Building Consultancy

Structural Survey

A structural survey is an in-depth assessment of the structural integrity of a property, carried out by a qualified structural engineer or chartered surveyor. This type if report will examine to identify defects, weaknesses, or potential risk to safety, if any and assess the state and condition of principal load-bearing elements such as foundations, walls, beams, roofs, etc. Structural surveys and structural reports provide valuable professional expert analysis of the structural condition of a property, and as such are an important to obtain before the purchase, remodelling, renovation, or sale of a property, especially when dealing with older, potentially damaged buildings. Structural surveys will reveal conditions that address the structural stability of the building and arbiter necessary repairs (if deemed necessary). Structural surveys provide information necessary for clients to make more informed decisions prior to buying or remodelling. This survey will allow clients to avoid nasty surprises before completion, and to make sure they are compliant with all safety and building standards.

Building Condition Audit

A Building Condition Assessment (BCA) is a systematic evaluation of a building’s structural, mechanical, electrical, fire-safety, and infrastructure systems providing a holistic ‘health check’ to its current condition. BCA is executed by qualified inspectors, including engineers that are certified, and identify defects, safety issues, deterioration, integrity of construction, and compliance to building codes that may incorporate thermal imaging, moisture meters, and basic visual inspection observations. BCAs are important as they provide building owners, investors, and facility managers the confidence to identify maintenance priorities, approvals for budgets, long-term planning, due diligence, and maintenance of compliance with regulations to mitigate risk, and protect the value of the asset over time.

Technical Due Diligence

A Technical Due Diligence survey is a thorough technical report on the building or lease demise, to allow for consideration of the different risks that could impinge on investment value or suitability for occupation / intended purpose. This type of survey is an important tool in the decision-making process. Our succinct (but thorough) reports contain an executive summary, a condition assessment of each element of the building, advice on life expectancy / likely performance, budget repair costs and a full suite 5 year cost plan to assist the investor to understand their cost of ownership in the context of the major CAPEX costs they anticipate over the reporting period.

Scenario Analysis

It is a strategic planning technique that helps organizations explore multiple plausible futures by constructing and evaluating varied “what-if” scenarios—such as best‑case, worst‑case, and most likely situations—based on key uncertainties and drivers like economic conditions, regulatory shifts, technological trends, and market forces. Scenario Analysis for Buildings identifies and assesses divergent plausible future states that will affect building performance—e.g., climate change, energy pricing, occupancy patterns, regulations, or maintenance practices—and models different ways these scenarios will affect each of the building’s infrastructure, systems, operation, or financial outcomes. By modeling an accelerated aged, a harsher regulatory regime, or altered occupant behaviours as scenarios, stakeholders can use scenario analysis to determine exposures to risk, to develop maintenance and energy usage strategies, and to create an actionable long‑term plan and one that is as resilient as possible.

Dilapidation survey

A dilapidation survey is an independent, detailed visual inspection of a building, usually carried out before or after the lease period or designed to protect interests before any works nearby.Dilapidation is defined as any decline, degradation or change in a building’s condition due to neglect, modifications on purpose, or merely age. Any commercial property that is rented, be it an office, warehouse, retail, leisure, or industrial property, should be dilapidation surveyed.It demonstrates the extent of work needed, to repair the property back to its original condition, and validates if the landlord has completed work in accordance to any open tenancy agreements by using maintenance contracts. The dilapidation survey is conducted well in advance of the tenant vacating, so the works can be completed sufficiently prior to restoring the building’s original condition.

Defect Analysis

Defect Analysis surveys, or Defect Surveys or in general Defect Reports, involve the analysis of identified and suspected defects in property. A Defect Survey covers examining a specific issue with a property such as structure or condition and focuses on the issue at hand. Defect Analysis is required if a specific defect has been identified. However, a Defect Survey can also be helpful for identifying or confirming suspected defects or as another means of investigating a defect, subsequent Acquisition or Condition Survey etc. Defect Analysis reports can be used to investigate a wide range of building defects, including:

• Dampness/ Mold
• Water Leakage and Ingress
• Potential Structural Movement.
• Cracking / Bowing to walls.
• Waterproofing and rainwater defects.
• Timber decay / rot.
• Poor construction.