RICS Guidance - the Media Reaction!
As expected, the main news outlets have reacted to the news last week about the new RICS guidance on Japanese knotweed. Unfortunately some strap-lines and articles being published are somewhat misleading. The Telegraph headline, for example, suggested:
“Homeowners trapped by Japanese knotweed may soon be freed”
and went on to make misleading generalisations about how the new Guidance will impact property sales. On Facebook, the “Surveyor Hub” has included similar misleading comments.
Setting the record straight
Where possible, the PCA has and will respond with direct messages to set the record straight. RICS themselves are determined to make sure that their messages are clear and understood - that this new guidance changes the way we quantify the impact of knotweed, but meets the needs of lenders who still view Japanese knotweed as a material risk to value. Also, that the Guidance does not in any way suggest that knotweed can be ignored or that it should not, when present, be subject to management by professional contractors.
Balancing the message
The PCA and RICS have and will continue to invest energy in pushing balanced messages to their stakeholders and the media. Our next webinar will be focusing on this new RICS guidance and we will ask, "what exactly has changed in the way we assess risk" and "how will it impact surveyors, property and construction professionals"?. Will it be welcomed by lenders and does it keep knotweed ‘in-the frame’ as a material risk factor for valuation processes? To find out more and to register for the webinar on 24th February, from 9-10am, click on the button below:
Register for the FREE Webinar >>
PCA's supporting guidance
As we mentioned last week, this is a landmark change and will impact PCA members, estate agents/vendors and surveyors/lenders on the new risk categories. We have eight weeks to get used to the new scheme before it is implemented (March 23rd), so now is the time to discuss how it works, especially by comparison with the one it is replacing.
Guidance for Valuers & Surveyors - Japanese Knotweed
Guidance on Japanese knotweed surveys & management strategies for professional valuers and surveyors - Supports the NEW RICS Guidance: 'Japanese Knotweed & Residential Property'.
Find out more >>
Get in touch
We are pleased to see that some of our members have already created informative web pages and click throughs from LinkedIn etc., and we would encourage more of you to do the same. If you need any advice about suitable text, please contact me on 01480 400000, or via email: [email protected]. We encourage you to ‘like’ and 'share' our posts across our social media platforms, which will help get our messages out to the widest possible audience....
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