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    Who we are.

    Who We Are.

    A highly experienced firm of Chartered Surveyors offering a wide range of construction consultancy services to property developer clients.

    We provide a comprehensive service that is rooted in decades of combined construction experience across all sectors. The tacit knowledge and skill we have gathered over time and practice makes us a trusted, professional hand to support you during your property development journey.

    Whether it’s a residential or commercial project, our services are thorough and effective, based upon knowledge gained through experience of delivering countless successful projects over many years.

    Unlike many surveying practices, our senior technical staff are all from contracting backgrounds, and all have at least 35years’ experience of delivering construction projects and in a variety of senior roles across all disciplines, including:

    Quantity Surveying, Design Management & Project Management

    As our knowledge and expertise have been gained within major construction contracting organisations including Balfour Beatty, Gleeson, Kier, Ballast Nedam, Bam and Tilbury Douglas, where our staff have delivered numerous multi-million pound schemes, we fully understand the issues and challenges on construction projects and property developments.

    This extensive experience of delivering projects in all sectors of the construction industry makes us ideally placed to understand the practical aspects of the construction and property development processes and advise our clients accordingly.

    Ashdan Consulting is registered with, and regulated by, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in line with its stringent regulatory standards, and is led by Managing Director, John Johnson, a Fellow of RICS, with over 35 years of surveying and construction experience and who is well-known and respected within the North-East construction industry.

    See Client Testimonials

    Our Leadership

    Supported by our other staff, our team that will look after all aspects of your property development will be personally led by Managing Director, John Johnson:

    John Johnson
    Managing Director

    A Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, with over 35 years’ experience.

    John worked for several major UK contractors in a variety of senior roles before establishing Ashdan Consulting in 2015, where he has since property developers with quantity surveying and project management services on numerous projects.

    Your main point of contact, responsible for your entire satisfaction with the Ashdan Consulting services.

    Case Study

    Refurbishment and Conversion of
    Catherine House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

    Whilst we have several excellent examples of projects where we have supported property developers, this project provides a fantastic case study of how we have helped a property developer move into undertaking larger projects, with the comfort of having our experienced support by his side throughout the process, on what was an extremely challenging project.

    Our Client
    A North-East based property investor and developer, Tom Heaney and his business partners, who regenerate and refurbish neglected buildings into bespoke accommodation for business professionals.

    Their Mission
    To refurbish and restore a derelict apartment building, formerly known as Catherine House, into bespoke and modern HMO accommodation for professionals in the Newcastle business community.

    Our Role
    We provided complete project management and quantity surveying services from the outset of the design stage, during the tendering process, and procurement and appointment of the contractor, and then throughout the construction stage as Contract Administrator.

    This challenging project required an intensive and dedicated management resource throughout the construction process.

    The Result
    A bespoke £1m facility, procured via competitive tender under a JCT 2016 traditional contract; construction was scheduled from December 2019 to July 2020, following an extensive pre-construction period which began in June 2019.

    With significant structural problems to overcome, the creation of the finished building also required the removal of asbestos, as well as extensive remedial works to the fabric of the structure.

    Our involvement was from the outset up to construction handover and on into the operational phase to ensure a seamless transition from concept to the realising of our client’s aspirations; for which we are grateful for a fantastic testimonial.

    How We Can Help You

    Choose Individual Roles, or a Combined Package
    All our services of quantity surveying, design management and project management are specifically tailored to suit your needs and can be provided individually or as an overall combined package of support.

    For instance, if you have already appointed a project manager, then we are happy to just undertake both, or either, of the other roles, and vice-versa, if that approach works for you.

    That said, over 95% of our property developer clients engage us via a fully combined appointment.

    This is because, whilst we always provide a fully transparent and detailed proposal, there is both a financial and significant practical benefit in having a fully integrated ‘one-stop’ shop, as many tasks across the range of our services fit well together, and activities such as site visits and meetings can be shared across the disciplines, thus adding value and ensuring integration whilst saving you money at the same time.

    Early Engagement – initially free of charge
    The importance of this cannot be over-stated. Put simply, the sooner we are involved, the sooner we can help, as coming into a project later in the process can never replicate the benefits of early involvement.

    This does not necessarily mean that costs are incurred from the outset, as not only are many of the initial activities in the process low-fee items, our first meeting to understand your requirements, goals and aspirations is, by way of our company policy, completely free of charge and without any obligation.

    We provide this service for free because we know that if we are involved early then you will maximise the benefit of our skills, knowledge, and experience.

    A Wide Range of Services
    The breadth of our knowledge and experience within our finely balanced team ensures that we provide first-class, wide-ranging services covering all the key aspects of quantity surveying, design and project management.

    Liaising With Your Funders
    As one of our other key activities within the Ashdan Consulting business is undertaking Project Monitoring services for several development finance providers, we know how funders think and operate, and understand exactly what information they and their Project Monitors need.

    This enables us to ensure that the property development process aligns with the requirements of your funders, and results in the provision of robust and accurate documentation to facilitate the timely drawdown of essential funds.

    Managing Design
    The design process within property development projects is often overlooked, as designers are generally ‘left to their own devices’.  This is often out of ignorance of the details and complexity of the design process, or it is assumed that the design will just ‘come together’ at a time when it is needed.

    Sadly, this is rarely the case, so our management of that critical process ensures that the design is:

    • Fully coordinated across the design disciplines.
    • Effective and economic
    • Buildable efficiently
    • Completed on time

    Key aspects of this are to ensure that the designers are appointed correctly based upon the agreed scope of works, a design programme is agreed with the design consultants; with this being integrated into the project programme and monitored regularly via design team meetings throughout the pre-construction and delivery stages of the project.

    Our first project with Ashdan Consulting at Catherine House was via a personal recommendation, which has proved to be absolutely correct.

    Their attention to detail and the service they have provided us on what is a very tricky project has been fantastic, and I will certainly be working with them again on our next development.

    Tom Heaney / Property Investor & Developer

    I have known and worked with Ashdan Consulting for several years.

    They have a proven track record in the construction industry, providing an excellent commercial and project management service.

    I continue to work with Ashdan to the present day and value their contribution to my business immensely.

    Eddie Tribe / Managing Director, Amsted Developments Ltd.

    I can’t speak highly enough of John’s proactiveness, professionalism and his attention to detail. He’s a heck of an asset to have on the team.

    Richard Winstanley-Jones / Leonis Estates Ltd.

    Our Clients

    Latest Blogs

    Get our latest comments on construction matters here so you can keep up to date.

    View all posts
    Constructing Confidence: Maximising Project Success Through the Right Choice of Construction Contracts

    Embarking on a construction project is a multifaceted endeavour, and selecting the right construction contract [...]

    Read more
    Mastering the Blueprint: The Crucial Role of Quantity Surveyors in Construction Success

    In the intricate world of construction projects, precision is paramount, and costs can quickly spiral [...]

    Read more

    Latest Blogs

    Get our latest comments on construction matters here so you can keep up to date.

    View all posts
    Constructing Confidence: Maximising Project Success Through the Right Choice of Construction Contracts

    Embarking on a construction project is a multifaceted endeavour, and selecting the right construction contract [...]

    Read more
    Mastering the Blueprint: The Crucial Role of Quantity Surveyors in Construction Success

    In the intricate world of construction projects, precision is paramount, and costs can quickly spiral [...]

    Read more