There is no doubt that you get what you pay for and never has the term ‘pay peanuts get monkeys’ been more apt. I provided a fee quotation recently to assess an empty resturant building. My recent fee quotation was just too expensive for the Landlord but nevertheless my quotation to the incoming tenant to prepare his Schedule of Condition was considered acceptable.
I just happened to be at the property when my cheaper ‘competitor’ was at the property preparing the EPC. I was interested to observe their technique whilst not revealing that I was also an Energy Assessor. No apparent measuring equipment was used to collect the floor areas or window sizes or floor heights. I’m sure all of the software for preparing EPC’s requires such data especially when the available architectural plans were inaccurate and only at 1:200 scale.
I was even more surprised though to see the completed Recommendation Report that accompanied the EPC. In it was a recommendation for cavity wall insulation. The building we were both in was at least 150 years old and had solid brick walls.
I was also puzzled how an assessor can complete their survey, which should include the roof spaces when they didn’t have a ladder with them. Have extendable legs become or stilts become standard issue now? If so how do I get a set?
