Here is some more information about the Stock Condition Survey:
What is a stock condition survey?
A stock condition survey is a visual inspection of the inside and outside of your home including an assessment of the age and condition of all the main constructional elements and components, such as the kitchen, bathroom, windows and doors, roof, and gutters and downpipes.
Why do I need to have a stock condition survey?
Southway Housing Trust is surveying all the homes it manages, to help improve the quality of the information we hold, and to provide an accurate picture of the overall condition of each home. It won’t automatically mean work will be carried out to your home in the immediate future. It will just make sure any information we hold about your home is up to date and mean we can plan for when we need to carry out work in the future.
Do I have to wait in for the surveyor?
A surveyor from Rapley’s will contact you to arrange an appointment to visit your home to complete a survey on a specific day. They may also call at your home whilst they are in the area to see if you are available.
If you’re not in, they may look at your garden, boundaries and surrounding areas, but they’ll have a list of alternative addresses they can survey if you aren’t available on that day.
What does the survey involve and where will the surveyor need access to?
The survey involves the visual inspection of all key areas and building components inside and outside your home. As the inspection is visual only, carpets will not need to be lifted, and no items of furniture will need to be moved. The surveyor will generally need access to all rooms, including the loft and to all external areas. The surveyor will bring their own ladders. The surveyor may also need to ask you a few questions to get some additional information. Your co-operation would be gratefully received.
As part of the inspection, the surveyor will need to take some photographs parts of the house for example your kitchen. These photos will be for Southway Housing Trust’s own internal use only. It can be difficult to avoid taking photos of personal belongings. If you have belongings that you do not wish to be photographed, please remove them before the survey, and/or please advise the surveyor upon arrival. Please note that the surveyor is only interested in the condition of the components in your home itself, not how clean or tidy it is or how you live in your home.
How long will the survey take?
The survey should take no more than 30-45 minutes. The time taken will vary depending on the size of your home.
How do I know that I can trust the surveyor?
The surveyor will be carrying a photographic ID, which they will show on arrival. Please note that the surveyors have been vetted and have undergone DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks. If you’re in doubt, then please do not let them in to your home until you have checked their identity with Rapleys, by calling freephone 01480 371 460.
You can also ask them to quote your individual property reference number which has been provided to you by Southway Housing Trust in the letter we sent about the stock condition survey.
What happens if repairs are identified during the survey?
The surveyors have very specific instructions, so they will not be able to look at, or report on, any repair problems you may have, but anything the surveyor picks up that could be urgent will immediately be reported back to Southway Housing Trust for us to deal with as an emergency.
If you have any routine repairs, please report them directly to us via the contact details at the top of this letter or through our online portal https://my.southwayhousing.co.uk/. For emergency repairs you must call us on 0161 448 4200.