Heritage advice and reports from home

Owners of listed or period properties, architects and builders who need a specialist report, churches, community groups and trusts applying for grants.

Fixed fee per report or day rate for site visits and writing. Repeat work often comes from architects and planning agents.

• Understanding of historic buildings and how they were built
• Clear report writing
• Knowledge of the planning and listed building system
• Photography and site surveying

• Professional indemnity insurance, as clients rely on your advice
• Protected job titles: for example, only registered architects can use the title architect, so check before describing your services
• Clients and councils may expect recognised qualifications or accreditation for some work, so check local expectations
• Reports can take longer than quoted, so agree the scope in writing
• Check your landlord or mortgage lender allows you to work from home

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £3,000, depending on the survey equipment, software and insurance you choose. These are estimates, and working from home keeps overheads low.

Monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,500, depending on how many reports you write, their complexity and the hours you work. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit.

Check professional indemnity insurance, as clients rely on your advice. Check protected job titles, for example only registered architects can use the title architect. Also check what qualifications or accreditation clients and councils may expect for some work.