Inspections and Reports on Dwellings

Inspections and Reports on Dwellings was originally a four volume series written in anticipation of mandatory Home Condition Reports. Since this proposal was superseded there has been an increasing recognition that purchasers of residential property require an independent professional assessment of the homes they are considering buying.

This second edition of Assessing Age updates the market context within which surveyors and valuers are now operating. In particular it has a new section on post-2000 properties, reflecting the profound impact of Government policies and environmental concerns on the modern urban landscape.

Identifying the age of a property is a fundamental step in understanding its form of construction and in being prepared to differentiate between the characteristic defects of that age of property and defects which are more unusual and may warrant particular care in investigation and assessment.

The book is divided into thirteen age bands with over seventy colour photographs of dwellings for each period. A commentary on each age band outlines the social, environmental and technical influences on properties being built at the time, helping to explain why they look as they do. A broad range of dwellings is covered: large and small, private and public sector, old and new, and particular features which help to place a dwelling within one of the defined periods are highlighted in comments on the photographs.

This book is intended for all those engaged in inspecting dwellings, whether experienced, newly qualified or studying for appropriate qualifications to become members of professional institutions.