Q&A with Harriet Hatcher, Our Senior SurveyorTalking everything from Jamie Cullum to greyhounds and gravy

Harriet Hatcher first joined Banks Long & Co back in 2014, and was this year deservedly promoted to Senior Surveyor.  As well as her expert work in valuing property, she acts as an APC Mentor, Supervisor and Assessor in the firm.

From architecture and career advice to Jamie Cullum, greyhounds and gravy, learn all about Harriet in our Q&A below…

What’s the most interesting building you’ve surveyed?

The most interesting situation is when I inspected a rather average-looking three-bedroom house that turned out to be housing a cannabis factory. The police said the factory had a street value of about £100,000! 

When did you decide you wanted to be a surveyor?

I always knew I wanted to go into property and when I was about 14 I did work experience at an estate agent.  My dad was involved in property too, so I’ve always been around buildings in some form or another and found it interesting.

After graduating from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, I lived in the Cotswolds for a few years and worked at another estate agency. I spent most of my time selling churches and chapels all across the South West before the opportunity to do my APC qualification in Lincoln came up. Being from Sleaford, this was a great opportunity to move closer to home.

Do you see yourself as a mentor now?

I am an assessor and supervisor for the APC process - which is what everyone has to go through to become chartered. 

I’d like to think that I could inspire more people to go into valuation. If I can inspire anyone to take it on as a career, that would be great. I hope my enthusiasm rubs off on other people.

What is the best thing about working at Banks Long?

The people! Everyone is just brilliant and great to work with. We’re based in Lincoln but our coverage is nationwide. I go all over the place. In the past month or so I’ve been to Oxford, Hampshire and Folkestone. We really trot around all over the place. 

The office is lovely and the directors are always encouraging you to push yourself and move up. Friday drinks are also a bonus, of course!

What do you listen to when you’re driving?

At the moment, we’re travelling separately because of COVID but if we were car-sharing, it would always be Radio 2. I love Pop Master at 10:30am every weekday. It’s great.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I have a Spanish Galgo greyhound; his name is Dallas, we rescued him at the beginning of last year. I wanted a sausage dog and now I’ve ended up with a dog the size of a small horse! It’s ridiculous, but he’s so funny! 

Dallas is six years old. I actually started to learn Spanish during lockdown because he came from Spain and I thought maybe he wasn’t responding because of the language barrier.

What are the most important qualities of a surveyor?

You need a sense of humour. It’s such a social job that communication is so important. Enthusiasm and approachability are key, too.

What’s something not everyone knows about you?

I’m very passionate about gravy. I talk about it a lot! 

Gravy is the crowning glory to a roast, much like what the Cathedral is to Lincoln!

What’s your favourite thing about Lincoln?

The way the Cathedral sits on the city like a lovely top hat is just magical. The architecture really is beautiful.

Lincoln’s good value for money house-wise, and there’s a lot of opportunity for businesses, too. You’ve seen that with the Science Park at the University, Cornhill Quarter, direct trains to London, and the fact the road systems are improving all of the time.

Lincoln used to be an Inbetweeners joke but now it’s a very exciting place to be. Since 2014, the difference is phenomenal and you know there’s so much more to come.

What is your favourite film?

It’s either Mean Girls or Bridesmaids. That’s embarrassing, isn’t it! Neither of those is a particularly good choice. Mean Girls is a classic and I reckon I could watch Bridesmaids every day.

Unpopular opinion: I think Grease 2 is better than the original Grease, too. I know it’s controversial but I stand by it and am prepared to go on record.

What helped you get through lockdown?

Planting potatoes, Dallas (the dog), Netflix, and wine.

Who’s your favourite sports team?

Lincoln City, obviously!

Who’s your favourite music artist?

I have a weird obsession with Jamie Cullum - I’ve seen him about 15 times. He’s actually kissed me on the cheek... twice. I’ve even got his sweaty towel in the cupboard.

What’s the best fact you know off by heart?

Potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space.

Meet the rest of the Banks Long team

In the coming months, we’ll be interviewing the rest of our expert team. But if you’d like to know anything about our available properties, specialist divisions or services in the meantime, please do let us know.