As a specialist measured survey company, PRE decided to see whats out there and if these will supersede what we can provide clients.

We regularly hear the word “PropTech” but what does this actually mean for the property profession and measured survey industry.

From speaking to a handful of  Chartered Surveyors, majority still use paper and pencil, if it works why change?

The RICS advises best practice that all site surveys are documented.  To take more measurements and photos than needed for future reference.

Chartered Surveyors need to be able to measure properties for various reasons, including Valuation, Lettings, Sales and redevelopment.  Its part of the RICS APC Syllabus for commercial and building surveying routes.

Being up to date on your Professional development on the RICS Code of Measuring Practice, International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) is vital.

However when was the last time you actually measured a commercial property? and if you did, where you confident and more importantly accurate?

So will these Apps replace a draftsman or surveyor?  Measuring properties on a regular basis, having experience and more importantly Professional Indemnity which lenders require for reliance upon may argue NO?

PRE test runs onsite using the latest measured survey Apps, heres our review and rating out of 5?

 

KickTheMap **

The mobile app allows users to capture data in their environment and upload them to the KickTheMap cloud. After processing time, the 3D model is delivered on our web platform (my.kickthemap.com) and the user is notified by email. Every user has a secured access to all its 3D models.

Delivery time mainly depends on the amount of uploaded data, but projects containing less than 1000 pictures have a guaranteed delivery time of 24 hours.

Easy interface to use, with a very simple UI so the time it would take to get used to the App would be minimal. However, it is extremely slow to upload the data. 1 room which consisted of approximately 150 images took around 2hours to upload. Once it was uploaded I was emailed saying that the images were too dark and therefore unusable to be converted.

We tried two more times in brighter rooms, and less images to reduce the upload time slightly. However again they were apparently too dark, and it says it is intended for outdoor use. Because we had used our 3 free trials (unsuccessfully) we were not able to see the output of the upload.

However, because it has to be used in well lit areas (outdoors), and because of the long upload times, we do not think it is particularly suitable for us. As surveys are often in poorly lit environments like basements and plant rooms. Furthermore, if one room took a couple of hours to upload, a 4 floor building would take a considerably longer time to upload than our traditional method.

we are still awaiting their costing structure (as you have to request it) however it is either a monthly subscription which gives you 5,000 images or a pay-per-use model.

MagicPlan ****

We requested a demo from MagicPlan and still waiting for a reply. There are 4 pricing plans one free one, a $9 and $19/month and a tailor made plan. The free plan allows floor plans to be drawn in AR, which might be a useful alternative to scanning angled buildings. We cannot see any indication that it has some form of automation like it suggests on the website. Dimensions are taken and labels can be added stating areas, but it does not say how those areas are calculated.

OrthoGraph **

The OrthoGraph I is a building survey and floor plan creation application for iOS and Android, developed in Hungary. It handles both structured alphanumeric data, and measures and handles all drawings real time in 3D

This App looks like one of the more promising options as it allows a combination of AR and bluetooth distos to create the floor plans. Reports can be calculated from onsite and are emailed directly to yourself. In theory Summary of Areas would be done at the same time as the onsite inspection. We had a 14 day trial however have had some technical issues.

Orthograph’s most basic package is $300/year ($29.99/month) but there is a tailor made plan that is suggested for business use.

Matterport Capture ****

The Matterport Capture uses either the iPhone camera (at reduced accuracies) or is compatible with 3D cameras and certain scanners (not ours). Currently it is only available on iOS devices so we would be unable to use our current tablets. It is predominantly used for visualisation rather than for plans etc. Although there is a dimension tool there is no way to function to create reports like Orthograph.

Rooms need to have coloured, positioning, such as bright furniture  such as red sofa, pictures to orientate itself.  Outside with moving items such as trees, cars or people makes the software confused.

There is a free price plan, (which only allows 1 user and 1 device), and does not really seem to offer much. The priced plans go from £7.99 – £247/month, each offering additional users up to 20. Currently using the iPhone as the sole data capturer is in beta so is not properly developed yet. But we don’t think it is quite what surveyors are looking for at the moment. Unless you use it for visualising spaces? Which might be useful for investment or letting agents, sales.

Conclusions

A concern is where we exclude areas in accordance with the RICS code of measurements for example areas under 1.5m, heating apparatus etc. Although it seems quite simple it is actually quite complex to include something in a Gross Internal Areas (GIA) but not in the Net Internal Areas (NIA), knowing where and when it is applicable is something our human brain does better than a computer.  None of the Apps had this feature.

You need to be certain that if you decided to use one of these apps that they are first accurate for purpose, quick enough that it negates the time it would take for us to measure and draw traditionally, and developed enough that we constantly be having issues with things crashing etc. Even with the AutoCad App on the tablet there are some issues, and AutoDesk is a massive organisation!

To conclude PropTech solutions are there to support and not replace.  Ultimately feeing up time for where surveyors add most value! You still need a human to know which areas onsite needs measuring and how much data really needs to be captured.   The apps certainly help after you have practiced mastered these.

But would your time be better spent doing what your specialise in, not spending days onsite measuring a property which isn’t cost affective with your time?

If you have any other questions, or any projects  you would like us to look into please do contact one one of our leadership team. 

The PRE Team was delighted to have acted on behalf of a private client in the Due Diligence Acquisition of this Prestigious, newly refurbished headquarters office investment single let to Ocado benefiting from RPI-linked reviews.

Being a Multidisciplinary RICS surveying firm we provided all the DD within a quick and cost saving timeframe which included carrying out surveys on the building condition, Net & Gross Area measurements (AMR), Mechanical and Electrical (M&E), Environmental Phase 1, Fire Risk Assessment (FRA), Cladding and Insurance Reinstatement Valuation.

A real team effort and a big well done to everyone involved!  

---

Don’t just take our word for it………

“Having a firm that we can rely upon who can offer many surveying services under one roof sets them apart.  Its really useful that they also specialise in measured surveys.  PRE have always provided a professional service and this is why we keep going back to them – London Investment Agents”

---

Should you need a competitive proposal for one of our 24 services, please do get in touch with our leadership team. 

Nicholas Woodman our Assistant Building Surveyor gives some great advice on how he’s been able to continue going out on survey during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Several weeks into the lockdown announced by the UK Government and Coronavirus (Covid-19) is still having a significant effect on the Construction industry worldwide. This short article looks at the steps that PRE have been taking to continue to carry out inspections of buildings while following all government guidance.

1. Social distancing onsite

This can be defined as the most critical precaution necessary to reduce the spread of Covid. Typically, office buildings in Central London would be in full flow with many workers present onsite. Many companies have been able to adapt to the situation by arranging for employees to work from home if they can. Subsequently buildings are less full and social distancing is easier to maintain.

2. Getting to and from site

As discussed in point 1 it is vital to maintain a distance of at least 2 metres apart from others to stop the spread of the virus. Advice from the Government on 25^thMay 2020 stated that workers should avoid public transport if they can to limit the amount of passengers on tubes, buses and trains. Instead, we have taken other options such as cycling to sites and driving. This dramatically reduces contact with other members of the general public.

3. Personal Protective Equipment

Previously a site bag would include items of PPE such as a hard hat, high visibility jacket and safety boots however protective gloves and face coverings have become PPE items used daily.

4. Cleaning and Sanitising

Touching surfaces which may be contaminated can cause you to contract the virus therefore it is crucial to take the steps necessary to reduce the risk of this happening. These steps include; frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses, frequent cleaning of objects and surfaces touched regularly, washing your hands several times throughout the day.

Our thoughts are with all the families who have suffered through the pandemic and like the whole nation we hope that following these steps lead to less people becoming infected. There has been encouraging evidence of a downward trend published by the Government, this implies that this new way of working could be a system that stays in place for a longer period to come. Therefore it has become essential for employers to analyse the methods of working in order to follow the guidance while continuing to keep the workflow.

James Clarke our expert senior Land surveyor gives an insight into why the Leica’s RTC360 is a great surveying tool to have in your armoury.

Leica’s latest iteration in laser scanners is the compact and lightweight RTC360. A scanner that has massively improved on the successful formula of the scanners before it, versatile, easy to use and accurate.

Leica’s RTC360

But why is it so great? My first introduction to laser scanners was Leica’s C10 which comparatively is big, clunky and slow. For the time it was fascinating, and kick started my enthusiasm in laser scanning. The next scanner that I spent a lot of time with was the Leica P30/40, which was a massive improvement on the C10, it was faster, lighter and easier to use.

At this point the sky was the limit for laser scanner development, and I kept my ear to the door waiting for the next big thing. The RTC360.

The folks at Leica had obviously listened to the industry professionals and had developed a tool that just worked. One of its ‘party tricks’ is the ability to correct the scan data if the scanner is not level. Making tribrachs redundant. Although a skilled surveyor can level very quickly it is surprising the amount of time that it does save.

Point Cloud Data

And time is one of the RTC360’s best selling points, it is quicker to set up, quicker to learn, quicker to use. This allows the surveyor to spend less time setting up on site and more time capturing the data that a client requires. For some there may be trade offs in the amount of functions available, however to most people the simplified interface, integrated cameras, and processing on the go mean the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages.

At PRE Surveyors we have years of experience in laser scanning and modelling from point cloud data, which means that we can offer fast and accurate data to clients, with the use of the RTC360 we have made the process even smoother.

If you are interested in seeing some examples of what we use scan data for, see the Projects tab on our website, or if you are interested in finding out more, get in contact with a member of our leadership team.

Tara French our Director of Operations gives you an insight into how she’s Home Schooling in lockdown.

1. MAXIMIZE FLEXIBILITY

When possible, organize your work around your family’s needs and child care opportunities. Save less critical tasks for times when distraction is likely, and reserve more high-stakes assignments for when you are distraction-free. If you share parenting and homeschooling responsibilities with a spouse, divide and conquer – one works while the other parents, and vice versa.

2. EMBRACE A RELAXED HOMESCHOOLING STYLE

Roll with whatever each day might bring. Time often feels short when you’re working and homeschooling. If things don’t go the way you planned, make the most of what you are able to accomplish and pick up any dropped threads the following day.

3. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Take regular breaks from your work to check on your child and assess how things are going. Expect interruptions and unanticipated shifts in priorities. The hot water heater will leak and the dog will get sick and the entire bin of beads will get tipped over and you’ll discover you’re out of easy lunch options — all in the same day. A big deadline will get moved up, your wifi will mysteriously stop working, and your inbox will be flooded with “ASAP” requests. Breathe, prioritize, give your child a big hug, and do the best you can. Some days will be harder, but some days will feel easier, too.

4. MANAGE INTERRUPTIONS PROACTIVELY

How can family members best communicate with you to minimize distraction while you are working? For older children, a spiral notebook can be turned into an “Ask Me Later” book, where questions and thoughts can be written and kept safe until work time is over and you are able to address them. Teach them your parameters for urgent vs. non-urgent situations, and give them a helpful way to remember when it is okay to interrupt you during a focused work period. Remind everyone of how you would prefer they get your attention if it is unavoidable. (Stand at the door and wait for your attention? Say “Excuse me…” Write a note on a slip of paper and hand it to you?) Of course, in a true emergency, all rules go out the window. Help your children understand how to tell when it really is a true emergency!

 

5. OFFER YOUR ATTENTION & PRESENCE WHENEVER YOU CAN

When you are not working, be as fully present as possible with your children. Let them know that they are the priority during your non-work times, and make the most of it for everyone involved. Celebrate when you are done working for the day. Put away your phone and laptop, and go about the very important business of reconnecting as a family.

 

6. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!

Calendars, homeschool planners, chore charts, and reminder lists can help ensure that everyone knows what to expect each day. At breakfast or dinner, check in about the upcoming day’s plan so that everyone is on the same page about what needs to happen. Review the times when an adult will be available to help them and when they will need to be on their own. Discuss which tasks are expected to be done independently, without much or any adult help, and which may need a collaborative effort. Be clear about your expectations and encourage suggestions from all family members about how to make things go even more smoothly the following day.

 

7. GIVE YOUR CHILD TOOLS TO USE WHEN THEY MUST WAIT FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Be clear about when you are working and not working. If possible, stick to predictable “work hours.” Set a timer or alarm so your children will know when you will be all theirs once again. Younger children might need a clear visual, such as a specific hat on your head when you are “at work.” Older children might appreciate a list of go-to activities (such as free-reading, art projects, or journaling) to do when can’t move forward without your help or when they are waiting for your attention. Let them know how much you appreciate their patience.

8. HELP CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO HELP THEMSELVES

As soon as they have developed the ability to prepare food for themselves as needed, give them access to easy-to-manage breakfast, lunch, and snack food. No-cook options and healthy pre-prepped food are ideal; make them in advance with everyone’s help if possible. Set up routines and systems so your child can independently handle situations like replacing the toilet paper, sharpening a pencil, or feeding the family pet. Encourage siblings to help each other first before calling for your help. Responsive helping skills can take some time to develop, so start now.

 

9. DIVIDE HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBILITIES

Everyone can be responsible for something important in a way that balances their capabilities with the needs of the family. Routines and loving reminders help everyone get their jobs done. If something is falling through the cracks, have a family meeting to sort it out and find a solution. If an older child has responsibility for younger child while you are working, factor that in as you find a fair way to balance things.

 

10. KEEP CRAFT MATERIALS, GAMES, BOOKS, & TOYS WITHIN EASY REACH

Leave OUT the things you want them to access and use, and put AWAY the things you don’t want them helping themselves to or using without supervision. You will learn through trial and error which things need to be stored out of reach until you can help with them. Be sure to have plenty of clean-up tools and materials handy if your children like to create with wild abandon! Plan for family clean-up time each evening to tidy up anything that they weren’t able to handle on their own.

 

11. WORK SMART!

Do your very best to be organized and efficient. Set some time aside each week to plan. Keep an effective planner and a working to-do list (such as a bullet journal). Minimize distractions in all reasonable ways. Plan more work time than you actually need to get the job done. Have a comfortable workspace and an efficient routine for getting back into your work if you’ve been pulled away.

 

12. LEAN ON OTHERS

Negotiate swaps and playdates with other parents to help create some kid-free time each week that you can use for long stretches of focused work. Look for win-win situations. Two friends and I have a recurring arrangement where one mom teaches three children for a few hours while the others work. A tutor might be a helpful investment. Engage a “mother’s helper” for children too young to be left unsupervised. Drop-off activities for older children can help create pockets of work time. And, of course, naptime for younger children can be a helpful time to get work done.

 

13. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF

Put your own well-being high on the list of priorities. Working at home with children around requires a lot of patience and flexibility. Take care of yourself by getting enough exercise, eating right, staying hydrated, and making sleep a priority. Ask for and accept help from others. Take time off to recharge in whatever ways make sense in your situation. Give yourself due consideration!

 

14. REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS

You have undoubtedly made home learning a priority for good reasons. Revisit those reasons when you are tempted to reconsider. Working from home is not for everyone, but it can make learning at home possible in families where the at-home parent must also be a working parent.

Marina Bagan our Senior Architectural Technician gives you an insight into her favourite places she has traveled to. 

For those who always liked to travel, now that we have spent several months on lockdown without knowing when we will be able to travel again, we spend time every day checking pictures we took in our last trip, or browsing online on places around the world where we imagine ourselves spending the next holiday.

We don’t know if the future of travelling is going to be as it was before this crisis, but we do know that people has become more aware of how lucky we have been of being able to travel everywhere on practically every budget.

With my eager of travelling again and my memories of some of my last trips, I thought I would love to share with you some of my favourite places -very recommended- and also some of the places where I will like to go in the future (hopefully a close future).

Istanbul

This city was just magic. It was quite a crazy trip I took with my best friend when we were just 19 years old, and we decided that as we were already at uni we were ready to travel anywhere. So we picked Istanbul.

Istanbul is a very interesting city. It has part of it in Europe and part of it in Asia, having a channel that connects Mediterranean Sea and black sea. But what was outstanding for me was to actually see influence from the different empires that shaped the city during centuries (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman). You can see the Hippodrome or the Column of Constantine, and at the same time Hagia Sophia or Topkapi, all of them from different empires and overwhelmingly beautiful.

If I had to choose my favourite spots to visit it would be Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. This two places made took my breath away when I visited them. As a tourist (and as an architect) I was completely stunted by the powerful structures present in both projects, that together with the light (or lack of light) made the space incredibly breath taken.

But Istanbul is not all about architecture, even though you could get lost in the city without getting bored about it. It’s also about food. I won’t be talking about kofte and doner. My experience here is that you should walk to the areas that are not so touristic and find a restaurant there. That’s what we did in our case and we found a small restaurant (the owners didn’t speak any english), and we got the most delicious meal of our trip (also with the best prize).

San Francisco

When I travelled to San Francisco I was a bit skeptical at the beginning. It was my first time travelling to America, and I wasn’t sure how the experience was going to be.

Now, I’m really happy I got to go on this trip. I was very surprised by how many things you can do in this city, and how interesting it is. In the city centre you can find excellent restaurants to eat and the people are really friendly. The buildings and the streets around this area (and also in the outskirts) are as you imagine when you think of a typical american city, and includes architectural treasures like the Transamerica Pyramid, California Street or the Conservatory of Flowers. You can also visit the Castro district or china town, and the Golden Bridge, that is probably my favourite spot in San Francisco. It was really foggy the day I visited the bridge, and I remember I could see the bright red colour appearing between the grey clouds, and the closer I was getting the stronger was the feeling of how magnificent the building was. Walking from one side to the other in a summer day, enjoying the view, the red colour of the bridge and the structure of the bridge itself, was one of the best things of the trip.

San Francisco also has the Pier 39, obviously highly recommended for food, and you can walk following the sea until you arrive to Ghirardelli chocolate factory, perfect for dessert.

This city has also lots of possibilities, and my recommendation is to rent a car to be able to do and see everything. The city is really big, and the public transport is not as efficient as we are used to in Europe, so having a car is the best option to get the most of the trip.

Barcelona

I wanted to add Barcelona to the list, because in my opinion Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I believe it has the perfect mix between a cosmopolitan city and a beach city. You can find any cultural event, like concerts, museums, theatres, etc; and at the same time you have all the advantages of having the sea right next to it, like having going for a swim or sunbath, or enjoying sea food just some meters away from the Mediterranean water.

The list of recommended buildings and areas to see is incredibly long, as Barcelona is a city with lot of history and historic and artistic heritage, including some buildings that are World Heritage. I would definitely recommend to visit at least a couple of Gaudi’s projects in this city, like La Sagrada Familia (my favourite building in the city) or El Parc Guell (that has not just astonishing architecture parts but also beautiful gardens).

The city has endless opportunities to be enjoyed. From sailing off shore for a day, to enjoy a live band one night, go for a drink, enjoy pa amb tomaca in a little restaurant, watch a FC Barcelona football match, or go to the Liceo to enjoy theatre.

To all this, I believe can only be added the fact that the people are really nice, the weather is practically always good and the food… Well, the food is fantastic.

Santorini

This island is famous for being a very romantic spot in Greece. It is highly touristic, but it’s in my list of places I would like to go to because I feel that the beauty of a volcanic island combined with Greek culture and tradition, deserves to be visited and enjoyed.

This city looks like the perfect spot to relax, enjoy going for hikes across the island, having sea food at the shore, and enjoy the sun during the spring and summer. The combination of the colours of the soil of the island (caused by the volcanic components), the green of the vegetation, the blue water and the light colour of the buildings, create a panting that is the perfect background to have constantly in a holiday. I believe this island is the perfect place to spend some days connecting with nature and having a very relaxing time.  

Tokyo

The city fascinates me, not just for all the incredible urbanism and architecture that has, but also because I find very interesting the different culture that you can see when you travel. I always think that is important when you travel to also experience the culture and the food of the place where you travel to, and in this city the shock in culture and food I believe it would be incredible.

The entire city and its skyscraper is a place full of things to see. From a sumo wrestling show, to Fuji TV headquarters, the New National Stadium, the Akihabara famous for anime fans, the University of Tokyo, etc.

With a million places to visit in this city, a culture and food to experience, this city opens a broad number of possibilities that makes this cities one of the most exciting places to visit in my list.

There are so many more places to travel in the world. This is just my list of favourite places that I believe can inspire people to choose their next spot. So I invite you to keep travelling, as I will do, to keep making your own list and share with the rest of travellers!