In today’s property surveying blog post topic, we are going to be taking a look at Schedule of Condition Direct, or SOC Direct.
SOC Direct is one of the Stokemont brands and a subsidiary company that Stokemont operates and manages.
SOC Direct is designed, and in place to provide building surveyors, architects, chartered surveyors, engineers and contractors with a cost effective Schedule of Condition surveying service.
Here at Stokemont, our experienced and qualified surveyors will undertake Schedule of Condition reports on behalf of our clients in order to ensure that we are able to provide them with the best possible service in both a cost and time effective manner.
We are also very proud to undertake a variety of different Schedule of Condition work for other party wall surveyors and building surveyors within the profession.
Through our meticulous and comprehensive approach to Schedule of Condition surveys, we have quickly built up a reputation for both a comprehensive written report, and extensive photographic record. Our take on this here at Stokemont and SOC Direct is that the value in the detail is absolutely imperative and key.
A Schedule of Condition report will be required whenever a building owner is planning on undertaking construction works to their property. A Schedule of Condition report, or SoC, will see the surveyor visit the neighbouring property that adjoins the works, prior to the works commencing and getting underway. The surveyor will then undertake a comprehensive record of the pre-works condition so they have a full understanding and benchmark in place, setting out that condition pre-works.
This will then form part of the Party wall Award, or alternatively can be held alone as a Schedule of Condition report. Irrespective of which envelope the service forms part of, the outcome is going to be piece of mind for the building owner as they will be able to ensure that they are not held liable or accountable for any issues or damage that may have existed to the neighbouring property prior to the works taking place.
In many cases, what is normal and conventional is that once the construction works commence, the adjoining owners are going to get the normal banging and clattering, as well as the vibration to the party wall or flank wall of their property.
With these new observations, in many cases, they will not only cause issue and damage to the adjoining owner’s property, however, will also likely result in issue that needs to be rectified and made good.
Equally, there can be scenarios whereby historic damage or issue that has been there many years prior to the works commencing could potentially jump out as new to the adjoining owner. Irrespective of the outcome here, the Schedule of Condition is going to definitively give the building owner a full and thorough understanding of the adjoining owner’s property condition prior to the works commencing.
They will therefore be able to definitively confirm if their works have caused any issue to the adjoining owner’s property, thereby ensuring that they are responsible for only damage that their works have caused.
For an adjoining owner, equally the benefit is going to be that they are going to be able to hold the building owner accountable for issue and damage in a very straightforward manner. The very existence of the Schedule of Condition is going to give them a benchmark to work off, thereby easily and simply setting out the new damage, often using a pre- and post- photograph approach.
Here at Stokemont and SOC Direct, we have built up a firm client base and are very pleased to offer the Schedule of Condition to a number of different companies throughout England and Wales. SOC Direct is in place and there to provide clients with an easy to use, quick and effective service to deal with all of their Schedule of Condition needs.
If you would like to discuss our Schedule of Condition services and believe that we could potentially work with you, please feel free to give us a call today and we will be more than happy to assist and advise you.
All you need to do is get in touch with us via Stokemont’s contact form on our website. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us direct via the SOC Direct website and we will get back to you without delay.
