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STEWARDSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY: A Policy Framework for Private Housing in Scotland

Annex B
ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CHARTERED SURVEYORS IN SCOTLAND VIEWS ON THE CONTENT, FORMAT AND ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROPOSED SINGLE SURVEY

THE PROPERTY & LOCATION

The Property
Type and Age; Construction; Accommodation; Garage and Grounds

The Location

Circumstances of the Inspection
Weather; Limits to Inspection

THE BUILDING

Movement Timber Defects

Dampness
Damp-proof course; Rising and penetrating damp; Condensation

Insulation

The Exterior
Roof structure and covering; Chimneys; Rainwater fittings; Main walls; External joinery; External decoration

The Interior
Roof space; Ceilings; Floors; Internal walls and partitions; Fireplaces, etc.; Internal joinery; Internal decoration

THE SERVICES

The Services (ideally these will have been tested by qualified personnel and relevant certificates included as part of the Purchaser's Information Pack and available to the surveyor in advance).
Electricity; Gas; Water; Heating

Drainage

LEGAL AND OTHER MATTERS

Ideally this information should be available to the surveyor in advance as part of the Purchaser's Information Pack.
Building Standards Assessment; Building Warrants; Guarantees; Planning Consents

VALUATION

Open Market Value

Insurance Cover (Reinstatement Cost)

In addition to the above information, we suggest that the following information could be added to the single survey at a cost of 45 (plus VAT) for each item (this is an indicative cost and could well be subject to change depending on the level of detail required).

ENERGY EFFICIENCY SURVEY

Based on the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure
Home Energy Rating
Existing Home Energy Efficiency Features (i.e. a list of features already installed)
Improvement Options (i.e. a list of suggested improvements, together with an approximate cost, annual savings and an approximate payback period).

ACCESSIBILITY ADAPTATIONS

A very limited report on accessibility should be included. This cannot be detailed as the surveyor will be unaware of the needs of any potential purchasers and cannot therefore tailor the report to the circumstances of a particular disability.
A note of corridor widths, width of doorways, etc.
A report on the external environment, e.g. number of steps, whether a ramp could be installed.
A list of visible adaptations, e.g. hand rails, lowered light switches, lowered worktops, wet room, etc.

SECURITY REPORT

External
Surrounding area, surrounding properties, external boundaries and lighting.

Outbuildings
Garages, sheds or outbuildings, types of locks.

Building Openings
Types of locks used, both on doors and on windows.

Alarm Systems
Information on alarm systems or existence of alarm boxes.

MAINTENANCE REPORT

A non-exhaustive list of general maintenance advice, not property specific.

Exclusions

Current limitations to the Homebuyer are as follows:

• The inspection is a general surface examination of those parts of the property which are accessible, i.e. visible and readily available for examination from ground and floor levels, without risk of causing damage to the property or injury to the surveyor - this includes examination from staircases and within accessible roof voids and sub-floor areas; individual timbers are not examined. Due care is therefore exercised throughout the inspection regarding safety, practicality and the constraints of being a visitor to the property (which may be occupied). So, furniture, floor coverings and other contents are not moved or lifted, although loose corners or carpets which can be lifted without use of tools may of course be lifted. No part is forced or laid open to make it accessible.
• Services are inspected but the surveyor would not test or assess the efficiency of electrical, gas, plumbing, heating or drainage installations, or compliance with current regulations, or the internal condition of any chimney, boiler or other flue. In addition, the surveyor does not research the presence (or possible consequence) of contamination by any harmful substance, although if a problem is suspected in any of these areas, advice would be given on what action should be taken.
• A ladder is used for hatches and also for flat roofs not more than three metres above ground level. Any further extent to which a ladder is used is at the discretion of the surveyor.
• Leisure facilities and non-permanent outbuildings (such as pools and timber sheds) are noted but not examined.
• In the case of flats, exterior surfaces of the building containing the property, as well as the communal areas within the building, are examined in order to assess their general condition; accessible roof spaces are inspected (i.e. those roof spaces which are not accessible from the stairwell are not inspected).

With regard to the single survey, RICS Scotland considers that some of these limitations could be overcome given the extra time a surveyor would have to carry out the single survey, e.g. carpets could be lifted if there were sufficient time; or where access to a roof space is from another property, the surveyor should have sufficient time to contact the owner of the neighbouring property to request access. Further consideration will be required in this respect.

ADVICE ON POSSIBLE CHARGES FOR THE PROPOSED SINGLE SURVEY

Costs of additional features/information

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