Farming talk: Life as a rural chartered surveyor
I never thought I would find a job that allowed me to combine my passion for the great outdoors together with developing a professional career advising clients.
When I was growing up, being a chartered surveyor wasn’t a profession commonly talked about. I have always loved the countryside but wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do as a career.
After undertaking some work experience with Barbers Rural I quickly realised that a career in surveying was the profession for me.
Barbers Rural is multi-disciplined, so I was fortunate enough to quickly gain an overview of the whole sector and, going forwards, there are unlimited opportunities to learn from colleagues who have a combined experience of over 100 years.
Fast forward a few years and, after a lot of hard work and studying, I am now a fully qualified chartered surveyor and Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.
Alongside undertaking valuations, compensation claims, planning applications and a variety of other jobs, I also specialise in providing strategic advice to privately-owned estates.
I say I provide advice, but realistically that only scratches the surface. I can be doing a wide range of jobs including dealing with insurance claims, preparing farm business tenancies and assessing the development potential of old buildings.
Essentially it is my job to ensure the estate runs smoothly and efficiently whilst accommodating its natural evolution in these changing economic times.
I find it really rewarding to be able to provide a bespoke service which is tailored to a client’s individual needs.
I am lucky to work for a firm which is incredibly diverse and have gained invaluable experience – I still learn something new every day.
Life as a rural chartered surveyor is challenging but also very rewarding and I am pleased to have found this career which has well and truly exceeded my expectations.
Harriet Jones is a rural surveyor with Barbers Rural
