The SCSI’s Real Cost of Renovation Report contains 20
• broken, missing, or boarded up windows;
case studies of different property types, which assess
• partially demolished/ruinous building(s);
the costs and viability of different renovation projects.
• dirty façade/peeling paint;
To shed light on the costings and requirements for
• graffiti;
bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use,
• loose masonry or falling plaster/holes in roof;
the SCSI took 20 properties of different dwelling types,
• plants growing out of masonry or roof;
located across the country, and assessed the costs of
• unsecured entrances, trespass, or squatters;
renovating them for residential purposes. The main
• missing/broken/leaking rainwater gutters or
purpose of this exercise was to determine any financial
downpipes;
viability gaps that exist in renovating property to
• rotten timber;
residential use and to quantify that financial viability gap.
• litter/illegal dumping; or, • unsightly boundaries (damaged hoarding, etc.).
Financially viability definition Financial viability was calculated by taking the market
Assessments
value of a property in its vacant or derelict state, plus
Each property underwent a building cost assessment
the total cost of renovating the property for residential
from an SCSI Chartered Quantity or Building Surveyor.
use (minimum BER 2), and then calculating the
Using an SCSI-approved cost assessment template, a
property’s market value on completion of renovations.
Chartered Building or Quantity Surveyor visited each
Whether the property is financially viable is calculated
property and applied their expert judgement to identify
by determining whether the final market value is
the works that would be required to bring the property
greater than the starting market value plus the
back into habitable use, and their related costs.
renovation costs.
In addition, an SCSI valuer was assigned to each property to carry out a pre-works and post-works
Definition of derelict units
market valuation on the renovation/development
The SCSI defined a unit as derelict if it met the
costs assessment report from the construction
following criteria:
surveyors. Building cost assessments and market
n it contains land or structures that are in a neglected
valuations were carried out on a Gross Floor Area
or unsightly condition;
basis.
n it contains dangerous or ruinous structures;
The SCSI categorised the unit types within the case
n it has accumulated a lot of litter or other waste due
studies as follows, based on the ‘Bringing Back
to the vacant nature of the site and illegal
Homes – Manual for the reuse of existing buildings’
dumping/littering; and,
document prepared by the Department of Housing,
n it contains the following indicators of dereliction;
Local Government and Heritage:
Type 1:
Type 2:
Type 3:
Type 4:
Type 5:
Type 6:
Existing
Non-dwelling
Two-storey
Three-storey
Rural one-off
Non-residential
dwelling
converted into a
building with
building or
dwelling
converted into
residential
over-the-shop
higher with
multiple
dwelling
accommodation
over-the-shop
dwellings
accommodation On the following ages, we have selected six examples from the 20 case studies that are included in the final report.
SURVEYORS JOURNAL Volume 13, Issue 1, March 2023
27
SCSI CASE STUDIES
CASE BY CASE