Building Surveys

The benefits of Professional Service Providers

James Gibb has been appointed as your Property Manager to work for, and on behalf of homeowners across your development. We are positioned to deliver core property management and factoring services that are met by our management fee.

Our Written Statement of Service explains the differences between core property management and factoring services and the type of works that fall outwith this category, often referred to as Major Works.

Major Works can result from:

• A requirement of the Deed of Conditions. For example, some deeds stipulate the period in which communal painting is due.
• The conclusions of a professional inspection. For example, a Roof Condition Report.
• 24 HR Emergency repairs.
• A recommendation made by the Development Manager.
• A request from the Homeowners’ Association.
• A homeowner decision made in accordance with the Deed of Conditions and / or relevant legislation.

In some cases, due to the complexity of a particular project, James Gibb will stipulate, or the homeowners may request, an independent Project Manager and/or other professional services are engaged. All costs incurred by the engagement of such a Project Manager and/or other professional services will be charged back to the homeowners. In addition, James Gibb may apply a Project Administration Fee for our services. Any such fee will be notified to homeowners in advance. 

Professional Service Providers

James Gibb works in partnership with many qualified Project Managers and Surveyors. Where the services of Professional Service Providers have been agreed, James Gibb and/or the nominated Professional Service Providers will normally have a Project Specification prepared and will seek up to three cost quotations. The committee and/or homeowners will then decide whether or not they wish to proceed.

Without majority approval, or the required percentage approval if defined in your Deed of Conditions or, if undefined in your Deed of Conditions, a simple majority, major projects cannot proceed unless significant and immediate health and safety issues prevail.

The benefits of engaging the support and guidance of a Professional Service Provider to carry out a Building Survey of Roof Condition Report for example, are significant for the collective owners and could in many instances, meet the requirements of an Insurance Policy of Condition with the Title Deed. Whilst your Development Manager will complete regular inspections of your development, they are not specialised in identifying defects, some of which may not be visible or accessible, based on the nature of the inspection we complete. At this stage we would, following consultation with owners, engage the support of a professional to:

• Complete a survey and provide a written report to include visual evidence.
• Scope the remedial work required and provide summary findings and detailed solutions in the form of required or suggested remedial works.

Having a relevant specialist involved in scoping the remedial work, will more often than not come with a guarantee of the works completed, through their work with any contractor or manufacturer involved in the process.

Open Space Developments

It may be that following a significant storm, for example, an area with tall trees or woodland within the development boundary has been damaged, James Gibb, on behalf of the collective owners, would look to engage an Arboriculturist to assess the damage and to provide a report detailing immediate actions and a maintenance plan for a period of 1/3/5/ 10 years, depending on the nature of their findings.

James Gibb would work with the owners to ensure the necessary works can be completed, whilst being met financially, through the use of sinkings funds should they be in place, or by ingathering funds through a proposed works exercise.

If you would like further information on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact your Development Manager to learn more about the engagement of Professional Service Providers.

*It is important to note that we are facilitators and are not qualified Project Managers or Surveyors of any discipline.

James Gibb doing it the right way