Durie Heritage - Building Surveyors Reviews 

We were really happy we contacted John to do a consultation on our victorian stone semi-detached in Perthshire. He and Alison were very thorough in their inspections and provided helpful and practical advice. We also really appreciated being given an option on whether we had a full report, or just a consultation which allowed us to get the expert advice we needed for our budget.

We first worked with Alison and John in February 2025 when we commissioned a damp survey on our flat as part of preparing it for sale. From the outset they were incredibly friendly, professional, and accommodating—especially given we had a young baby and a slightly feral dog in the mix! They took the time to explain everything clearly during the visit, and the report they produced was thorough, easy to understand, and gave us a clear, practical path to resolving the issues identified.

One thing that really stood out, even at this stage, was their depth of expertise with older properties (which both our flat and later house were). They clearly understand how to diagnose and resolve issues in a way that’s sympathetic to the character and construction of older buildings, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Based on that very positive experience, we didn’t hesitate to ask Alison and John to carry out a full survey on the house we were looking to purchase in June 2025. Once again, their service was excellent. The report was detailed, clear, and ultimately very reassuring as we moved forward with the purchase.

We completed on the house in October and have since been working through the recommendations in the report. What has really stood out is how accurate and reliable their findings were—there have been no surprises during renovations. In particular, their assessment of the extent of damp was impressively precise; once we removed plaster, it matched exactly what they had indicated. Following their straightforward advice, we’ve now fully resolved the issue.

John was also incredibly helpful beyond the formal survey itself—he was always happy to answer ad-hoc questions over email, and nothing ever felt like too much trouble. His responses were consistently clear, detailed, and reassuring.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Alison and John—their expertise, especially with older properties, combined with their clarity, professionalism, and willingness to go the extra mile, made a real difference at what could have been a stressful time.

Great inspection, guidance, and aftercare on a listed property establishing a low impact and cost approach to managing a heritage building.

John and Alison did a heritage survey for us on a grade 2 listed 15th century cottage. They very approachable, and open to questions and queries I had. They conducted the survey, and prepared the report within a timely fashion, and the report produced was to a thorough standard, with ample detail but clearly written and understandable. They gave me peace of mind with the information provided and helped me with decisions on the property purchase.

We are a charity owning seventeenth century almshouses in Herefordshire. John and Alison visited our buildings and talked us through all that they found as they went round; we asked for an informal condition survey and what they gave us was informative and comprehensive with written notes for us to draw on in the future. They were both really friendly and enthusiastic and clearly love their job.

Very happy with our general heritage consultation from Durie Heritage - an old stone farmhouse in west Wales comes with its challenges, but John and Alison were able to talk us through the issues, the priorities, and the best way to fix things. This helped save us thousands of pounds on things that our RICS survey suggested we should have fixed, but actually didn't need any work at all. Highly recommend for insight and peace of mind into your property!

We used Durie Heritage to undertake a dampness survey in Dunblane before we purchased a house. Damp had been flagged on the home report and we wanted to get a second opinion before making the purchase. The report we got was extensive and covered the whole property, not just the problem area, and came with recommendations and priorities. This gave us peace of mind when making the purchase and has also been useful in terms of giving us a focus for work in the house.
Our whole experience with John and Alison has been positive from start to finish - they managed to fit our inspection in quickly and turned the report around sooner than initially suggested, all whilst being professional and helpful throughout. Thank you!

John and Alison came to our house in the Isle of Harris to complete a damp survey. We have very much appteciated all of the advice and use pur report as a bit of a bible for starting work. It had given us the confidence both to get cracking and to take our time as we prioritise.
John & Alison are very friendly and professional, with only personal responses from the first contact. For us this quickly created trust & respect with conversation flowing more like a shared interest being discussed. We found this extremely helpful because it meant we were left with a clear understanding and ongoing interest in our hous and its history that will keep us energised as we take the long road through renovation and restoration.
Thank you both!

We had a building survey done in Worcester on an old Georgian town house. The survey was very thorough and having previously made some missteps regarding tradespeople using inappropriate materials for the building we now have much more confidence and a clear priority order in terms of fixing the various issues identified. John and Alison have also been helpful since the survey and helped us select appropriately experienced tradesmen to carry out the work.

Great experience from the first email to completion of survey. John and Alison provided great advice. They carried a damp survey in our house and were very clear and helpful. They spotted a damp area under our bathroom, which helped us find out we had a long-going leak and a very soggy joist which we had to replace.
I would highly recommend and use them again in the future.

Faultless service throughout, capped off by very detailed report with lots of pictures and sound recommendations.

At the inquiry stage we were welcomed with John on the phone personally - no voicemails, no auto responses just a genuine human being. Conversation with John was easy, quick and clear covering our needs. John was also friendly and informative and managed to fast track a 3 month wait to 3 weeks. What a gem! Regarding the survey, it was conducted thoroughly and having met John and his wife Alison on site, they took time out to explain what they were doing and made us feel involved considerably reducing my concerns about the structural integrity. John also provided as part of our agreement a post-survey service to point us in the right direction regarding the work required and timescales. Overall very much appreciated the service Durie Heritage provided and highly recommend them. Thanks John and Alison!

I had a really positive experience with this Durie Heritage. Rather than just carrying out a basic inspection, John took the time to walk me through the property, pointing out not only current issues but also potential future problems. What stood out most was how clearly everything was explained, along with practical advice on how to prevent or resolve these issues.

It felt much more like an informative consultation than a standard survey, which I really appreciated. I came away with a far better understanding of my property and how to look after it going forward.

I would highly recommend this service to anyone looking for a thorough and insightful damp survey.

We engaged the services of John and Alison to complete a building condition survey on a church which the community were looking at taking ownership of. This was an important piece of work to identify any major concerns with the fabric of the building and allow us to understand what works were necessary and the importance of each aspect of work identified.
John and Alison visited before quoting on the job which was great as we could explain what we needed and have good discussions about the job.
The condition survey was very thorough and the report provided was very detailed giving us very useful information in an easily understandable way to share with the community.
John and Alison did a great job and were very easy to communicate with. I would recommend their services to anyone looking for a survey on an old building.

After some research we selected Durie Heritage to help us establish the cause of some problems we were having in our 17th century cottage in Herefordshire, so glad we did, John went over and above to not only identify the problems but took time to thoroughly explain ( before submitting comprehensive analysis in writing) why we were getting problems and the step by step way to resolve them going forward. Not only is John Durie extremely knowledgeable and qualified but he has the ability to make the issues clear and the processes required to resolve said issues. Very personable and approachable, highly recommended

John and Alison are fantastic! Highly recommend their service as heritage property surveyors and damp specialists. They have been incredibly helpful since our first contact. Cannot speak highly enough of them and their extensive knowledge.

Alison and John visited my property on behalf of a potential buyer. Genuinely lovely people, highly knowledgeable as well as carrying all the proper tools and tech for an in depth survey.
A thorough job is an understatement and their service is clearly worth every penny as they really do look at everything.
Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a proper in depth home survey, this level of knowledge is hard to find these days.

Building survey. Having lived in my 3 bedroomed cottage for 30 years, I was finding it difficult to prioritise what level of maintenance work was needed, and in what order. John and Alison listened to my concerns and were really friendly and efficient. They clearly understand old buildings, and explained the range of options according to both priority and budget. The survey, which included full damp assessment and thermal imaging inside and out, identified a number of issues that I was unaware of, and provided reassurance about others. The report was comprehensive and easy to read, with photos and drone images that I've been able to share with tradespeople. Their fees are transparent, and excellent value for the quality of the survey and for their advice. Highly recommended!

I had Durie Heritage out at my property at the start of the year to conduct a dampness survey after having the typical 'damp companies' out and not being impressed with what they had to offer.
The report I received had so much information and has allowed me to start the process of repairing my old Ayrshire cottage the correct way.
I have reached out to John/Alison since to ask further questions and have had quick responses with easy to understand information.
I would recommend Durie Heritage to anybody who was in a similar position to me, overwhelmed with where to start and what to do with their property. I now have a clear road map and it may take time to get there but I have the best information and support I could ask for.

Thank you John and Alison.

John and Alison carried out a building survey on our house in Cardiff. The survey was detailed and gave us a clear understanding of the problems and how to address them. John and Alison were also happy to answer all of our many questions! Would highly recommend.