Independent Surveys and Valuations to give you confidence from Rickards Oliver Limited

Buying or renting a property is a big financial commitment. We can provide independent survey and valuation advice to give you the information and nuanced advice you need to help you make that decision with confidence.

At Rickards Oliver Limited we deliver a personal service. All of your business will be dealt with by Richard Ballam, one of our directors and a Chartered Surveyor with over 20 years’ experience in surveying and valuing property. We offer Expert Witness Services, RICS Level 2 Surveys (formerly known as a Homebuyer Report), RICS Level 3 Home Surveys (formerly known as a Building Survey), Residential Red Book Valuation Reports, Help to Buy Valuations, Inheritance Tax Valuations, and Commercial Building Surveys and Schedules of Condition. We carry out surveys in Altrincham, Manchester, and the North West.

Rickards Oliver Limited - Chartered Surveyors and Valuers

5.0

Based on 10 reviews

review us on

Michael Charles

15:44 28 Dec 25

How to choose a surveyor..?? it's not the easiest thing in the world to choose. I came across a search site and made the mistake of putting my details in.... i then spent the next week batting away relentless and, for the most part, pretty low grade sales chasers. Nightmare.
My biggest fear with instructing a survey was being fobbed off with a report full of 'needs further investigation' and not much help in making a decision on the house.... These sales chasers i felt would be the most likely candidates for this... then i saw the details for Richard's company. After emailing them Richard called me for a detailed, unrushed chat, and i quickly got the impression that this guy knows his trade. He asked me what my worries were and he fully explained what the Level 2 survey entailed, without trying to upsell me to a level 3. He scheduled the survey within a week and afterwards called me with another in depth chat about any issues found, without any vagueness and spoke in plain language about any likelihood of failure and whether they should make me question the house purchase.
Following this the full report was available in good time and i felt assured that a professional job was done for my money.
Would definitely recommend.

Terry Day

23:47 21 Oct 25

I couldn’t recommend Richard highly enough. He provided a first-class service from start to finish. I initially appointed him to carry out a survey on a property I later decided not to proceed with. Richard was prompt, professional, and quickly refunded the fee without any hassle.

Several months later, I reached out to him again for a survey on a different property. As before, his service was excellent—he completed the survey efficiently and delivered the detailed report within 7 days. He then followed up with a call to walk me through the findings and valuation, which I really appreciated.

Richard is reliable, responsive, and a pleasure to deal with. I would confidently recommend him to anyone in need of a surveyor.

Mal Swalley

13:03 12 Jul 25

Richard’s surveying knowledge is excellent, and he’s always ready to help with clear, practical advice. Definitely recommend to family and friends!

Elizabeth McCullough

06:10 22 Apr 25

Richard did a Level 3 building survey on a house purchase. He was very easy to work with - communications by phone and email were very quick and he answered all of our questions. Before the survey, he asked us for any specific issues we wanted to know more about the house, which was very helpful. When he visited the property, the loft hatch was sealed. He liaised with the estate agent, and re-visited the property once access was available at no extra charge.The cost of the survey was very competitive.

Oliver Graham

06:41 20 Mar 25

We recently used Richard for a residential building survey, and the service was outstanding from start to finish. The report was detailed, clear, and incredibly insightful, helping us make informed decisions with confidence. Richard was professional, thorough, and happy to answer all our questions. If you’re looking for a reliable and knowledgeable surveyor, I highly recommend him!

Izzi Rosenberg

01:25 28 Feb 25

Richard has a bank of knowledge and what he doesn't know about houses is not worth knowing.
Richard was very helpful in helping me with decisions and patient in taking the time to clearly explain all points.
Thank you for the excellent service.

Cara Bebbington

08:48 19 Feb 25

Excellent service. As first time buyers, we were unsure about many things within the process of buying a house, including the home buyers survey. However, Richard was very helpful and took the time to explain the process to us in a way that was easy for us to understand. The survey was conducted and the report was sent within a timely manner, and Richard has taken the time to explain specific issues with me that were highlighted in the report whenever I had questions. Thank you Richard

Dee Ruparelia

11:25 14 Jan 25

Absolutely fantastic service. Richard provided me with a comprehensive survey quickly and efficiently. Richard is professional and has a breadth of knowledge. I highly recommend him.

Francesca Vivace

16:12 19 Aug 24

Mike Blaydon

10:04 17 May 24

Excellent service

Independent Surveys and Valuations in Altrincham, Manchester, and the North West

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Independent Property Valuations

Rickards Oliver Limited offer independent valuations for residential property for help to buy, shared ownership, staircasing, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, expert witness, matrimonial, and “Red Book” Valuations.

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Independent RICS Home Surveys

Rickards Oliver Limited offer independent RICS Level 2 Home Surveys (formerly known as a Homebuyer Report) and RICS Level 3 Home Surveys (formerly known as a Building Survey or full structural survey).

Rickards Oliver Limited also carry out Expert Witness work in relation to Valuation negligence, probate, inheritance tax, and Housing disrepair under section 11 of the Landlord and Tennant Act 1985.

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Commercial Property

Rickards Oliver Limited offer Building Surveys and Reinstatement Cost Assessments on smaller commercial properties plus schedules of condition which are useful when taking on a new lease or renewing an existing lease.

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