Residential Property Appraisal, Volumes 1 and 2, are handbooks not only for students studying residential surveying but also for those involved in the appraisal of residential property.

Volume 1 has been updated and covers the valuation process as it relates to residential properties, particularly when valuation is undertaken for secured lending purposes. It addresses the basic skills required, the risks posed in a valuation, the key drivers of value, emerging issues that impact valuation and the key legal and RICS regulatory considerations that a valuer needs to understand.

Volume 2 of the series goes on to consider the practical aspects of the survey and inspection of residential properties in more detail. Not only does this include updated sections on the most common defects (for example, building movement, moisture problems, wood rot and wood-boring insects), it also covers emerging challenges, including assessing personal safety hazards, modern construction technologies and materials and invasive plants. The volume also takes account of the Home Survey Standard recently published by the RICS and the changes resulting from climate change, the energy crisis and concerns about fire safety.

Building services in domestic residential properties is another area of rapid change, especially with the development of low-carbon and renewable technologies. To ensure that this aspect is covered in sufficient detail, the content is to be included in Volume 3: Assessing Building Services.

An essential book for students studying to enter the residential survey and valuation profession and for existing practitioners who wish to improve their knowledge of current practices.

Phil Parnham is a Building Surveyor and a Member of the RICS with forty years working experience in the surveying profession. Initially Phil worked for public housing authorities before moving to Sheffield Hallam University to teach on their building surveying courses. Phil moved to BlueBox Partners in 2006 and has been involved in a wide range of training activities. He has also written a number of technical books and professional guidance documents for RICS.

Larry Russen is a Chartered Building Surveyor with over 40 years' practical experience in residential, industrial and commercial property. He is a Chartered Building Engineer and party wall surveyor and established Russen & Turner Chartered Surveyors in King's Lynn in 1981. Over the last 20+ years he has enjoyed training thousands of surveyors, engineers and energy assessors with RICS, Sava and BlueBox partners. His mantra for any surveyor, aspiring or practicing, is "it's all about your attitude and attention to detail".

Chris Rispin is a former practicing surveyor focussing on the valuation and survey of residential property in South Yorkshire. His national responsibility with corporate organisations allowed him to develop guidance and training programmes for Surveyors. Phil and Chris created BlueBox Partners as an independent training organisation supporting surveyors in developing their technical skills. He is now semi-retired assessing students for the Sava Diploma in Residential Surveying and Valuation.

Fiona Haggett is Head of Valuation at Barclays UK, responsible for setting lending policy, advising the Bank, overseeing the technical activities of the Bank's valuation partners and dealing with all valuation related concerns. She is chair of the Valuer/ Lender Liaison group, and a steering group member of ReSLA, which is looking to drive change and standards within the industry. She is also a director of BlueBox partners, and was previously UK Valuation Director at RICS, overseeing industry initiatives and the development of standards and guidance across all valuation disciplines

Carrie de Silva was a Principal Lecturer in law and taxation, teaching prospective rural chartered surveyors at Harper Adams University for over 20 years and is now an Honorary Professor in Real Estate Practice Law at the Royal Agricultural University. She has an interest in the legal frameworks of owning and managing rural land, professional negligence and civil liability, and criminal liability for personal injury or death, particularly in the agricultural, forestry, equestrian and property sectors. Carrie co-edited and rewrote Galbraith's Construction and Estate Management Law (Routledge) and also works on the history of professionals in the property sector.

Residential Property Appraisal, Volume 1 and 2 is a handbook not only for students studying surveying but also for surveyors and others involved in the appraisal of residential property.

Volume 1 has been updated and covers the valuation process as it relates to residential properties, particularly when valuation is undertaken for secured lending purposes. It addresses the basic skills required, the risks posed in a valuation, the key drivers of value, emerging issues that impact valuation and the key legal and RICS Regulatory considerations that a valuer needs to understand.

Volume 2 of the book goes on to address the inspection and survey of residential properties, covering new technology, modern methods of construction, problem plants and pests, damp in new builds, and modern building services. New challenges for the surveyor to consider include the health and wellbeing of building occupants, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and schedules of condition, energy and building performance, and owner occupied and tenanted properties.

An essential book for students studying to enter the residential survey and valuation profession and for existing practitioners who wish to improve their knowledge of industry practices.

1. Introduction 2. Setting up the Service 3. Carrying out the Service 4. Diagnosing Building Defects 5. Building Movement 6. Moisture problems in buildings 7. Wood rot, wood-boring insects, pests and troublesome plants 8. Roofs 9. External joinery, other parts and decorations 10. Internal matters 11. External and environmental issues 12. Non-standard forms of construction 13. Assessing safety hazards for occupants 14. Writing the report 15. Service completion, documentation storage and retention.