Our Director focus series, celebrates the fantastic team we have here at Devonshire Partnership, starting with the one and only Simon Redgers....
Can you tell us about how you became a building surveyor and where you trained?
I studied at Salford University, it was a very technical course, every building detail had to be drawn by hand. I went onto train with three of the Devonshire Partnership Directors in the mid 2000’s at a City of London surveying firm during the financial crisis, which was interesting! I moved back to Bristol when an opportunity arose and worked at a large multi-disciplinary property consultancy. In 2017, I was made Director and head of the region.
Working in a multi-disciplinary firm was a great experience, as I gained exposure to other disciplines; valuers, investment teams, agents, property managers etc. It’s useful to understand client’s other considerations, not just being in a building surveying ‘bubble’.
Have things changed in Bristol over the years?
The city is almost unrecognizable to the city of the 80’s and 90’s, and so much busier (pre lockdown!). My first memories were spending Saturday mornings in my dad’s concrete mixer lorry, constructing buildings I have probably subsequently surveyed. No concrete failures thankfully!
You specialise in - amongst other things - dilapidations, what do you enjoy about it?
Most dilapidations claims never get to court. I like the sense of sorting out a dispute and applying fairness to a situation where both sides might feel they are being financially penalised.
What other aspects of commercial building surveying do you enjoy?
Generally speaking it is the ever changing and investigative nature of what we have to do. When you first arrive at a site you have no idea what the issues or problems are, and you have to work it all out like a puzzle, considering all physical, time and environmental causes and come up with the remedies. That applies to dilapidations, surveys and projects. It keeps things interesting and puts a lot of emphasis on your level of experience.
What do you like doing when not working?
I like longboard surfing, I’m determined to be able to walk up the ‘nose’ on a wave, but I can never string enough sessions together to quite conquer it. I took up mountain biking 3 years ago for fitness, it’s a great work out and will hopefully keep me going as a surveyor until retirement. Since my first child came along in 2012, I haven’t read a book for pleasure, which is a bit depressing.
What’s your favourite meal?
Probably my Nan’s roast lamb with all the veg dug from the garden that Sunday morning. A distant memory now unfortunately.
Favourite sporting experience?
Probably 2005 ashes and the 1990 World cup. Or any match winning performances for Somerset by Jos Buttler, Marcus Trescothick or Peter Trego. Ben Stokes in the ashes and World Cup final in 2019 - Until then I think my son was thinking ‘What’s this boring game you keep going on about..’.
Favourite music?
Soul, funk, blues rock, late 80’s and early 90’s music. I struggle to listen to much after 2000.
What do you hope to achieve at Devonshire Partnership?
To be as good as we can possibly be.
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