Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

Stock condition surveys are undertaken by every organisation in the UK that owns registered social housing. However, their reliability and accuracy have been questioned on numerous occasions. This paper investigates the accuracy of stock condition surveys and examines the extent to which the inclusion of a survey brief at the beginning of the survey process helps to make results more accurate. The quantitative research methodology has been adopted with a case study (an organisation) as the philosophical approach. Primary data was collected via a survey of 10 participants (qualified surveyors) who were asked to carry out stock condition surveys on four selected properties owned by the case study organisation. It has been established from an analysis of the data that: the provision of a survey brief does make stock condition data collected more accurate; and surveyors have a tendency to rely heavily on the life expectancies of components and allow this to supersede the actual condition of elements. In terms of policy implication, there is the need for organisations and government bodies that are involved in the collection of stock condition data to take the necessary steps or action in order to make the surveys more accurate by ensuring that briefs are provided for the conduct of such surveys.