The Team
Heritage House was established by Pete and ran as a solo operation for a number of years. As Pete’s reputation grew, and his services became more in demand, he realised that he needed to look for other surveyors who have the same approach to conservation. And so a small and very exclusive team began to develop. Pete’s standards are extremely high , and finding surveyors who matched those standards was not easy. But we now have a small and elite team of first class surveyors.
Pete’s view is that hands-on understanding of buildings trumps academic qualifications. All of our team have extensive experience of restoring, project managing and advising on old, historic and listed buildings. Some also have academic qualifications as well.
Trevor Guyler
Trevor Guyler obtained a BSc degree in Building Surveying with Commendation at Thames Polytechnic in 1988.
He is a Chartered Construction Manager being a full member of the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB)
Trevor is an experienced consultant on building matters relating to traditional and historic buildings. He started his career working for Watts and Partners in Blackheath, London as a graduate Building Surveyor, before embarking on a 33-year career with the National Trust.
He commenced his career with the National Trust as a Technical Assistant to the Regional Building Manger in Kent and East Sussex Region, before moving to the Midlands, with his career culminating as the Lead Building Surveyor for the Midlands Region. He has had the opportunity throughout his career to work on all aspects of building surveying and construction management at different levels. He has experience in delivering condition surveys and maintenance plans; specifying repairs to traditional buildings; to acting as Contract Administrator and/or Project Manager on major conservation projects. These have included numerous projects on Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Grade 1 and 2* buildings including amongst many others, Tattershall Castle, Kedleston Hall, Calke Abbey, Charlecote Park and Belton House.
He is passionate and interested in vernacular buildings and prefers working with these rather than more polite architecture. He is disappointed when he sees poor design, materials and workmanship applied on traditional buildings which is detrimental to their character and how they perform. He has had much experience throughout his career on vernacular architecture, so he is as much at home working on a mud and stud cottage in Lincolnshire or a Derbyshire gritstone farmhouse in the Peak District, as well as our great historic houses.
“I invested ‘wisely’ to have a heritage survey completed on my ‘new’ 1700’s town house. It was a pleasure to spend the day with Trevor – a highly professional, yet down to earth chap who addressed the issues I’m having and generated a comprehensive yet easily understood report. His passion and enthusiasm for his job was infectious. I received not only realistic advice but also a history lesson! Highly recommended.” Onsite Consultation
Steve Shore
Covering the South East, Kent, East Sussex, parts of Surrey and London, ( and further afield when required) Steve is an pragmatic Londoner with a ‘No Bull’ approach to building surveys. Steve has the perfect bio for a Conservation Surveyor-he has been in the Construction Industry for 40+years and comes from a trade background. He has been a Chartered Surveyor for more than 20 years and has carried out surveys, restorations and project management on numerous properties of size, age and condition throughout London and the Southeast. Steve has also been a Chartered Builder for some 20 years and is also a Chartered Building engineer. He’s straight and to the point and won’t put up with anything but the best. He’s infinitely qualified with a list of letters too long to mention. He likes early starts to avoid London traffic. He swears as much as Pete, but in Cockney, not Aussie. In his spare time Steve is an incredible artist.
“Our surveyor, Steve Shore, was extremely knowledgeable and used a variety of modern measurement techniques (including drone technology and infrared imaging) to record and diagnose issues with our new property (a 1901 Lutyens-designed house). He provided a comprehensive and detailed report which is now forming the backbone and compass of our restoration project. Yes, the survey costs more – but it is very much worth it, if you are serious about understanding and working with a period property that you respect.” Building Condition Survey
Joe Hotson
Joe is our ‘wandering surveyor’ who will travel to almost anywhere for an interesting building or a good view, mainly covering the South West, Warwickshire, West Midlands, the Home Counties and parts of Wales.
Joe is a Historic Building professional with a lifelong passion for historic buildings and areas. With a first class honours degree in Architectural and Building Conservation, a 15 year career as a Historic Conservation Officer and extensive experience undertaking significant restoration works to numerous historic buildings, there isn’t much that Joe doesn’t know about old and listed buildings. Joe founded the Facebook group, Traditional and Listed Buildings Advice – which is one of the largest such groups in the country now. In his spare time, Joe is a mountain bike enthusiast and a keen (and excellent) photographer. You can see some photos of the places Joe has surveyed and visited on his Instagram page (Joe Hotson).
” Being a complete novice in Heritage properties I wanted a trustworthy, reliable and experienced surveyor to assess the property before we committed to purchasing it. After some research I contacted the company by email, through their website and received a prompt reply. The admin team were very helpful and advised on the type of survey I would need a long with a quote. The quote was very reasonable considering the quality of the survey and the aftercare we received. Joe completed the survey. I was able to speak with him prior to the survey to understand the process. After the survey was completed, Joe put time aside to explain his findings and what we could do to help the house going forward. He was so patient with all my questions and explained everything so that I was able to make an informed decision about the house. Furthermore, Joe recommended professionals and products that we could use for the work that needs to be done. He was also very practical in his explanations about what we could do with our initial budget, which eleviated some of my concerns. Shortly after the survey we received a detailed and comprehensive report that we can use as a plan going forward. I am so pleased we used Heritage House and would urge anyone purchasing a period property to use this company to safeguard themselves and to know exactly what they are committing to. Thank you so much Joe, you were an absolute superstar! ” Building Condition Survey
Richard Campbell
Richard is our most northerly surveyor, covering Cumbria, parts of Durham, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Pete attended a building survey some years ago with Richard and recruited him on the spot, recognising that Richard has an intuitive ability to assess and interpret an old building in a way that almost can’t be taught. Pete says ‘ you either have it or you don’t’, and Richard definitely does. Richard come from a trades background and has over 20 years working in the construction industry, working in different roles, including as a domestic Building Control Officer which has helped developed an understanding of buildings, their construction and pathology. When Richard is not busy surveying or building he has a love for the outdoors and is very fond of a good National Trust property
“Richard was a huge support during my house purchase. I’d spent a long time trying to find a surveyor who understood older properties and wouldn’t just list problems, but actually explain what really mattered. Richard gave me a realistic, balanced view and took the time to talk things through afterwards in a way I could understand. It felt like having a supportive partner in the process, not just someone ticking a checklist.” Building Condition Survey
Erik Peterson
Erik has joined the team fairly recently. To be continued
David Clayton
Covering the Western Shires (Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire) parts of Wales, Somerset and occasionally Yorkshire. With a background in Mining Engineering, and an MSc in Building surveying and a PGDip in Timber Building Conservation, David was mentored into the world of conservation surveying by Peter himself. With an eye for minute detail, David has a reputation within the team for his meticulous approach and his thorough and lengthy reports. David has an extensive CPD record, he is an expert in Timber Framed buildings and always goes well above and beyond expectation in order to offer the best possible service for his clients.
Or as Pete would say- “David has worked with Pete for yonks and likes timber frames”.
“The survey conducted by David was an amazing piece of work. A forensic type study and report of our prospect purchase. Offered high quality insights from an experienced and knowledgable heritage surveyor. We then had follow up calls to run through the report from David and Peter, who walked us through each area. This survey was money well spent and we would fully recommend the team” Building Condition Survey
The Back Office Team:
Nick Price and David Hodgkinson are curators of the engine that keeps us running – the Websites and our IT systems. Pete has known Nick for many years after they met following a survey Pete did for a client who recommended Nick to write his website. Nicks website abilities are extraordinary. David worked for a company that Pete used to handle IT and computing, and when the company changed hands, David went out on his own. He’s kept our computers, servers, networks, security cameras, internet and a host of other computery things going ever since. And there is Lucy – the engine in the background. She answers the phones and emails, fills the diaries and keeps everything running smoothly. Her pet hate is Estate Agents who don’t arrange surveys efficiently!