a ‘home mot’ for safer homes graham ellis bsc mrics rics uk associate residential director...
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A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Graham Ellis BSc MRICSRICS UK Associate Residential DirectorAttlee Suite Portcullis House, 12th May 2014
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CHARTERED SURVEYORS (RICS)• Consumer protection and the
development of the profession for the public advantage at the core
• Parliament Square HQ• 120,000 members worldwide• Members dealing with residential
property in UK on day to day basis: Valuers, Surveyors, Estate agents, Letting agents, Property Management
• 200,000 plus surveys on residential property undertaken every year, and growing.
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
1. “MY INTERPRETATION OF A ‘HOME MOT’…..”
MOT – definition Cambridge Dictionary on-line“a test that all UK road vehicles more than three years old have to pass each year in order to prove that they are safe to drive”
HOME INFORMATION PACK – definition Dictionary Central on-line“a set of documents giving comprehensive information on many aspects of a property being bought or sold, e.g. various searches conducted, copies of the deeds and information regarding energy efficiency”
HOME MOT – my interpretation“a set of managed, up to date, trusted documents attached to a home giving comprehensive information to prove that it is sound, safe, comfortable and affordable to live-in”
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
2. “DOES RICS PROVIDE A SERVICETHAT FALLS UNDER THE BROADHOME MOT BANNER?”
No but it does provide RICS HOMESURVEYS services which can formthe keystone element of a Home MOT
Three levels of survey now firmly established….
LEVEL 1: RICS Condition Report (CR)LEVEL 2: RICS HomeBuyer Report (HBR)LEVEL 3: RICS Building Survey (BS)
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
…but safety hazards, legal issues,
lifestyle issues…
Surveys no longer just about damp, timber, and structural movement…
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
CARBON MONOXIDE – gas appliances and equipmentreported in Section G Services• G2 Gas/oil
• G4 Heating
• G5 Water heating
Note: surveyors will NOT test the services
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Also presence of gas appliances and equipment can bemade/ cross-referenced under F Inside the property• F5 Fireplaces, chimney breasts and flues
• F6 Kitchen fittings
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Lack of Gas Safety Certificate/safety issues can be
reported in Section J Risks
and also under each element in Sections F and Gas a Condition rating 3 – defects that need to be Investigated urgently
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Safety hazard – services
Gas explosion rips house apart in
Northumberland Daily Mail 17 April 2007
Boy, 7, dies in house fire as mother
desperately tries to save him from
attic bedroom Daily Mail 28th October 2008
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
3. “WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A HOME MOT-TYPE SERVICE?”
Anything that affects the soundness, safety, comfort and affordability/value of a home…..
Building: condition inside and outside - records/warranties for repairs, maintenance and replacement carried outServices: gas, electrics, water, heating, water heating, drainage - safety certificates and specialist reports, records/warranties for repairs, maintenance and replacement works carried outGrounds: garage and outbuildings, garden features, boundaries, trees, drive and pathways – condition & maintenance recordsEnvironmental: flooding, ground conditions, Japanese Knotweed – specialist reports, risk management programmesEnergy & Sustainability: EPCs, Green Deal and ECO – record of works undertakenLegal matters: searches, guarantees, warranties, valuations, leases - documentsRisks: asbestos, lead pipework, safety glass, legionnaires disease, condensation, electro-magnetic fields – specialist reportsMany of these issues will be identified in an RICS Home Survey….
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Safety hazard – asbestos (1970s bungalow)
Condition rating 1 – no repair is
currently needed. The property must be
maintained in the normal way
Safety hazard – asbestos (same bungalow)
Condition rating 3 – defects that are serious and/or need to be repaired, replaced or investigated urgently
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Safety hazard & condition issue –
electrics and roof, both condition
rating 3s
Safety hazard – lack of safety glasscondition rating 1
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Safety hazard – services
Condition rating 3 (further investigation)
– no test certificates
Safety hazard – services
Condition rating 3 (further investigation) –
no test certificates, damp, fire condemned)
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Environmental issues e.g. Japanese
knotweed, flooding
Safety hazard – unstable wallCondition rating 3
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Legal issues
Shared driveway over boundary
Maintenance
Condition rating 2
Defects that need repairing or replacing
but are not considered to be either
serious or urgent. The property must be
maintained in the normal way
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
Energy issues
Solar panels Green Deal & ECO measures
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
4. “MY INTERPRETATION OF THE VALUE ADD OF A HOME MOT APPROACH…”
A professional managed Home MOT could
• Improve the safety and comfort of occupiers and visitors• Improve owners and occupiers understanding of how a home works• Enable owners and occupiers to make informed decisions on repairs and improvements• Provide secure on-line storage of important documents• Reduce the cost of living in a home eg. reduced insurance premiums • Protect the value of a home• Improve the home buying and selling process• Improve neighbour relations• Reduce incidents for emergency services• Help the government achieve carbon saving targets
A ‘HOME MOT’ FOR SAFER HOMES
CAN A HOME MOT BE DELIVERED?
• RICS Home Surveys services and other ‘core’ component services already available• Sources of specialist information available• Much work on process and systems etc. already done for the Home Information Pack• Industry and consumer appetite
