LinkedIn Profilehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coopersbuildingsurveyors/
About Michael Cooper:
Michael Cooper is a director of Cooper’s Building Surveyors limited based in London / Kent, he is a fellow of the RICS and specialises in party wall legislation and neighbourly dispute resolution. Michael can be regarded as a leading expert in this field, and he is the co-chair of the boundaries and party wall panel of the RICS and chair of the working group responsible for the RICS party wall guides. He also writes on ISURV, for which he contributes updates on the ‘Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992’. He is a fellow of, and National Chair of the Pyramus and Thisbe society and past London chair a learned society which aims to promote excellence in the administration of Party wall legislation.
Michael advises Building (developing owners) and adjacent owners on a wide variety of developments, mostly residential but also on some of the most high-profile construction projects, including The Shard and ‘Walkie Talkie’ towers and West Ham football stadium. He also acts as a third surveyor to settle disputes under the Act. He is an occasional guest lecturer at the University of Kent, Hugh Baird College, University College of Estate Management, The University of Westminster and he is an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University. Clients range from the largest developers, institutions and authorities to commercial and residential owners and tenants.
What encouragement would you give to students and the younger generation to get them interested in a career in surveying?
Encouragement to new students etc entering the profession – my advice is to get chartered, there are many many streams of surveying and eventually you will find a niche, as my late father once said ,’when you are in a profession you will always have something to fall back on’ so even if you stray outside of surveying perhaps on to the contractor side for instance, you always s have a fall back option.
Go for it !!
What have you valued the most as your career has developed and how have you built those skills?
Obtaining my charter was the first step and probably the most valued attainment. I looked at becoming a fellow for a number of years post that but didn’t either feel worthy or more likely didn’t warrant it, but when I last looked, a few years ago, at the application form it wasn’t hard to complete and I realised then that that it was something worth attaining and completed the forms and much to my delight I was presented with the FRICS. This followed a number of years honing my knowledge of Party walls and neighbourly matters, serving both on the RICS boundaries and party wall panel and then the Pyramus and Thisbe London Committee.
What has been the biggest achievement of your career so far?
Biggest achievement: My latest step was to become chair of both the RICS boundaries and party wall panel and the national chair of the Pyramus and Thisbe society. Both attainments are most cherished.
What are some of the most exciting projects you've worked on?
Most exciting project worked on – well I have worked on my high profile developments including the shard and walkie talkie towers where I represented neighbouring owners, I have achieved many good things and was honoured to get the freedom of the city of London, but for me the best was on a small domestic house surrounded on all sides by large developments and the elderly couple I represented were the nicest people I have met, they made a great cup of tea, but the thank you Letter that they sent afterwards was the best ever, I have kept it as a kind of trophy since and will never forget them. I have to add I managed to negotiate a very large payout on a licence agreement that let them fulfil their dreams of retiring in Spain, so enough said.