Building inspections by drone is saving Andium ‘thousands’

Building inspections by drone is saving Andium ‘thousands’

Andium Homes has bought a drone, which is manned by a team of three specially trained pilots, to identify problems with buildings, particularly high-rise blocks, in its property portfolio.

The idea was the brainwave of the planning and maintenance team within the States-owned firm, which says that the move is saving them thousands and allowing repair work to be carried out much more quickly.

Mike Porter, Andium’s director of operations, said that the drone allows them to spot faults in buildings and carry out repairs within days rather than weeks.

‘The motivation behind it was the high cost of scaffolding and the time it takes to get it in place,’ he said.

‘We have three qualified pilots. We looked into the opportunities that drones might offer and we spoke to the airport team about licences. Each of the pilots have been through quite a strict course and earned their wings before they fly the drone commercially.

‘We acquired the drone last year and it is paying dividends. We have to make sure we are complying with data protection regulations, of course. We notify residents ahead of any use of the drone and we ensure that the data it collects is managed appropriately.’

He added: ‘You might have a storm and a property has developed a leak. Rather than waiting weeks for scaffolding and paying huge costs we can get a drone out there and identify very quickly what the issue is and get the works organised to repair it much more quickly.

‘It’s been absolutely fantastic so far. There has been a great response.’

An Andium spokeswoman said that the drones were particularly useful for high-rise buildings which were difficult to inspect.

‘A roof leak, for example, can cause significant internal damage if not addressed early. Scaffolding of a standard three-bed house can cost in the region of £1,000 and take some time to arrange,’ she said.

‘Employing a drone for property inspections, we can advise clients one day and be on site inspecting the next. Similarly, our high-rise homes are particularly difficult to inspect from the ground and scaffolding costs are extremely high. Historically, professional abseiling contractors were employed to carry out façade inspections, again with a high cost.

‘The drone has proven its worth here, providing high-resolution imagery of the façade very quickly and easily.’

She added that the drone ‘only cost £1,800’ and is continuing to ‘pay for itself over and over’.

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