RICS Factsheets

[Stephen]

Hi all

Sorry not been around much lately, but I have been keeping an eye on the Forum and seen some interesting topics.

The RICS has produced a series of Factsheets for the public with the intention of providing some initial basic advice and to help ensure that the public have some idea of whether the advice they are being given is along the right lines.

The first four have been published and RICS has agreed that this web site can have copies for download and they are now on the Reading Matter section of the site.

The first ones are: Damp, Condensation, Brickwork and Cracking.

Whilst these do not form RICS policy they do provide for the first time a more specific approach that RICS believes to be appropriate. As they are for the public it does mean that if a surveyor is not advising in accordance with the general approach suggested in these the member of the public has some ammunition to question that surveyor.

We are open to comments about these (how helpful they are, any concerns or questions they bring forth that need to be considxered, etc). We intend to continue with the series and develop a suite of Factsheets over time. Your feedback would be gratefully received.

Stephen Boniface

 

[MdB]

RICS_Dampness_Factsheet_V3.pdf
RICS_Condensation_Factsheet_V3.pdf
RICS_Brickwork_Factsheet_V3.pdf
RICS_Cracking_Factsheet_V3.pdf

 

[Penners]

Many thanks for the info, Stephen.

My initial reaction - a really useful and valuable service to the public.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

RICS_Cracking_Factsheet_V3.pdf

Gromit.

Sorry

 

[Gervase]

*snort*

Very useful, though. I hope you don't mind, but I've linked to them from my own website.

 

[middi]

Very usefull information for readers ( and contributers!!) on this site. Thanks Stephen.

 

[PC]

Hi Stephen,

Great idea producing the Fact Sheet (dampness) and Im sure that you could add further pages on this subject alone.

My biggest concern however, is that far to many Surveyors are to quick to recommend a damp proofing specialist and in most cases could identify some damp problems and the solutions themselves, if they put their mind to it.

Is this likely to ever happen?

Regards

PC

 

[Stephen]

Thanks for the positive responses.

Yes, please feel free to link to them - they are intended to be for the public to use.

PC
The intention is that we set a benchmark standard and have set out these deliberately to ensure that the public are more aware and are therefore more likely to question the advice given by a surveyor. In the longer term my hope is that it will mean fewer surveyors recommending inappropriate and/or unnecessary treatments.

Yes, we could have written a lot more, but the idea is to keep them brief and prompt the public to think about things and not simply accept the first bit of 'advice' they are given.

This is going to be backed in due course by a series of specific RICS Defect Reports (I hope) that I shall start working on very soon - I have the green light from RICS. The ultimate intention is to give a wider range of survey product that the public can choose from and/or bolt together as appropriate.


Any comments (even negative) would be welcome because we want them to be useful and informative without having to produce a book. Suggestions for other topics would also be welcomed.

Regards

Stephen

 

[middi]

How about some guidelines on wood treatment, say contemporary application necessity versus acient (oak) stuctures. Insulation is also another subject which requires some thought on older buildings.

(Food for thought ?)

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Thank you Stephen, timely advice for us as it happens!

 

[Penners]

RICS_Cracking_Factsheet_V3.pdf

Gromit.

Sorry

:roll:

(actually, :lol: )