Architects, engineers and designers plan and supervise the construction of our new houses and flats, with the construction increasingly in the hands of a few large house building companies.

Surveyors survey and value these new-build properties for purchasers and mortgage lenders, not only when they are new but also over their whole lifetime. Therefore surveyors are in a unique position to comment upon the quality of this new-build construction.

Surveyors meet the occupants, look for defects and advise lenders as to the suitability of particular types of construction as mortgage security.

We also advise social housing landlords when problems arise with rental properties so surveyors’ knowledge and experience should provide valuable input.

There is lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the general public are unhappy about the quality of much new construction especially the flats. Some of this is about workmanship but many of the criticisms are about design.

From time to time you will see items in the press describing modern properties – usually flats – suffering from damp with mould growing on the walls and a plea from the tenant (usually accompanied by a photo of an unhappy occupant) for the landlord to do something.

In the long run all flat roofs leak and the most damaging leaks can be the small ones, going undetected for some time, which will cause serious damage to the supporting construction without necessarily showing through as stains on the ceilings beneath until at an advanced stage.

Surveyors know from experience that in our climate the best roofs are sloping so the water runs off the edge and there is a roof-space so that the construction can be checked from below.

The Grenfell enquiry has highlighted the need for much better fire safety not only in respect of the exterior cladding but also in relation to the whole structure and the means of escape, not forgetting that some occupants may be disabled or elderly and you cannot use a lift in a fire.

Lockdowns as a consequence of Covid have caused us to consider whether small pokey flats with no outside space – not even a balcony – are a suitable environment for anyone to live in and especially a family with children.

There may be a case for improved minimum room sizes and some mandatory open space or garden to be included.

Thankfully major structural failures are rare but we are reminded of the risks associated with building on unstable ground or using unconventional construction as with the collapse of the Ronan Point flats in London in 1968 and most recently the Champlain Towers in Miami.

Can we build better? Should better standards of design be imposed and construction quality improved?

Following Grenfell a fairly comprehensive overhaul of Building Regulations is likely with better independent testing of building materials and perhaps improved standards of spaciousness.

Hopefully experienced surveyors, who have so much input to offer, will be consulted during this process.

Peter Glover is a surveyor and author of Building Surveys and Buying a House or Flat