Expert in high-value sales and dispute resolution with decades of experience establishes presence in the South-West

Scott Harrington, an experienced property professional behind the success of leading UK Chartered Surveying firm DM Hall in Cornwall and the South-West of England, has spoken of the warm reception the new entrant has had within the sector.

Scott, who established the firm’s latest office at Treliske in Truro in September last year, said he was extremely pleased about how welcoming people have been to him within both the residential and commercial property world.

And he paid tribute to the expertise and depth of local knowledge among the existing cohort of surveyors and also property-oriented solicitors in the area and their appreciation that his particular skill sets would create a valuable supplement for clients.

Scott, who was MD of a prominent firm in Cumbria for 30 years before going into alliance with DM Hall as it expanded into England from its Scottish base, has already advised on a significant number of high-profile transactions in the South-West and is “very optimistic” about the firm’s ongoing prospects.

He said: “Although I have been based at the other end of the country, my wife is an artist from Cornwall who sells her work on the Scilly Isles, and we have been coming to Cornwall on holiday every year for decades now.

“I saw an opportunity for a new venture in Cornwall.  Like many rural areas, although it has many good surveyors and property professionals, it is under-resourced in a number of the specialist disciplines which DM Hall is able to offer.

“The reception we have received in these bespoke areas, particularly from the legal profession, has been extremely gratifying and is laying solid foundations for a successful and sustainable business as we move forward.”

Under Scott, DM Hall has been acting in relation to several high value residential sales – particularly sought-after coastal properties – and also boundary disputes, commercial property issues, party wall disputes and project management.

With an aim to “do things differently”, the firm has been able to offer a discreet, tailored and supportive service to purchasers of seven-figure residences, in which it stays by their side with ongoing advice and guidance from initial interest right through to completion.

Scott said: “We have acted on a number of pre-acquisition surveys of the kind of dream seafront properties with which Cornwall is so blessed, overlooking stunning bays and coves and enjoying some of the finest locations in the UK.

“These properties are fetching several millions and clients do not simply want a standardised RICS survey. They are looking for much more involvement from their advisers. There are very few issues with properties that are discovered during a pre-acquisition survey that cannot be overcome with sensitive dialogue and an awareness of the parties’ needs and desires.

“We help keep both sides on track, and cement interest in the property, identifying issues that can be resolved and ensuring that sales do not fall through. It is a higher value service, which comes at a higher cost, but is has been very well received at the upper end of the market.”

The firm has also quickly established a solid reputation in de-risking projects for clients and co-ordinating all designs, specifications, contract procurement and management of construction projects.

It has also been instructed in a number of stunning Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings of significant historical and architectural interest in town centres, where disputes have arisen over dilapidations as commercial tenants come to the end of their leases.

Scott has personally been recommended by the courts as an expert witness in over two thousand dispute cases over the course of his career and was prominent in the organisation which helped draft the latest party wall legislation.

He said: “I have learned over the years that disputes are all driven by feelings rather than the facts and, at the core of every case, someone has been spoken to badly, or ill-treated and they are often willing to go to extreme lengths over the perceived hurt they have experienced.

“There is often a way to dispassionately look at the facts of a case and help litigants and solicitors to find the means to resolve the issue without spending years of their lives and a fortune in money by going through the courts.”

The firm is picking up substantial business in this area from local solicitors who are keen to have a further experienced expert in the area to whom they can go for technical input while they are managing the case from a legal standpoint.

Scott added: “The future is looking bright for the firm in Cornwall as we supplement and add value to existing resources, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work and live in such a beautiful and welcoming part of the country.”

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