Further reading

Useful Resources

Inspections and Reports on Dwellings: Assessing Age, 2nd edition

Identifying the age of a property is a fundamental step in understanding its form of construction and in being able to differentiate between the characteristic defects of that age of property and defects which are more unusual and may warrant particular care in investigation and assessment. This second edition of Inspections and Reports on Dwellings: Assessing Age updates the market context within which surveyors and valuers are now operating. In particular, it has a new section on post-2000 properties, reflecting the profound impact of government policies and environmental concerns on the modern urban landscape.

The book is divided into 13 age bands with over 70 colour photographs of dwellings for each period. A commentary on each age band outlines the social, environmental and technical influences on properties built at the time, helping to explain why they look as they do. A broad range of dwellings is covered – large and small, private and public sector, old and new – and particular features which help to place a dwelling within one of the defined periods are highlighted in comments on the photographs.

This book is intended for all those engaged in inspecting dwellings, whether experienced, newly qualified or studying for appropriate qualifications to become members of professional institutions.

Inspections and Reports on Dwellings: Reporting for Buyers, 2nd edition

Completing the series of books called Inspections and Reports on Dwellings,the third book, Reporting for Buyers,offers the surveyor guidance on setting out their findings in a clear, unambiguous and unequivocal manner.

The book provides a fuller and more critical picture of the current situation with examples of various types of reports. The limitations and attributes of these reports are discussed and their respective forms of advice considered in detail together with the advice provided to buyers, which is a legal requirement in Scotland. The authors stress the need for surveyors to demonstrate their all-round abilities by putting themselves in their clients’ shoes and providing advice appropriate to their needs and requirements. In doing so, they set out a cogent criticism of the standardised forms of advice offered to buyers and the lack of transparency in how they are presented by comparing what is seen by the client and what is set out in the various guidelines available. Surveyors will find the Site Notes and sample reports invaluable in demonstrating how the same dwelling can be described in the reports available. Sample reports include:

  • the Mortgage Valuation Report;
  • the RICS Condition Report;
  • the RPSA Home Condition Survey;
  • the Scottish Single Survey; and
  • the RICS Home Buyer Report, among others.

This book is intended for all those engaged in inspecting and reporting on dwellings, whether experienced, newly qualified or studying for appropriate qualifications to become members of professional institutions.