First published by Mortgage Finance Gazette
SDL Surveying has introduced a new Covid-safe measure to ensure its employees can responsibly survey and value properties during the latest lockdown.
The national residential surveying and valuations firm now requires any surveyor conducting a HomeBuyer Report (HBR) to ensure all property occupiers have vacated the premises while the internal inspection takes place.
SDL said its Covid-19 procedures already went ‘beyond’ the guidance issued by the government and it also recognised the fact there were various versions of lockdown across the constituent nations of the UK.
The measure to ensure occupants were absent has been put in place to provide even greater levels of safety to both parties. In addition, all surveyors would conduct a Dynamic Risk Assessment while at property appointments.
SDL has also urged its surveyors to contact all forthcoming appointments, in order to highlight the changes and to check whether the occupants have had any changes in their circumstances, for example, a renewed need to shield.
All SDL surveyors have a specific post-lockdown inspection procedure – approved by SDL’s lender clients – and the firm said it will continue to keep abreast of guidance from both the government and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), plus it will listen to feedback from its surveyors.
The firm has also updated its booking script and guidance safety video to reflect these changes.
Simon Jackson, managing director of SDL Surveying, said: “We feel fortunate to be active in an industry where work can continue, albeit where we feel it’s necessary to up the measures and actions we require our surveyors to undertake, particularly when it comes to spend longer periods of time in the property such as HBRs.
“This is why we are now insisting on a vacated property for such work, and we hope that all parties will understand the reasoning behind this, and it is driven by our commitment to keeping everyone safe when our surveyors are carrying out this work.
“As mentioned, the good news is that we can continue to work, the property market remains open and we are able to work with our lender clients to ensure they can move the transactions and business through their pipelines to completion.”
Simon Jackson, Managing Director at SDL Surveying
