Lack of property particulars angers Energy Assessors
As the trickle of 4-bed properties requiring Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) begin to propagate the diaries of more Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) across the UK, the recurring problem of inadequate - and upfront - property particulars are now risiing to the fore of DEA concerns.
Consider the story of one DEA I spoke with today who accepted a job paying £65 from a panel providing no accompanying property details...
Forearmed is forewarned, as they say. So, diligently, he prays to the Google Gods for guidance and wisdom and sees before him - courtesy of Google Maps - a nightmare vision.
Pick a letter with a curved stem, and you begin to understand the shape of the property... and his growing sense of trepidation.
When I spoke with him this evening he was still finalising the admin, and on target to earn less than minimum wage (On-site assessment took 2.5 hours).
This particular DEA has conducted 10 jobs in the two working weeks since the launch of Home Information Packs (HIPs) and this type of scenario has not been uncommon in his experience, thus far.
And he is not alone - The HomeInspectorForum has more similar experiences.
Paulie1955 sums it up well:
That's the problem---you dont know what type of property it is until after you have accepted the instruction!! Thats my point. Suppose he had booked 3 other appointments that day? I must say--if I turned up at a monster like that i would turn round and go home!!
A DEA needs to be able to confidently arrange their diary - The consequences of not being able to do so puts everyone at risk... but the Panel Managers, and EPC & HIP Providers will suffer most when DEAs get burnt once too often and begin to only accept jobs they know they can fulfill alongside the others in their diary for the same day.
Panel Managers with Solicitors may be more at risk
Panels holding a high proportion of their contracts with Solicitors may be the most at risk because of the Solicitor/client confidentiality agreement.
According to the DEA I spoke with, instructions deriving from Solicitors seemed to be dogged by this problem.
It is safe to assume that some Panels (at least) would target particular market segments - Those with a dominant Solicitor client-bank should seek ways to overcome this barrier before it threatens their fulfillment obligations, as a matter of urgency.
EPC Providers must work for BOTH clients
When I raised this issue with Greg Elliot (SP Property) on the podcast last week - He assured me that, for their part, they are actively educating their clients to present as much detail on the property as possible upfront, so that when a DEA accepts an EPC instruction, they are both prepared, and satisified, that they can safely work it into their diaries.
As DEAs adjust and (begrudgingly) learn to live with the Panels and Pack Providers etal, it is important to understand that the "middle-men" cannot just simply sit back and watch the flow of instructions moving across their computer screens, believing they have the market sown-up.
They have to build value into their proposition - Not only to the buying client, but to their other client too... the DEA.
If that means performing the pre-visit research for the DEA, so be it. Otherwise, be prepared to revise job durations and fees to compensate for the unknown risk these properties represent.
Posts: 2
Reply #2 on : Thu November 04, 2010, 20:34:36
Posts: 2
Reply #1 on : Sun July 11, 2010, 09:22:15