Surveyors use lockdown lull to build for the future

An experienced independent company of chartered surveyors is moving to a larger base in South Yorkshire to accommodate its growth.

Atkinson Building Consultancy Ltd, which last year obtained the acclaimed Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ firm status, was set up by Adrian Atkinson and his son Jacob at the beginning of 2019, with Adrian’s assistant Amanda Halliday joining the company at the beginning of 2020.

The business advises and assists on everything from building and pre acquisition surveys to insurance and assessment claims to party wall advice and stock condition surveys.

It is moving to new, bigger offices where it is based at The Business Village in Wilthorpe, Barnsley.

Adrian Atkinson said: “I’m Barnsley born and bred but have hardly ever worked in my home town. I’ve always commuted to the likes of Sheffield, Leeds or Manchester, but the opportunity to set up my own family business two years ago was too good to turn down.

“We have expanded from a starter office to the one that we are in now, but have outgrown it and are looking forward to moving into the new part of The Business Village once it is completed at the beginning of next year.

“We are taking steady, baby steps but I’m keen that as a business we keep pushing forwards and I’m optimistic about the future.

“Pre-Covid we were discussing possibly recruiting someone else, but with what has happened in the world we had to reassess based on what are clients were doing.

“In the near future I would like to think that we will be looking for another member of staff, possibly an apprentice.

“I’m keen to give something back and offer the right person the chance to get a foot on the ladder in the industry.”

He and Halliday had to work from home when the lockdown announcement came back in March, but were able to use this time away from the office productively.

Halliday said: “We used technology to keep in touch with clients when we were away from the office, which was a bit of a steep learning curve, but it will now allow us to be more selective about face to face in years to come.

“Lockdown naturally affected the volume of work that we had coming in, but we used the time to turn what could have been a negative into a positive and took stock.

“We were at a good point in the business to discuss what we were doing right and what we could do better, and we now have plans in place for the remainder of this year and the first quarter of next. Things are already picking up.”

Adrian Atkinson added: “The Business Village provides a really good environment in which to work.

“The staff are also really friendly and supportive, and it’s sometimes like having an extended family. There’s a comfortable feel to the building that makes it a good place to come to work.”