Review Time
90% of people should avoid this course. You have been warned. The course costs 15-18k no student funding is possible but this is not the biggest issue. The first 12 months learning will be held in a hotel with lunch and dinner provided. The lecturers are proficient and you will gather some core understandings. Unfortunately after this period is where all the problems start (and your monthly payments to SAVA are almost completed) (Assessment phase) as others have mentioned you are sweetened initially to believe that the industry is booming with work and supportive people but the reality is most practicing surveyors will not mentor you as they are in fear of upcoming surveyors taking their work in an often race to the bottom pricing structure for homebuyer reports especially the self employed ones . The corporate firms are also inundated with requests for their mentorship’s so you are highly unlikely to be selected unless you are very lucky. I spent months emailing a firm. I speak out of experience. The reality then begins to set in that you are on your own and SAVA then confirm this with their generic and basic support. You will be required to provide 10 homebuyer reports and 10 valuations (20 pages minimum for each report) but not just this.. each report must have a method statement report(20 pages minimum), site notes (20 pages minimum), BCIS report, and energy report. In addition to this you will need to do CPD, multiple questionnaires on various topics such as law and finally an exam and scheduled in person assessment report in Milton Keynes with an assessor. In addition to this all of the 10 properties you must find yourself and they cannot all be the same type of property. SAVA has a list of property conditions you must meet. To further improve your morale you must also buy all the required equipment that can easily cost £1000 plus. All of the groups of people that enroll in the course set up WhatsApp groups and trust me there are many people who started with great enthusiasm that are now livid or feel helpless. SAVA have structured the course extremely poorly with only profit making in mind. Look very carefully at the low star reviews as they are all honest accounts of the mess you will end up in if you have any commitments (like a job at the least). The industry is becoming more and more difficult and the corporate firms are constantly hiring due to the churn and burn nature. Review the industry average salaries on job portals and glass door website for real accounts of employees before you commit. If you still want to commit to the residential surveying profession go for a university degree or masters, or an apprenticeship with a surveying firm where you will actually be paid and not spend large amounts on poorly structured courses with big claims. Im writing this review as I wish it was present before I went down the SAVA route. Upon looking at one of the recent 1 star reviews you will see that it’s by an MRICS building surveyor. For those that don’t know this is a person who is extremely qualified and respected in the industry as MRICS status is very difficult to achieve. The fact that they have not completed the course speaks volumes and if this doesn’t alarm you unfortunately you are likely to end up like the high number of people struggling and in debt.
For reference I am a Chartered Building Surveyor (MRICS). I paid a large amount of money for a residential valuation course in 2019 after various attempts to complete the course I have now given up as the course is not fit for purpose. There is little support for sole surveyors and the method used is unlikely to stand up in court, I have spoken with several valuers who have confirmed this. I have asked for a refund and asked to transfer to another course but I have also been rebuffed. Despite numerous complaints with my concerns, SAVA have never addressed these.The course has been an utter waste of time and money and I will be seeking redress through the courts as I have now run out of options. Don’t waste your money. SAVA dont listen, don’t address concerns and offer dreadful courses.
I found the sava course by chance however it was a great option for me to progress my career in property while still working in an estate agency. The training sessions were well structured and are set up to help build your knowledge. The assessment part for me took slightly longer than expected due to personal circumstance and a demanding full time job. Despite this, the training team, specifically Carys Atkinson, was there to help wherever needed, providing support and suggestions to help me get to the 100% mark. Without this help and support I would not have been able to finish the assessment phase as quickly.I was also offered a Trainee Surveyor role prior to qualifying, with the sava training being a big benefit to prospective employers!
90% of people should avoid this course. You have been warned. The course costs 15-18k no student funding is possible but this is not the biggest issue. The first 12 months learning will be held in a hotel with lunch and dinner provided. The lecturers are proficient and you will gather some core understandings. Unfortunately after this period is where all the problems start (and your monthly payments to SAVA are almost completed) (Assessment phase) as others have mentioned you are sweetened initially to believe that the industry is booming with work and supportive people but the reality is most practicing surveyors will not mentor you as they are in fear of upcoming surveyors taking their work in an often race to the bottom pricing structure for homebuyer reports especially the self employed ones . The corporate firms are also inundated with requests for their mentorship’s so you are highly unlikely to be selected unless you are very lucky. I spent months emailing a firm. I speak out of experience. The reality then begins to set in that you are on your own and SAVA then confirm this with their generic and basic support. You will be required to provide 10 homebuyer reports and 10 valuations (20 pages minimum for each report) but not just this.. each report must have a method statement report(20 pages minimum), site notes (20 pages minimum), BCIS report, and energy report. In addition to this you will need to do CPD, multiple questionnaires on various topics such as law and finally an exam and scheduled in person assessment report in Milton Keynes with an assessor. In addition to this all of the 10 properties you must find yourself and they cannot all be the same type of property. SAVA has a list of property conditions you must meet. To further improve your morale you must also buy all the required equipment that can easily cost £1000 plus. All of the groups of people that enroll in the course set up WhatsApp groups and trust me there are many people who started with great enthusiasm that are now livid or feel helpless. SAVA have structured the course extremely poorly with only profit making in mind. Look very carefully at the low star reviews as they are all honest accounts of the mess you will end up in if you have any commitments (like a job at the least). The industry is becoming more and more difficult and the corporate firms are constantly hiring due to the churn and burn nature. Review the industry average salaries on job portals and glass door website for real accounts of employees before you commit. If you still want to commit to the residential surveying profession go for a university degree or masters, or an apprenticeship with a surveying firm where you will actually be paid and not spend large amounts on poorly structured courses with big claims. Im writing this review as I wish it was present before I went down the SAVA route. Upon looking at one of the recent 1 star reviews you will see that it’s by an MRICS building surveyor. For those that don’t know this is a person who is extremely qualified and respected in the industry as MRICS status is very difficult to achieve. The fact that they have not completed the course speaks volumes and if this doesn’t alarm you unfortunately you are likely to end up like the high number of people struggling and in debt.
I had originally stubbled upon SAVA when i was searching for paths on how to become a building surveyor. I had found SAVA via Google, and then did some research into feedback, and other platforms such as their Youtube page, and after watching all of their videos and testimoniels i had decided to go ahead with it.Having not wanting to go to university for a labourious 5 year course with fees circa £35k within London, and not interested in this route whatsoever, as I wanted hands on experience, rather than just textbook learning. My background prodominetly was finance, working as a trader selling stocks and shares, then transitioning into the property world, initially as a estate agent. After working as an estate agent for 5 years, i decided a change was needed, not just financially but a lifestyle one, and a professional one too.I had started SAVA in May 2024, and had completed the course in November 2025, and then qualifying via RICS in January 2026. So, if you have dedictation and wish to exceed ina timely manner it is very possible, but do not it is a lot of information to take in and learn. I would highly recommend SAVA course, it is a much quicker route to becoming qualified, as oppossed to doing university for a 5 year course and finishing with 0 experience, the SAVA route allows you have experience from the get go, it depends on what level you put into it. I personally did not use the SAVA team that much, mainly to opt for my test certificates, and ABBE certificates etc, but the communication was open and fluid, especially from Sharon Abery and Georgina Gibson.
I found the SAVA residential valuation course to be really well put together. The online lectures and reading materials are clear, structured, and easy to follow, which makes learning valuation concepts much more manageable, especially alongside work.The assessment stage was definitely challenging, particularly as it’s distance learning, but in a good way. The assessors are very supportive and ask the right questions to get you thinking properly as a valuer, rather than just ticking boxes. The feedback they give is genuinely helpful and pushes you to improve your judgement and approach.The only small downside for me was the exam preparation material. While the course content itself is strong, the material aimed at preparing you for the final exam didn’t fully reflect the style of the exam questions, which were a bit different to what I expected. That said, it’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.Overall, the course is really beneficial if you want to get into residential valuation the right way and build a solid foundation. I also have to mention the admin team at SAVA, who are excellent, always quick to respond, proactive, and genuinely go out of their way to help and support you through the process.I’d definitely recommend the SAVA course to anyone serious about going into valuation surveying.
I can’t recommend the Sava course highly enough. I went into it fully aware that it was a degree level qualification and that it would be time consuming and challenging, but is anything worth doing ever easy? The structure of the course allowed me to continue working full-time as an estate agent, something that simply wouldn’t have been possible had I gone down the traditional degree route.After a year of training and a further 18 months completing my assessment period, I am now a fully qualified AssocRICS Surveyor running my own business, which is now ready to grow. Sava gave me the platform and flexibility to return to education without compromising my career, and the support throughout the process and beyond has been excellent.
Carys Atkinson was a breath of fresh air and just made everything so much easier for me to understand. Due to personal life events it was becoming quite daunting with assessment and with SAVA, initially, I just felt like I had just paid the money, which was not easy, and that was it get on with the distance learning/assessment! Once I plucked up the courage to say I was struggling with things Carys got in touch and just talked me through things via teams calls and encouragement. It was helpful to be able to ask questions no matter how simple they were. Once I started submitting work I realised the assessor was a great help in asking questions to help me see where I had gone wrong or alternative ways of reporting. Its a great feeling seeing the percentage clock get to 100% and finally becoming qualified.
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Sava has more than 40 years of experience supporting the UK’s housing sector with education, software and strategic support to tackle skills challenges and meet energy and sustainability objectives.
Sava is currently the leading provider of vocational residential surveyor training, enabling career changers to enter a new and exciting profession without the needs for a degree or other prior qualifications. The Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation offers an accessible route into surveying that is also approved for direct entry into the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).See more
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