Eco Vida Homes Ethical Code of Practice

Eco Vida Homes is a “company of Chartered Surveyors” by way of the fact the John Wolfendale is a qualified RICS member. We are also architects, technical architects, and a contractor. John still carries out valuations and building surveys to RICS standards as an independent professional. Eco Vida Homes is therefore regulated ethically by theContinue reading
What is a Chartered Surveyor?

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is the regulatory body based in London that governs 120,000 members worldwide who advise on all aspects of property development, investment, and management. Although it’s a British Institution you will find the most prominent and successful property advisory businesses across the world, New York, Madrid, and Tokyo are firmsContinue reading
Should I get a Building Survey or Structural Survey for a House Renovation in Marbella?

How do I decide whether or not to buy a house to renovate in Marbella and the Costa del Sol? The short answer to the question is don’t get a building survey or a structural survey. Ask an architect to look at it with you. And the reason for that is that an architect canContinue reading
Energy Efficient Sustainable Buildings & The Valuation Professional

“There is an emerging body of empirical evidence … that sustainable buildings not only perform better in terms of energy efficiency but also financially…..they command higher rents or real prices and / or they hold their value better over time”
Continue readingJohn Wolfendale Co-Author of a Course in Sustainable Development to be delivered in London

John Wolfendale has been involved for many months in preparing a course in Sustainable Development for the commercial property industry in conjunction with Bayfield Training.
Continue readingThe Importance of Being Regulated by the RICS of London

Eva Salamon, chair of the RICS regulatory board talks about the importance of being regulated by the RICS of London which is particularly poignant in the turbulent property market in Spain.
Continue readingGreen Building Accreditation Systems Explained

There are many different organisations around the world who offer green building accreditations. These are independent rating systems that measure the building’s “green” credentials against closely defined criteria. The mains ones are Breeam (UK), Leed (USA), DGNB (Germany) and CASBEE (Japan). In Spain we use the Spanish version of the Green Building Council which isContinue reading