Knowing our homes
A year ago, we set out on an ambitious programme to visit all of our properties to carry out surveys that look at our homes and help us plan what work might be needed in the future.
Called the Stock Condition Survey, our own in-house surveyors are doing the work and we caught up with the team to find out more about what’s involved and why it’s important.
Our stock condition surveys are underway, and we caught up with Craig who heads up the team to find out more:
“There are two main reasons for carrying out our surveys – to look at previous work carried out and also to help us decide what work might be needed in the future.
“As an example, we installed new kitchens and bathrooms in most of our properties several years ago, so we need to see how they’re doing and to estimate how long they’ve got left before we need to consider possible replacements.
“We’re also looking at things like the outside of the building, how is the roof looking or the render on the walls. We’ll also check the loft to look at what the insulation is like. It simply means there’s less guesswork when it comes to maintaining people’s homes and be more focussed on what work is needed.”
With surveys at over half our homes now completed, attention turns to the remainder. Craig explains how surveys are set up:
“When we start surveying in a particular area, each tenant is sent a letter explaining what we’re doing and asking them to give us a call to arrange a suitable time and date for a visit. We sometimes follow that up with a phone call or one of the team popping around – it’s important we survey every home, so I would urge everyone to contact us as soon as they get a letter so we can get an appointment booked in.
“We need to access every room in the house, including the attic, but the work isn’t intrusive. We don’t need you to move any furniture – we’ll just take a few photos and make a few notes. Depending on the size of the property, we’ll be in and out in less than an hour. It really is important that we carry out these surveys.”
Meet the team
Carwyn, Junior and Kristian are just three of the team carrying out the surveys, so we caught up with them to find out a little bit more:
Carwyn has been with the team for eight years, while Kristian and Junior are just starting out on their surveying careers, as trainees.
All three have come into the building surveying field through a trade route, and Junior says that while this is not absolutely necessary for the role, the previous experience certainly has its advantages when surveying a a home:
“It’s important to know how a building is constructed and the sequence of how things are built. Although I’m new to the surveying team, I previously spent six years with the repairs team, so I’ve visited these properties many times to complete various jobs, so I know how they’re constructed and what to look out for. I also know many of the tenants well, so it’s nice to go back and say hello again.”
For Kristian, it’s the teamwork that is helping him find his feet:
“Even though I started out as a carpenter, I was always more interested in the technical aspect of buildings. Even though I’ve only been here a couple of months I feel totally at home and the job just feels ‘right’ to me. The support I get from the team is incredible.
"Carwyn and the other building surveyors have a wealth of knowledge that I can tap into, I’ve learned so much from them already.”
There’s more to the job than just surveying the property. Carwyn says you have to be ready for everything:
“Even though we’re there mainly to complete the survey, we may have to deal with any other issue the tenant raises – whether that’s helping them to report a repair or to refer them on to our specialist teams if they mention they’re having money troubles or need a little extra support to manage their home. So it’s not just about technical skills but about helping our tenants too.”
