Hcond3 Page 1 Principles of Hcond3 1 Introduction Development Hcond was originally developed by the University of the West of England and was funded by a Housing Corporation Innovation and Good Practice Grant. It was designed to offer: adaptability to suit the needs of users ease of use, both for data entry and data interrogation quick data collection minimum collection of data production of reports which could be easily understood production of reports for both short-term operational use and longer-term financial planning Hcond is not designed to record detailed data. It is designed to record the current and future costs of building elements, each cost assigned to a particular period or year. It also enables up to twenty attributes to be recorded. It can be interrogated easily using a few simple commands to provide a wide range of information about the stock. This could be long term financial forecasts to aid strategic planning, or, at a more operational level, a list of properties which may require new kitchen units, for example, over the next one, two, or more years. It can also provide details showing which properties contain particular attributes. Hcond can also be used to store condition survey data for Decent Homes (including recording HHSRS). How much, when and where? The Hcond package is essentially concerned with three issues; how much will it cost to repair or renew a building element, when will the costs be incurred, and which part of the building needs repair/renewal? Each property record comprises a simple matrix (see Table 1). Down the left-hand side run a series of descriptions and codes. These are set up in the configuration file. The software package has a config file already set up with a typical list of descriptions. These can be changed, if necessary, to suit the specific needs of an organisation. The rows running left to right (Table 1) comprise a series of cells which represent periods, years, or bands of years. These cells contain the financial data. The default profile is 30 years (this can be extended or reduced). Table 1 shows an overall time profile of 30 years. There are 5 individual years and then 5 bands, each one containing 5 years. The first column (0) can be used to store data regarding potential improvements where, for example, because of future uncertainties, they cannot be applied to specific years. It can also be used to store information regarding urgent work or work of high priority.
Transcript
Hcond3
Page 1
Principles of Hcond3
1 Introduction
Development
Hcond was originally developed by the University of the West of England and was funded by a Housing Corporation Innovation and Good Practice Grant. Itwas designed to offer:
• adaptability to suit the needs of users• ease of use, both for data entry and data interrogation• quick data collection• minimum collection of data• production of reports which could be easily understood• production of reports for both short-term operational use and longer-term financial planning
Hcond is not designed to record detailed data. It is designed to record the current and future costs of building elements, each cost assigned to a particularperiod or year. It also enables up to twenty attributes to be recorded. It can be interrogated easily using a few simple commands to provide a wide range ofinformation about the stock. This could be long term financial forecasts to aid strategic planning, or, at a more operational level, a list of properties which mayrequire new kitchen units, for example, over the next one, two, or more years. It can also provide details showing which properties contain particularattributes. Hcond can also be used to store condition survey data for Decent Homes (including recording HHSRS).
How much, when and where?
The Hcond package is essentially concerned with three issues; how much will it cost to repair or renew a building element, when will the costs be incurred,and which part of the building needs repair/renewal?
Each property record comprises a simple matrix (see Table 1). Down the left-hand side run a series of descriptions and codes. These are set up in theconfiguration file. The software package has a config file already set up with a typical list of descriptions. These can be changed, if necessary, to suit thespecific needs of an organisation. The rows running left to right (Table 1) comprise a series of cells which represent periods, years, or bands of years. Thesecells contain the financial data. The default profile is 30 years (this can be extended or reduced).
Table 1 shows an overall time profile of 30 years. There are 5 individual years and then 5 bands, each one containing 5 years. The first column (0) can beused to store data regarding potential improvements where, for example, because of future uncertainties, they cannot be applied to specific years. It can alsobe used to store information regarding urgent work or work of high priority.
So, for example, Table 1 shows that £2000 is required at years 11-15 for works to the Roof Structure (code 101). The Verges (code 103) require work in year1 and again in years 16-20. Items in year 6 and above are allocated to a specific year i.e., 6, 7, 8 etc. Hcond merely places them into bands of 5 years tokeep the reports manageable.
The cost data can be fixed to a particular period or can be automatically adjusted each year. For example, changing the date in the config file each year willchange the period allocated to each entry; thus an element originally placed in year 5 becomes year 4. Elements, if not, deleted from the database, will 'settle'in year 0. This method also means that 'real' years (which can be confusing because of the difference between calendar and financial years) can beavoided; the current year is always year 0, next year is year 1, and so on. Table 2 shows the same data as Table 1 but five years hence (the verges havebeen attended to).
A screen grab from Hcond showing years, codes and costs is at the top of the next page.
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2 The Hcond Software
The 'Config' File
The cnfig (configuration) file, Hcond.cfg, lies at the heart of Hcond. This file is easy to edit or prepare from scratch using the simple text editor supplied withthe program. It can also be created or edited in Notepad, Wordpad, Word etc. The config file determines the data options which the program will recognise.The standard Hcond set up includes codes for the common building elements; walls, floors roofs, etc, and codes for the Decent Homes Standard. TheHcond.cfg file is easy to customize. Part of the file is shown below.
The screen grab on the left shows the Valuation report. Fora grouping of codes and a series of years (anything from 1to 30) you can see the costs and number of jobs. So, forexample, there are eleven jobs to roof coverings in year 2with a total cost of £44,000.
The codes and years are chosen using simple searchcriteria. You can specify almost any combination ofattributes when carrying out property searches. By defaultHcond will show the entire database. The search orselection criteria are listed below the report – in this casecodes 0 to 117, and years 0 to 5.
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Attributes
In addition to the element codes Hcond can handle up to 30 property attributes. The attributes can be chosen by the user. Each attribute has 10 possibleresponses (see box below right). This data complements the data on elemental renewals and is useful for planning repair and improvement programmes, andresponding to statistical requests from the Housing Corporation etc. At the same time it enables landlords to monitor trends and overall condition.
NPF? Whole house heatingNPF? Double/sec glazingNPF? Full loft insulationNPF? SecurityBHN? Smoke detectorsYN? Cracking freeYN? Rising damp freeYN? Pen. damp free
Attributes
The first characters in each line represent the options for data entry. So, for example, NPF? “WholeHouse Heating”, represents the options: “None, Partial, Full, Don’t Know”
Another response to, say, “Parking” could be “Garage, Hardstanding, Car park, Street, None”
There can be 10 codes or responses for each attribute and up to 30 attributes.
The Hcond.cfg file
Codes are numbered from 101 to 998 (999 is a special code used for deleting data)
They can be grouped into sections; eg:• External Works (to fabric)• Communal work• Site Works• Internal Elements• Improvements• Decent Homes (subdivided into the 4 categories)
Codes always print out in numerical order - this means that groupings of elements withineach of the above sub divisions must have sequential codes.
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A Typical Property Record - Elemental Costs
The window below shows a typical property record. 28 Addison Rd is a fictitious house; it is a one-off acquired property.
Reference an 11 digit code determined by the userType a 6 digit code determined by the user, e.g., S (surveyed – not cloned or copied), B (area), H (House), A (Acquired), 3 (bedrooms)Date built/rehab e.g. 1985Date surveyed e.g. 2005Multiplier to reflect sampling methodology (1 unit in this case)Energy rating a numerical 3 digit code
The elemental survey data is contained in the scrolled box. No attempt has been made to specify the work in any detail; to do so would be pointless – by thetime the work takes place its nature will have changed slightly. Year 0 work can be regarded as high priority – if it is not a high priority it should be in Year 1 orlater. As work becomes due it can be inspected to determine whether it needs to be scheduled or whether it can be pushed back to a later date. Any workbeyond Year 5 or so should be regarded as data to inform long term financial planning. Some associations collect and record a 30 year cost-profile; otherslook no further than 10.
Codes
The property record for 28 Addison Rd, shows that there areanticipated chimney works in Year 2 (Year 0 is always thecurrent year) at an estimated cost of £300. These costs areeither estimates on site or from an agreed schedule.
There is space for a short note in the right hand column should itbe needed.
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A Typical Property Record - Attributes
The attribute window is similar to the elemental cost window. It shows each selected attribute as set up in the config file and the response for this particulardwelling.
Property Selection (Searching)
A simple selection window allows the database to be interrogated at a number of levels. In any condition-survey package the data must be capable of quickand easy manipulation. In Hcond the permutation for searching and selecting property are almost endless - the data selected can be printed out in a variety ofways or converted into spreadsheet or word-processing files.
Attributes
The property record for 28 Addison Rd, shows, for example, thatthe house does not have Whole House heating, neither does ithave double glazing. However, there are adequate locks -provision is (F)ull. The property is a bit short of roof insulation –only 100mm – recorded as a 2. This is in 50mm increments. The“X” in the loft insulation response box is for flats without a roofdirectly over them.
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3 Survey Output
Introduction
The following pages show the survey output. Hcond is easy to up-date and interrogate: it can manipulate the survey data in many ways and produce a varietyof reports. Text files, csv files and spreadsheets can be produced in seconds.
Page 8 shows a typical screen grab of a Page report (and an attribute report).
Pages 9 show the Page report as a spreadsheet.
Pages 10 show the Valuation report
Pages 11 and 12 show the Line report
Page 13 shows Hview
Selections can be simple or complex.
Example 1 (left)
All units requiring external work (codes up to 117) in Years 0 to 5.
Example 2
All units in area 'x', which are non-Decent together with the cost ofmaking them decent and the reasons for non-Decency.
Example 3
All units on a particular estate which require heating works next year.
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Page report
A list of attributes can be producedon a property by property basis oracross the stock.
Codes 340 (category C) and 342 (category D) represent Decent
Homes work – they have been costed against Year 0. It is up to
the management team, not the surveyor, to decide when the work
should be done.
The screen grab on the left shows a typical record. It includes the date not
the survey, the build date, the SAP rating (41), the multiplier (2) and the
costed work. Codes up to 299 include repairs and renewals, codes 301 to
310 are potential improvements (ie aspirations rather than obligations) and
codes 311 to 350 record Decent Homes information.
The kitchen units requirerenewal in year 2 at a costof £3,000.
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This shows part of the Page report as a
spreadsheet export. It shows on a property
by property basis every element. For
example, Address 1 requires guttering in
2012, windows in 2017 and so on.
Similarly it can show all work necessary to
achieve DHS compliance (inset).
This spreadsheet can be turned into a
series of tables similar to the example on
the previous page.
Total £99,438Ref. Code Period Year Cost Element Surveyed Mult CostARCHS000005 340 0 2005 1050 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 9 £9,450FLORS00800B 340 0 2005 1050 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 2 £2,100FLORS00800B 342 0 2005 2800 D Add C/Heating 2005 2 £5,600GOODP00016C 342 0 2005 700 D Add C/Heating 2005 1 £700GOODP00016C 344 0 2005 500 D Add roof insul'n 2005 1 £500INGEP000002 319 0 2005 3000 A Food preparation 2005 8 £24,000INGEP000002 337 0 2005 1 C Kit space/layout 2005 8 £8PETES03000A 340 0 2005 700 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 4 £2,800PETES03000A 344 0 2005 720 D Add roof insul'n 2005 4 £2,880ROYAM000001 340 0 2005 1400 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 12 £16,800RUPEC000107 340 0 2005 1400 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 6 £8,400RUPEC000107 344 0 2005 500 D Add roof insul'n 2005 6 £3,000RUSSS01000B 342 0 2005 700 D Add C/Heating 2005 1 £700RUSSS01000B 344 0 2005 500 D Add roof insul'n 2005 1 £500STJAR000056 340 0 2005 250 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 20 £5,000WARDH000006 340 0 2005 1050 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 14 £14,700WELLS04300C 329 0 2005 650 B Ext. doors K40/30 2005 2 £1,300WELLS04300C 340 0 2005 500 C Ext sound insul'n 2005 2 £1,000
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Valuation report
The Valuation Report, which is always a single page, shows the costs and number of jobs for each element and in each year or bands of years. The user canselect the codes (elements) and years for individual properties, groups of properties, the whole stock, or properties which match certain criteria. In additionthe data can be selected by attribute. This report can also be downloaded into a spreadsheet for further financial analysis and formatting.
This screen grab shows part of the
Valuation report. This shows the costs
and number of jobs for each element for
any year. The selection criteria here
could be at estate, scheme, dwelling,
year or element level. The selection
criteria are virtually unlimited. This report
is easily exported to a spreadsheet or
word processing package. It can include
repairs, improvements or DHS work.
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The Line Report
The Line Report shows data on a property by property basis. As with the Valuation Report the user select the codes, years/periods, properties etc. This is thereport the user would normally use to plan programmes of repairs and elemental renewals. This report has been designed to print to an 80 column printeralthough, like the Valuation Report, it can be viewed on screen or saved as a print file for loading into a word processor.
Hview is a recent addition to the Hcond package. It allows the user to view photographs of properties or individual elements, and contains a free text area formaking notes etc. Hview can also be used to view the Page, Line and Valuation reports. The ability to store photographs is constrained only by the storagecapabilities of the user's computer.
Hview has been designed so that other members of an organisation can view the photos, free text and reports without requiring direct access to the Hconddata.
