It's been just over three months since Tom Rance joined our in-house building surveying team. We now have three in-house surveyors located across the UK, with plenty of projects keeping them very busy!

We caught up with Tom to see how he's been getting on in his new role at Principle. Since joining us from The Althorpe Estate (Princess Diana's family estate in Northamptonshire), Tom has been making his mark across our portfolio, bringing his expertise in historic building conservation and restoration, defects analysis and long-term maintenance planning.

What brought Tom to Principle?

Tom was attracted by our modern approach to property management. When he met with our Head of Building Surveying, Richard Coles, through a recruiter, he was impressed by how Principle's building surveying arm operates.

"It's really great that Principle has a building surveying arm," Tom says. "We have the best of both worlds being our own department but integrated into the business, so we operate as any other building consultancy would, but providing all those services in-house."

Making an impact from day one

Tom is already working on some notable projects, including Burne Jones House in Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, where he's overseeing the refurbishment of 12 communal balconies, addressing multiple defects including rotten joinery and external doors.

"The existing doors are causing issues with the property," Tom explains. "The biggest challenge we're facing is dealing with BSR (Building Safety Regulator) requirements and we’re working through this with additional help from external consultants to get this project over the line."

He is also working on the external decorations on Chadiwick Manor, an impressive Victorian area country mansion, ensuring works are sympathetic to the building’s historic fabric.

Long term maintenance plans are another area of focus across Principle’s portfolio. These provide property managers with crucial insights into upcoming works which range from internal refurbishment of communal areas to compartmentation upgrades and larger-scale works like roof replacements. Long term maintenance plans are essential for financial planning with clients and residents and this is another area where we can provide a high level of service by managing this in-house.

Professional development and support

One of the highlights of Tom's time at Principle has been his professional development. Having recently completed a five-year degree apprenticeship in Building Surveying with first-class honours, Tom is now on the final stretch of his APC journey to become a chartered surveyor.

"Principle signed me up to a training provider who are supporting me on my APC journey," Tom says. "I'm looking to submit my application very soon, and then I should be sitting my APC exam in early 2026.

Tom will be the 8th Chartered Surveyor in the team and we’re keen to have this expertise in-house which helps us to maintain high standards in property management, as well as supporting his professional development.

"Principle is committed to providing us with a high level of training to make sure that not only are we up to date with current industry standards, but we're improving and bettering our services for our clients," Tom explains.

Life outside the office

When he's not out and about conducting building surveys, Tom plays rugby and we’re sponsoring him at his local club for the upcoming season. He’s also busy with home renovations and DIY projects: "I know it all in theory, but in practicality, it's a very different beast!"

As Tom settles into his role, his expertise is already proving invaluable in raising standards in building safety and building maintenance while supporting our continued growth across the portfolio.

Three months with Tom Rance: settling into the building surveying team

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