Independent Building Surveyors in the North West

Anslow Building Surveyors is an independent, family-run residential surveying practice based in Altrincham, Trafford. Founded in 2024 by Chris Anslow, an RPSA-certified building surveyor, we provide clear, practical property advice to homebuyers, landlords, and property investors across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the wider North West. We offer the full range of RPSA survey levels — Level 1 Condition Reports, Level 2 Homebuyer Surveys, and Level 3 Building Surveys — plus specialist services including snagging surveys for new builds, property defects investigations, and buy-to-let surveys. Unlike many surveyors, we are not on estate-agent panels, meaning our reports are fully impartial and written solely for the client. Our focus is on helping you understand the condition of a property before you commit, with reports written in plain English and backed by a genuine willingness to discuss findings after delivery.

Yes — all our surveys are fully independent. We do not work for estate agents, developers, or lenders, and we are not part of any referral panel or commission arrangement. This means the survey report you receive reflects only what the surveyor observes at the property, without any outside pressure to downplay defects or support a sale. Independence is fundamental to the service because it protects you as the buyer or owner — the report exists solely to inform your decision, whether that means proceeding, renegotiating, or withdrawing. Anslow Building Surveyors is RPSA-certified and operates entirely free from any external influence that could compromise impartiality.

Our surveys are carried out by Chris Anslow, an RPSA-qualified surveyor (Residential Property Surveyors Association). The RPSA is one of the two recognised professional bodies for residential surveying in the UK, alongside RICS, and its members follow stringent professional standards and a code of conduct. Chris completed his training through the RPSA's qualification pathway and is committed to ongoing professional development. Every survey is conducted personally by the principal surveyor — we do not subcontract inspections to junior staff or third-party surveyors. This means the person who inspects your property is the same person who writes your report, ensuring consistency, accountability, and direct access to the surveyor who has actually seen the property.

Several things set us apart. First, we are independent — not tied to any estate agent or lender panel, so our advice is genuinely impartial. Second, we are a small, family-run practice, which means you deal directly with the surveyor who inspects your property, not a call centre or a sales team. Third, we write our reports in plain English with condition ratings, photographs, and prioritised findings — you will not need a degree in construction to understand what matters. Fourth, we include a post-report discussion as standard, so you can talk through the findings with the person who actually carried out the survey. Finally, we are regional specialists rather than a national chain — we know the local property types, common defects, and market conditions across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, which means our advice is grounded in genuine local knowledge rather than generic observations.

Yes — and this is an important part of our service that many surveyors treat as an optional extra. Once you have received and read your report, we encourage you to get in touch with any questions. We are happy to schedule a call to walk through the findings, explain the condition ratings (typically using the standard 1-2-3 traffic-light system), and help you understand which issues are significant, which are routine maintenance, and what the practical implications are for your purchase. Common topics we discuss include: whether a defect is likely to affect the property's value, what repairs might cost (in broad terms), whether further specialist investigations are advisable, and how to use the survey findings in price negotiation. There is no additional charge for this conversation — it is included in the survey fee because we believe understanding the report is as important as producing it.