Penners
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Well, well - deja vu all over again.NT said:
- Thread starter Stephen
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biffvernon
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Exams prove knowledge? I don't think so. They just demonstrate an ability to pass an exam. There are too many certificates in the world.
Nemesis
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Exams - weell, I have passed lots of 'em. In fact on paper I could take over from Darcey Bussell... i
biffvernon
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So have I but the swimming certificate was the useful one.
Nemesis
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I cheated for rhat one - sort of hopped the last ten metres.
Matt Green
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First point:
Surveyors presenting an objective opinion that they do not know how a building defect has occurred and recommending a commissioned salesman provide a seperate report (without specifically stating this) is a very poor state of affairs.
Second point:
Get dirty. Surveyors should survey - get into the bl##dy roof voids and crawl spaces. This one really winds me up:
"There is evidence of insect attack in the roof- have a specialist examine the timbers"
Translation: I stood at the top of the ladder and shone a torch in. I was wearing a good suit and there looked like there were a few cobwebs about. Having realised I had left my emergency hair gel in the car there was no way I could go in, besides which, fibreglass insulation plays havoc with my delicate skin. Then I had a stroke of luck, I noticed 4 ancient furniture beetle holes in the poor quality sapwood joinery around the loft hatch. Fantastic! Now I could get someone to do my job for me. I thought about checking to see if the ceiling was safe before I recommended other, less sharply dressed, people went into the roof but it was hot in there and I had very nearly broken a sweat.
"There does not appear to be sufficent ventilation beneath the floor. This could lead to the decay of timbers including, potentially, dry rot."
Translation: I didn't lift any of the floor boards: I don't carry any tools with me other than a dictaphone and a woolen coat (I might get a pristine set of PPE out when on a building site-but mostly thats just a means to an end, we all know I'm there to stick to the architect like a starved lamprey). I'll get someone else to look under the floors lest I break a nail using a beastly crowbar. If I mention dry rot, they'll get that done by the remedial guy I know. Excellent he'll drop a bottle of wine round at Christmas if I bung him a few more jobs. I briefly considered using my moisture meter on the floor timbers but decided I might have to interpet the results meaningfully.
"Please send your report directly to me, rather than the client, although your invoice should be sent directly."
Translation: I intend to copy your report totally and pass it off as my own. Don't you dare send them a copy. I'll put it out to tender to appease the client and see which non-RICS oiks can survey the building for me.
Third point:
Being a RICS conservation surveyor should mean that you are capable of surveying a period property without outside help.
Matt
-who feels no need to be a RICS member.
Surveyors presenting an objective opinion that they do not know how a building defect has occurred and recommending a commissioned salesman provide a seperate report (without specifically stating this) is a very poor state of affairs.
Second point:
Get dirty. Surveyors should survey - get into the bl##dy roof voids and crawl spaces. This one really winds me up:
"There is evidence of insect attack in the roof- have a specialist examine the timbers"
Translation: I stood at the top of the ladder and shone a torch in. I was wearing a good suit and there looked like there were a few cobwebs about. Having realised I had left my emergency hair gel in the car there was no way I could go in, besides which, fibreglass insulation plays havoc with my delicate skin. Then I had a stroke of luck, I noticed 4 ancient furniture beetle holes in the poor quality sapwood joinery around the loft hatch. Fantastic! Now I could get someone to do my job for me. I thought about checking to see if the ceiling was safe before I recommended other, less sharply dressed, people went into the roof but it was hot in there and I had very nearly broken a sweat.
"There does not appear to be sufficent ventilation beneath the floor. This could lead to the decay of timbers including, potentially, dry rot."
Translation: I didn't lift any of the floor boards: I don't carry any tools with me other than a dictaphone and a woolen coat (I might get a pristine set of PPE out when on a building site-but mostly thats just a means to an end, we all know I'm there to stick to the architect like a starved lamprey). I'll get someone else to look under the floors lest I break a nail using a beastly crowbar. If I mention dry rot, they'll get that done by the remedial guy I know. Excellent he'll drop a bottle of wine round at Christmas if I bung him a few more jobs. I briefly considered using my moisture meter on the floor timbers but decided I might have to interpet the results meaningfully.
"Please send your report directly to me, rather than the client, although your invoice should be sent directly."
Translation: I intend to copy your report totally and pass it off as my own. Don't you dare send them a copy. I'll put it out to tender to appease the client and see which non-RICS oiks can survey the building for me.
Third point:
Being a RICS conservation surveyor should mean that you are capable of surveying a period property without outside help.
Matt
-who feels no need to be a RICS member.
Nemesis
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Thanks Matt! Having just polished off my contributions to the Heritage White Paper submission (last minute as ever!!!) for a conservation organisation and feeling very despairing really (it ain't set to get better and sense won't prevail) you've cheered me up!
Penners
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I'm proud to say that I have done my lifelong best not to swell their numbers any further.biffvernon said:
biffvernon said:
How could one answer the exam qs scoringly without having the knowledge? They do prove knowledge - but exams dont necessarily test the knowledge thats needed for the real life job. They sometimes focus on side issues while missing the real point and not testing the key skills.
Having said all that, I did once pass an exam where I didnt have the knowledge being tested. I figured an off topic solution to what the q was asking for, and since it did the job I got the marks.
NT
Lime
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A long time ago my step-father was a surveyor.
He was a horrible man, drank too much and knew next to nothing about anything mechanical like an engine.
However he was a really good surveyor.
He knew the construction of houses inside out and backwards having made a fortune with reparations after the war.
He always had with him his trusty builder/odd job man who would do all the crawling about and shifting required to see everywhere.
Any aspect of a survey that looked as if it needed special attention he would immediately bring in an expert (such as an electrician or roofer) who would do an in-depth assessment.
This would be all part of the service.
I hated the man but he is about the only surveyor I would have employed.
As it was he taught me a great deal of what I know.
He was a horrible man, drank too much and knew next to nothing about anything mechanical like an engine.
However he was a really good surveyor.
He knew the construction of houses inside out and backwards having made a fortune with reparations after the war.
He always had with him his trusty builder/odd job man who would do all the crawling about and shifting required to see everywhere.
Any aspect of a survey that looked as if it needed special attention he would immediately bring in an expert (such as an electrician or roofer) who would do an in-depth assessment.
This would be all part of the service.
I hated the man but he is about the only surveyor I would have employed.
As it was he taught me a great deal of what I know.
Penners
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The trouble is that your stepfather's use of specialists would greatly inflate costs. And - as Stephen observed at the start of this thread - it seems that nowadays people simply would not be prepared to pay for that.