How well do you know your home?

14th June, 2021

When buying a new mobile phone, you are typically provided with three types of documentation; the , the and an .

Where can you find the technical specifications for your new home?

Short answer; nowhere. We believe this is a missed opportunity, as well as potentially unsafe, for long-term property management and sustainability.

What is the difference between them?

1. A section includes product imagery as well as overview details such as make, model, storage, battery and headliner features. For a home, it’s what you might typically find on a rental/buy/lease advert; property type, number of rooms, amenities, floor plans, EPC rating, local area info etc.

2. The provide details for those who are a little more tech-savvy that only the manufacturer(s) would otherwise know i.e. operating system, processor speed, screen size, sensors, capacity, connectivity, weight and dimensions, supported formats. These help you make a more informed decision.

3. The provided upon purchase contains further information, support contacts and basic guides on how to use the product and its features. In the real estate industry, this is comparable to a HUG (Home User Guide) or homeowner manual.

What would it even look like? And why is it important?

We imagine the for a home could be an all-in-one document, complete with diagrams and detailed illustrations, containing information about the:
- Heating and alarm systems - Routing of plumbing, waste pipes and ring main circuits- limitations and load-bearing capacity of the walls, floors and roof/ceiling- Level of hurricane proofing, using the Saffir-Simpson scale- substructure, drainage and basement water-proofing- Types of fittings, frames, tiling, wiring and cladding- Types of doors and fireproofing- Window-glazing, cold proofing etc.

All of this data is plotted, recorded and evaluated during the design phase of a property but, more often than not, archived once construction is complete then lost, thrown away or largely inaccessible thereafter. This causes a variety of issues.

For example, according toElectrical Safety First, nearly half of all severe electric shocks in UK homes are caused by DIY attempts and, every year, more than 50% of accidental domestic fires are caused by electricity - either through misuse or faults such as cutting through power leads or drilling/nailing/screwing into gas or water pipes. 

This is because occupiers simply don’t have the data to avoid these mishaps. Instead, they have to rely on ‘make-do’ alternatives such as aftermarket handheld sensors to detect hazards behind walls or RCDs (residual current devices) as a final measure against electric faults.

What are we proposing?

When you need a complete breakdown of components for most technical products, you can usually refer to the documents provided upon purchase or manufacturers’ website. Imagine how much time and money could be saved, as well as accidents avoided, if this data were made similarly available to property occupiers.

Given that properties are becoming increasingly more technical with the advent of ‘smart homes’, that information — and accessibility thereof — is becoming just as important and valuable for properties; would it not be great if the real estate industry adopted this thinking too?

We are on a mission to simplify the management of homes for property occupiers, managers and developers. Championing a platform, fashioned like a property passport, that provides a new way of working that is predictive, less adversarial and economically facilitative for all parties involved. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] to get in touch.

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