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Preface

This series of books, produced at a time of change, cover the work of assessing the age of all types of dwelling, inspecting what is visible of the structure, services and environs and reporting upon the condition to prospective buyers, lenders and to owners about to put a dwelling on the market. They are being published consecutively, the first, Assessing Age, having been published in September 2004.

The books follow the investigative practice in England, Wales and Scotland as exemplified in the current editions of the Conditions of Engagement for inspections to produce the Homebuyer Survey and Valuation Report, the Model Conditions of Engagement included in the Specification for the Valuation and Inspection of Residential Properties for Mortgage Purposes and the Guidance Note for Surveyors on Building Surveys of Residential Property, all produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The passing of the Housing Act 2004 has also enabled full account to be taken of the Conditions of Engagement and the Requirements for Home Inspectors on the production of Home Condition Reports. These will be required for inclusion in the Home Information Packs to be prepared for sellers before a dwelling is marketed for sale in England and Wales from 1st January 2007. Account has also been taken of the Conditions of Engagement for inspections to Preface produce Single Survey Reports to be made available in advance to those intending to bid for dwellings in Scotland.

The Conditions of Engagement for the five Reports envisaged as being covered by this series of books, require all visible and readily accessible parts of a dwelling to be inspected. This is, in effect, no more than buyers and sellers can see for themselves but the inspector has to bring a great deal more to his task than merely what his eyes can see in order to fulfil his obligations. He is, of course, aided by instruments and equipment such as a damp meter, torch and ladder but otherwise has to rely upon his own physical abilities to obtain access to all the accessible parts of the dwelling, to investigate dark areas and to tap, pry and peer at the numerous components presented to him by buildings through the ages in order to make an accurate diagnosis of their differing characteristics. Most important of all, however, is his ability to diagnose what could be major defects from minimal surface indications since speculation and conjecture are, and must be, necessary elements of an inspection where no opening up forms part of the operation.

Inspecting, as the lynchpin of the series, gives inspectors the detailed information required to provide that added value. How to ascertain and assess construction, materials, exposure, durability, defects and dangers, along with advice on preparing for the task, coping with clients, and, vitally necessary, following the guidance which has been handed down from the Courts over the years on the path to follow when all the information required is not ascertainable. All types and ages of dwelling are covered from the very old to the near new, including those system built in the latter half of the 1900s.

How, after reflective thought, the information gathered at the dwelling will be presented by way of the different forms of report will be the subject of the remaining two books in the series. However, valuations both for open market and insurance reinstatement purposes will be included in both and buyers will, in many cases, wish to have advice on matters outside the provenance of the Home Condition Report, the possibility of alterations for example.

Throughout the books, surveyor and inspector are considered interchangeable and where a pronoun is unavoidable the masculine and feminine equally so.

Authors: lan A Melville lanA Gordon