Page 23 - Oundle Life April 2025

it’s currently fashionable to term yourself
‘disruptors’, which basically means you enter an
established industry and then try to re-invent
the wheel – pointless.
Any future ambitions? In business – to
keep pushing forward whilst maintaining the
reputation. Personally – apparently I’m being
sent down the Cresta Run on my 60th!
What brings you joy? Th e grandchildren.
Something people don’t know about you? I
have been to a Buckingham Palace tea party and
last year Howard was HSCC 70’s Road Sports
Champion.
What services do you off er? Surveys and
valuations of all types, insurance calculations,
expert’s reports, drone surveys and general
professional work that is property related. We
pick up a lot of work that doesn’t fi t with the
multi-offi ce fi rms but the chap working from a
bedroom at home isn’t robust enough to handle.
Hot topic at present? Insurance Reinstatement
Valuations. Post covid, with building costs rising,
insurers are insisting on up-to-date re-build
fi gures on many property types.
What’s the favourite testimonial you’ve had?
I get lots of nice comments. One a few years
ago from a retired Yorkshire farmer made me
laugh – “Every Surveyor I have used has always
been hopeless, so I wasn’t sure about you. But it
seems as if you might know your stuff ”.
Any famous Clients? A few over the years,
I’ve had to sign a couple of Non-Disclosure
Agreements.
Do you deal with residential and
commercial property? Mainly residential but
also smaller scale commercial. In an area such
as this you have to be prepared to not have set
parameters.
Can you handle probate valuations? Of
course, we do them all the time, although they
are now technically termed Inheritance Tax
Valuations.
Most unusual property you’ve inspected?
A windmill, both pre and post conversion. It
turned out surprisingly well.
www.howard-david.com
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