Booking is now open for this unique site visit on..:

23rd September

Training Format

This training will be delivered in-person at the house, which is located in Ashmore, Dorset, SP5 post code area.  It is a private residence.   The full address and joining instructions will be given nearer to the date of the visit.

The house is small and is a really good example of local vernacular construction.    The village is largely undeveloped too and this will be a really interesting place to visit.

Why you should attend this training..:

This house is Listed at Grade II, and it has been altered very little.   The owner is doing some modest repairs, using traditional methods and materials but is not going to change very much.

You will get see a hybrid of Dorset cob, flint work and also brickwork.   The house has a thatched roof, which now is approaching the end of its life.

There are multiple defects to see and discuss.

This visit will only be available to a small group.   There is no roadside parking outside, but there is ample roadside parking within just a few minutes walk.

You will get to see the whole building and, as a group, we will discuss how a pre-purchase building survey might be undertaken on it and how repairs would best be undertaken.   You will be within a safe and nurtured environment in a very small group of like-minded people.   Use the opportunity to ask any questions that arise.  There is no such thing a silly question.

By the end of the training you will be more confident and aware of..:

• Understand your responsibilities and liabilities as a professional building surveyor
• Have a better understanding of the client needs for having the survey done
• Take a methodical approach to the process of doing a building survey
• Identify a range of common defects found in this type and age of building
• How to prioritise repairs to suit the needs of the building as well as the budget of the client
• Make better decisions on the advice that you will provide to your client
• Learn about when it might be necessary to make a referral for further inspections
• Have better confidence in yourself
• Be able to write confident and well presented reports for your client

Suitability

Professionals from a wide variety of disciplines including residential surveyors and valuers, building surveyors, architects, and structural engineers as well as the many conservation trades will benefit from this training opportunity.

This is also perfectly suitable for anyone with a general interest in older buildings.   That can include homeowners and buyers, for example.   Students, from all backgrounds, will find this especially valuable to their learning.

It will be particularly suitable for those who have some limited experience of doing RICS Level 2 and Level 3 building surveys and want to know more about older buildings.   It might also be suitable for more experienced surveyors who wish to broaden their knowledge of this period of architecture.

This training is open and available to everyone.  Please do consider your own personal circumstances and your ability to use stairs and ladders.  There may be uneven terrain.  Do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments and we can discuss this further and try to adapt where possible.

Timing

This is a private home.  We are not asking the owner to provide any catering facility.  We won’t stop for a lunch break, as such, but you are, of course, welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks/sandwiches.

10:00 – Arrive

We will be constantly walking and talking, with ample opportunity for questions, discussions and explanations.

14:30/15:00 –  Depart.  This time is entirely flexible.

CPD

This training will provide up to 5 hours of formal/structured CPD.

Training Instructor

This training will be taught by Prof. Duncan Philips FRICS.  Duncan is one of the UK’s most experienced Chartered Building Surveyors regarding historic and Listed Buildings, having been doing this work for over 35 years.   He runs Listed Building Surveys and was Chair of the RICS Building Conservation Steering Group for six years from 2017 – 2023. He is the lead author of the new RICS Professional Standard – Conservation of Heritage Buildings and Assets, which will be published in late 2024.  Duncan teaches building surveying, architectural history, building pathology and building conservation to undergraduate, postgraduate and mature students and also to the general public and the trades.