Before you delve into the details of this blog post, I believe it's essential to declare a potential interest upfront. Malcolm Hordern, the founder of Property Inspections, is a fellow member of the RPSA Council. However, I want to make it unequivocally clear that it was my initiative to approach Malcolm about featuring his operation in this blog. My motivation stems from a recent conversation where Malcolm mentioned that he was incredibly busy and could really use more surveyors. This struck a chord with me, especially as work isn't quite so "hot" in many other areas of England and Wales. It highlighted a real need, and with the recent SAVA figures showing a significant percentage of students keen to "go it alone", I saw a timely and relevant opportunity for our members.
My aim with this piece, and indeed with my role at the RPSA, is always to provide a balanced approach and to champion opportunities that genuinely benefit our community of surveyors. I'm keen to promote any business, course, or event that aids our members, particularly our student members and those new to the profession. This is why you'll see us happily promoting collaborations with organisations like CABE and SAVA for webinars and other external Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – it’s all about enhancing the profession's visibility and fostering growth for everyone.
We all know the career paths for newly qualified surveyors are as varied as the properties we inspect! Some prefer the structured world of a large corporate firm, others find their niche in small to medium-sized enterprises, and then there's that adventurous contingent who leap straight into self-employment.
A fascinating chat with our friends at SAVA just last week really brought some figures to light. They shared some insightful statistics from their students:
It's that last 26% that this blog post is truly dedicated to the brave souls who dream of being their own boss, setting their own hours, and building something from the ground up, but who might appreciate a guiding hand (and perhaps a bit of a marketing leg-up!) while they find their feet. This dear readers, is where the Property Inspections franchise truly shines.
Malcolm's story is one that many an independent surveyor can relate to. He kicked off Property Inspections in 2009 with absolutely nothing – no clients, no office, and, as he puts it, "no safety net". He openly describes it as a "steep learning curve" and a "shock", facing doubts about finding enough customers to support his family. That's the honest truth of starting out.
However, what emerged from that brave beginning is a robust and proven business model that, within two years, was turning over up to £12,000 a month. It's a system now perfectly primed for franchising, allowing others to run their own successful operations with the solid backing of a centralised support system.
For a franchise fee of just £4,995, you're not just buying a name; you're investing in a comprehensive package designed to get you up and running quickly and effectively. Here's what you get for your investment:
It's fair to say that this is less "buying a brand name" and more "apprenticing into a working system" – a very well-thought-out one at that!
Let’s be clear — earnings will vary depending on how much work you put in, your local market, and how quickly you want to grow. But Malcolm’s model doesn’t shy away from setting expectations. He’s done it, others have too, and these figures are based on real-world experience:
As the business grows, so can your profits — and with that, your role may shift from a hands-on surveyor to a regional manager, employing and mentoring others.
It’s worth stating that these figures aren’t guaranteed. But they’re not pie-in-the-sky either — they’ve been achieved and, in many cases, exceeded. Like most things in life, you get out what you put in. But you’re not building from scratch.
What truly strikes me about Malcolm's model is its clever balance of support and independence. You are unequivocally running your own business and enjoying the freedom and flexibility that comes with it. Yet, you've got someone consistently in your corner, helping you sidestep those common early mistakes that can trip up even the most enthusiastic entrepreneur. It ensures you're not just a one-person band but a business with genuine potential to grow and, crucially, to employ additional surveyors as demand increases.
One of the biggest pitfalls of self-employment is the isolation it can cause. Plenty of people with potential struggle — not because they aren’t good surveyors, but because they’re trying to do everything themselves, often for the first time. Malcolm himself experienced this, feeling "completely alone" when he started.
Property Inspections is built to avoid that. The franchise includes:
It’s designed to take away the steep learning curve that Malcolm himself had to navigate alone back in 2009. And unlike many franchises, support doesn’t vanish once you’re trained up — it’s there for as long as you need it.
I can personally vouch for this — I know at least three individuals who have taken on a Property Inspections franchise, and some of their reports have come through the RPSA panel QA system. The quality has consistently impressed.
And just to reiterate full transparency: I’ve known Malcolm for 14 years. He’s one of the most decent, honourable and straight-talking professionals I’ve had the pleasure of working with. When you buy into a franchise, you're not just buying a system — you're buying into the person behind it. And that, in my view, matters.
This blog isn't intended to be a hard sell — far from it. It’s simply a look through one of the windows available to those contemplating self-employment in our profession. Not every path suits every surveyor. But if any of the following rings true, this may be a route worth exploring:
For that 26% of newly qualified surveyors wondering how to go it alone without being alone, this franchise could be the bridge between nervous 
beginnings and a flourishing business.
You can read more about the franchise at:
Alternatively, you can contact Malcolm directly on 07760 287 337 for a no-obligation discussion.
And if you’d like to see more blog content like this — profiling different business models, partnerships, and surveyor success stories — let us know. This space is for you.
