Level 3 Building Surveys
- RICS Red Book Valuations
- New Build Snagging Surveys
- Party Wall Surveys and Awards
- Defect Investigation Reports
- Expert Witness Reports
The specific scope of each instruction will be confirmed in our engagement letter prior to the survey being carried out.
3. Instructions and Acceptance
A contract for services is formed when you confirm your instruction to us in writing (including by email) and we accept that instruction in writing. We reserve the right to decline instructions at our discretion.
You must provide us with accurate information about the property and your requirements. We rely on the information you provide in preparing our proposal and carrying out the survey. Inaccurate or incomplete information may affect the scope and conclusions of our report.
4. Fees and Payment
Our fees are agreed in writing before we undertake any work. All fees are quoted inclusive of VAT unless stated otherwise. Payment is due in advance of the survey date unless credit terms have been agreed in writing.
In the event of cancellation:
- Cancellation more than 5 working days before the survey date: full refund.
- Cancellation 2–5 working days before the survey date: 50% of the agreed fee will be charged.
- Cancellation less than 2 working days before the survey date, or failure to provide access on the day: 100% of the agreed fee is payable.
5. Scope of Surveys and Limitations
Our surveys are visual inspections only. We do not carry out testing of services (drainage, gas, electrics) unless specifically agreed in writing, and we cannot inspect areas that are concealed, inaccessible, or covered by furniture, floor coverings, stored goods or built-up roof materials.
Our surveys are carried out in accordance with the relevant RICS guidance at the time of inspection. A building survey is not a guarantee that all defects have been identified — it is a professional opinion based on what was accessible and visible at the time.
We are not structural engineers, specialist damp contractors, timber treatment specialists, or energy assessors. Where specialist investigation is required, we will recommend appropriate professionals.
6. Liability and Professional Indemnity
We maintain professional indemnity insurance in compliance with RICS requirements. Our liability to you is limited to the amount of our fees (or such other amount as may be agreed in writing) except where we have been negligent or have acted in breach of our professional duties.
We are not liable for any consequential, indirect or economic loss arising from your use of our reports or advice, except where such loss is the direct result of our negligence.
Our reports are prepared for the use of the named client only. No third party may rely on our report without our prior written consent.
7. Use of Reports
Our survey reports are produced for the specific purpose stated in the engagement letter. They must not be reproduced in whole or in part, or used for any other purpose, without our prior written consent. In particular:
- Reports must not be passed to any other party as a basis for them making a decision (e.g. a subsequent purchaser or lender) without our prior consent.
- Reports must not be used in legal proceedings without our knowledge and agreement.
- Our reports reflect the condition of the property at the date of inspection only — conditions may change subsequently.
8. Data Protection
We will process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and all applicable data protection legislation. By instructing us, you acknowledge that we may process your personal data as described in that policy.
9. Complaints
We aim to provide an excellent service to all our clients. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact us in the first instance via our contact page. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 28 days.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer it to RICS via their dispute resolution service. Details of our complaints procedure will be provided in our engagement letter.
10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
11. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The current version will always be published on this page. Your continued use of our services or website after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.