Chartered Surveyors & RICS Registered Valuer
Local, independent, residential property advice across the English & Welsh Borders and South Wales.
Every survey and valuation is carried out personally by James Buckingham MSc MRICS. The caseload is capped at 12 assignments a month. The cap is the service: it ensures an honest turnaround time, a proper conversation post-survey, and a bespoke detailed report.
- MRICS — James Buckingham
- RICS Registered Valuer no. 5044356
- RICS firm no. 898081
- The Property Ombudsman no. T11948
Where would you like to start?
I'm buying a house
Find the right RICS survey level for the property.
I need a valuation
Red Book valuations by an RICS Registered Valuer.
I'm buying a non-traditional or system-built home
Level 3 survey expertise in concrete pre-fab (PRC), steel-frame and timber-frame construction.
I have a specific concern
A focused inspection of one defect — damp, cracking, roofs.
I need a Land Registry Compliant Plan
Measured, scaled plans prepared to Land Registry requirements.
I would like a drone survey
Aerial inspection of roofs, chimneys and high-level detail.
Core work
Surveys and valuations
RICS Level 2 Home Survey
The standard choice for conventionally built houses and flats. All accessible areas inspected, defects explained, repairs and maintenance advised.
Read more →RICS Level 3 Building Survey
Essential for older, heavily altered, non-traditional, or system-built properties (concrete pre-fab, steel-frame, timber-frame). Detailed structural and fabric analysis with clear repair guidance.
Read more →Red Book Valuation
Probate, taxation, matrimonial, Help to Buy redemption, Shared Ownership, reinstatement cost and market rent.
Read more →RICS Level 1 Home Survey
The concise option for modern, conventional, well-maintained property.
Before you instruct a national firm with a slick, top-of-Google website, look closely at who is actually doing the work.
The Independent Difference
One Expert, Start to Finish
You aren't instructing a corporate brand name, a rotating roster of junior subcontractors, or an entry-level AssocRICS associate. Every inspection, analysis, and report is undertaken personally by James, an MRICS Chartered Surveyor drawing on nearly two decades of hands-on experience across the Borders and South Wales. We don't survey in suits, and we don't mind getting our hands dirty to find what others miss.
Depth Over Volume
Mass-market surveying firms rely on a conveyor-belt model, rushing through 90-minute visits to hit daily quotas. We give every property a full day of inspection time to give it the focus it genuinely requires.
Clarity, Not Copy and Paste
Instead of standardised, copy-pasted templates and defensive legal disclaimers designed to protect the firm, your report is bespoke, precise, and comprehensive. Each inspection is followed by a phone call explaining our main findings before you receive the full report.
Compare
Which survey level do I need?
The right level depends on the age, construction and condition of the property. If a lower level is enough, you will be told so.
| What you get | Level 1 Home Survey | Level 2 Home Survey | Level 3 Building Survey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Modern, conventional, well-maintained homes | Conventionally built houses and flats in reasonable condition | Older, larger, altered, or non-traditional & system-built properties |
| Property age and type | Recent construction, standard materials | Standard construction, broadly any age in reasonable order | Pre-1850, extended, steel/concrete framed, pre-fab (PRC), or modern modular |
| Depth of inspection | Concise visual inspection | Visual inspection of all accessible areas | Detailed inspection of fabric and structure |
| RICS condition ratings (1–3) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Analysis of defects and causes | No | Identified and explained | In depth, with causes and consequences |
| Repair advice and costings | No | Advice on repairs and ongoing maintenance | Repair options, and costings where instructed |
| Valuation included | No | On request as a Red Book valuation | On request as a Red Book valuation |
| Typical report length | Shortest of the three | Mid-length | Longest and most detailed |
- Condition 1
- No repair currently needed.
- Condition 2
- Defects needing attention, but not urgent.
- Condition 3
- Serious and urgent — repair or replace.
Why Brecon & Dean
Quality, not quantity
- Independent
- No chains, no lender panels, no referral fees. The advice serves you and nobody else.
- Regulated
- An RICS-regulated firm (no. 898081), an RICS Registered Valuer, and a member of The Property Ombudsman.
- Personal
- Speak directly with the surveyor before and after your inspection.
- Careful scheduling
- Time is set aside for the inspection, the report and a conversation about the findings.
James Buckingham is an RICS Registered Valuer, member number 5044356. His valuations are relied on by high street banks, HMRC, government bodies, charities and the courts.
Areas we cover
A rural practice, by design
Brecon & Dean works across the Forest of Dean, the Wye Valley, the Brecon Beacons and rural Wales, plus the market towns and cities within those counties.
How it works
Five steps, one surveyor
- 01
Tell us about the property
Age, type, size, location, and anything already worrying you.
- 02
We recommend the right level of survey
An honest steer, including where a lower level is genuinely enough.
- 03
James inspects the property personally
No site team, no subcontractor — the surveyor who advises you is the one on site.
- 04
A call to talk through what he found
Before a word is written up, James phones you with a verbal overview of the findings. A national firm sends the report and leaves you to read it.
- 05
Your written report
The full written report follows, and James remains available to discuss it.
Common questions
Frequently asked
- They differ in the depth of the inspection and the detail of the report. Level 1 is a concise visual check for modern, conventional, well-maintained property. Level 2 inspects all reasonably accessible areas, explains defects and advises on repairs and maintenance. Level 3 is a detailed inspection of the structure and fabric, setting out the causes of defects and the options for putting them right.
- Older solid-walled stone property usually warrants a Level 3 Building Survey, particularly where there has been extension, alteration or visible damp. If the cottage is in good order and conventionally repaired, a Level 2 may be sufficient. Call and describe the property and you will get an honest recommendation, including where the cheaper option is the right one.
- The time on site depends on the size, age and condition of the property and the level of survey instructed. James inspects every property himself, so the appointment is scheduled around the property rather than around a quota.
- Turnaround is confirmed when you instruct. Reports are written by James, not outsourced or templated.
- Yes. As an RICS Registered Valuer, James prepares Red Book valuations for purposes including probate, taxation, matrimonial matters, Help to Buy redemption, Shared Ownership, building insurance reinstatement cost and market rental valuation for landlords.
- The practice covers Gloucestershire including the Forest of Dean, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Powys including the Brecon Beacons, and South West Wales, together with the towns and cities within those counties.
- Yes, and you speak to the person who inspected the property, because that is always James. Talking the report through afterwards is part of the service, not an extra.
- Chiefly the level of survey, and the size, age, type and location of the property. Give those details by phone or through the enquiry form and you will get a fixed quote before you commit.
- Brecon & Dean Ltd is an RICS-regulated firm, which requires professional indemnity insurance meeting RICS standards. Written confirmation of cover is available on request.
- The firm is regulated by RICS under firm registration number 898081. James is MRICS and an RICS Registered Valuer, member number 5044356. The practice is also a member of The Property Ombudsman, membership number T11948.
- We strongly recommend an RICS Level 3 Building Survey for non-traditional and system-built homes. Standard Level 2 reports often lack the depth needed to assess hidden structural grids, concrete carbonation, or framework ties. A Level 3 survey provides detailed analysis of the construction type, advice on long-term repair needs, and clarity on mortgageability requirements.
Talk to the surveyor who will do the work
Describe the property and you will get a fixed quote and an honest recommendation on the level of survey you actually need.