Here’s What Specialist Property Transcription Can Offer

Specialist Property Transcription

By Jack Day

Are you a chartered surveyor looking for transcription and related services? BackupTyping is here to help. We’ve been providing transcription services for chartered surveyors since 1999 and all of our typists have previously worked at senior levels within chartered surveying organisations.

We understand that the amount of support required can vary from one day to the next. Sometimes a report is needed urgently, while other work can wait until the following day. Our four turnaround options reflect this, with 2 Hour Urgent, Same Day, Overnight and 24 Hour services available depending on when you need the completed work.

With decades of experience in the field, here are some of the ways we support chartered surveyors with transcription, formatting and document production.

Our Experience

We have been working with chartered surveyors for decades. We work exclusively in the property field and all of our typists have worked at senior levels within chartered surveying organisations.

When it comes to transcription, we are fully aware of the specialist terminology used within chartered surveying. Whether it’s slang or jargon, we understand it and are ready to transcribe it accurately.

Our team is familiar with how surveyors communicate and the terminology commonly used within property reports. We are accustomed to various accents and dialects, which can be particularly useful when working with recorded dictation.

Our transcription services range from site notes to expert determinations and many other types of surveying documents. We work exclusively within the field and are committed to providing a quality service.

If you'd like to know more about how the process works, read our guide to audio transcription for chartered surveyors.

Our Work Rate

We work whenever you need us and are on standby when you don’t.

Whether you intend to use our services daily, monthly, annually or at any other frequency, we will provide our services.

Our four-tier system is designed to account for this. We offer an Urgent service with a two-hour turnaround, Same Day, Overnight and 24 Hour services, allowing you to choose the turnaround that suits each individual job.

Regardless of the selected timescale, we complete the transcription to the same standard.

We work at the pace you require, not the pace we prefer.

Our specialist focus is on supporting chartered surveyors and other property professionals. BackupTyping has been providing specialist property transcription and document production services since 1999.

Our Services

Below is a list of some of the documents we type and format daily. This is not exhaustive:

Schedules of Dilapidation
Schedules of Condition
Valuation Reports
Minutes
Site Notes
General Correspondence
Independent Expert and Arbitration Award Reports
HomeBuyer Reports and RICS Home Surveys

For more information about the different levels of home surveys, read Jack Day's article Why You Should Get a HomeBuyer Report or Home Survey.

These are just some of the surveying documents our typists regularly work with.

More Than Transcription

In addition to transcription, we also provide formatting, reformatting and copy typing.

For formatting, we type the dictation into your company template and format the text as we go to ensure accurate transcription and presentation to your specification. This allows the document to be produced in the required format as part of the transcription process.

For reformatting, we restructure your report to fix issues such as inconsistent fonts and headings, numbering, excess lines and page breaks.

For copy typing, we can rapidly convert your pre-existing written documentation into a digitised, fully editable format. This can be particularly useful for scanned leases and other property documents that need to be recreated as editable Word files.

BackupTyping focuses on the customer first with our range of services and flexible turnaround options.

Report production involves considerably more than simply getting words onto a page. You can read more about the importance of professional report formatting.

Need More Information?

We have been providing property transcription and document production services since 1999, and our testimonials include feedback from both past and present clients.

Whether you need something back urgently within two hours, later the same day, overnight or within 24 hours, you can select the turnaround that suits the particular job. There is no requirement to use us every day. Some clients send regular work while others use us when workloads increase or additional support is needed.

You can find further information about our services, turnaround options and pricing throughout our website.

Here when you need us, on standby when you don’t.

BackupTyping has been working with chartered surveyors across the UK for over 20 years. If you’d like to try our service, contact us by email or call 020 7096 1663, and download our free dictation app to send your first job.

Jack Day's The Importance of Being Clear

By The Importance of Being Clear

by Jack Day

If you’re a chartered surveyor with any experience then you’re probably aware of the importance of quality dictation. Your surveying results need to be recorded for transcription so it is vital to have a good grasp of how to dictate effectively.

As property surveyors are not always public speakers, the key principles of quality dictation may not have been explained during job training. So if you’re a chartered surveyor who’s unsure how to dictate effectively the required information, we’re here with some expert advice broken down into four key points.

Clarity

Before commencing dictation it is important to state the title and/or subject of the document at the beginning. This lets us know when the dictation formally starts and tells us the title and what to save the document as. Without having the title or subject spoken at the start, we may not have the correct name to save the file as.

After you’ve actually begun dictating, it is vital to remember to deliver the dictation clearly. Speak clearly and enunciate your words while maintaining a consistent volume and speed. Mumbling your dictation or speaking too softly can make it harder for us to determine what words we’re supposed to be transcribing.

Try to maintain a consistent volume and pace so the transcriber can keep up with the described content. Typists often work best when there’s a rhythm to maintain and this can be helped with consistent pacing and appropriate use of pauses and intonation to convey sentence and paragraph breaks.

To keep the recording itself clear, keep the microphone reasonably close but not touching and speak towards it, while following the guidance for the particular device or dictation app you are using. This helps prevent your voice from becoming too quiet or being drowned out by background noise.

It is also advised to dictate in a relatively quiet area to stop external noise from affecting the recording. When recording dictation for transcription, either do so within a quiet space or pause your recording during times of heightened noise.

Sitting next to the coffee steamer in a cafe, for example, is generally not recommended.

Property typists are specialists at transcription, but they are not audio engineers or trained to decode scrambled messages.

Good quality audio also makes the transcription process considerably more efficient. You can read more about how the process works in What Is Audio Transcription for Chartered Surveyors?.

Specificity

When dictating, it is important to indicate what formatting will be used in the document. Though you may choose to entrust some of this to the transcribers, it is recommended that you specify formatting instructions as you dictate to help outline how the finished document is intended to look.

This can prove especially useful when dictating longer documents with many headings and multiple sections that need to be labelled.

When stating which sections are intended as headings, please say “heading” beforehand to signify this to the transcriber.

If you’re dictating a list, please structure it into numbers or bullet points and clearly indicate when each item in the list starts and ends. This can be done with a simple pause. This helps keep the listing order comprehensible in the audio and allows the typist to correctly format it.

While reciting the list, also be sure to fully enunciate the numbers to prevent the typist from potentially mishearing anything.

Clear instructions are particularly important when a dictated report needs to follow an established layout. We look at this further in Why Report Formatting Matters More Than Most Businesses Realise.

Jargon

When dictating the results of a property survey, you may come across words and phrases that are rarely used in other contexts. While property typists are already familiar with the jargon employed within their field, you may also need to dictate complex or uncommon terms.

If you have come across a term you are unfamiliar with or are listing names of streets, buildings or people that are spelled unusually or are difficult to pronounce, we would advise simply spelling the word out rather than risking it being misunderstood.

Property typists are familiar with the important terms used within chartered surveying and will understand most standard surveying terminology.

With names, addresses and unusual terms, however, it can be safer to spell them out. Mispronouncing or mishearing a name could result in inaccurate information appearing in the transcription.

As many names and titles in the English language are not spelled the same way they are pronounced or may use a different spelling than the standard version of the name, simply spelling out certain names can actually prove more effective for transcribers than speaking them as they’re pronounced.

When faced with dictating acronyms or abbreviations, it is generally better to say the full term the first time it is used, particularly if there is any possibility of ambiguity.

Collaboration

Property typing is by nature a collaborative effort, with the typists themselves transcribing the dictation sent to them by their clients. The final key principle of dictation within the field is therefore collaboration between the surveyor providing the dictation and the typist producing the document

As the dictator you are one part of the equation and can make adjustments to help the process work effectively.

In addition to providing formatting instructions, it is recommended to provide specific formatting and layout requirements in your brief and to provide a style guide where appropriate to ensure consistency between documents.

If later edits or revisions are desired, please provide clear instructions on what is to be altered from the original version - typists are not psychics who can predict what you want without it being said.

Continuing with the fact that this is a collaborative process, building a good relationship with your typists is highly recommended. A typist who becomes familiar with a client’s terminology, templates, preferences and working methods can provide a more consistent service.

This is also one of the advantages of using specialist property typists rather than treating transcription as a general administrative task. See Fee Earner or Typist? Why Outsourcing Typing Works.

When dictating sensitive or potentially confidential information it is even more important to know that appropriate confidentiality and security measures are in place. Sensitive information should be handled through secure systems and by people working under appropriate confidentiality obligations.

As the surveyor, you should also be confident that your communication is being sent through secure channels. If the information is meant to be secure, it is expected to remain that way.

A typist who is familiar with your company's approach to dictation will also generally produce quicker and more accurate results. While it is still advised to provide your typist with details of each document's specific style requirements and to indicate the formatting instructions within the recorded dictation, having a property typist who already knows your company's standard procedure for style and formatting can help expedite the transcription process.

Conclusion

In the beginning dictation can seem like a cumbersome or draining task, but hopefully following these steps will ensure that you find the process of recording speech a simpler and more rewarding task instead.

We have been providing property transcription for over 20 years and consider this guide to encompass the primary tenets of quality dictation for chartered surveyors.

Remember to speak with clarity, employ specificity, correctly use jargon and work in collaboration. Keep those four tenets in mind and we’re sure you’ll do great.

Here when you need us, on standby when you don’t.

BackupTyping has been working for chartered surveyors across the nation for over 20 years. If you’re interested in collaborating with experienced specialist property transcribers, contact us by email or 020 7096 1663 now and download our free dictation app to try our service for yourself.

Buying a Property? Here’s Why You Should Get a HomeBuyer Report or Home Survey first

Why you should get a HomeBuyer Report or Home Survey?

By Jack Day

Whether it’s your first or your tenth property purchase, a home survey is important because it helps you understand the condition of the home being purchased. While it is not legally required in England and Wales, it is highly recommended because it can identify defects, risks and issues that may affect your decision or the price you are prepared to pay. Without a proper survey, you may discover defects or repair costs that you were not aware of when making your offer.

What is a HomeBuyer Report?

You may still hear the term HomeBuyer Report or Home Buyers’ Survey. RICS now calls this a Level 2 Home Survey. It is one of three levels of RICS Home Survey.

A mortgage valuation is a basic check carried out for the mortgage lender to make sure the property provides adequate security for the money being lent. It is for the benefit of the lender and is not the same as a survey for the buyer. A Home Survey provides the buyer with an expert account of the property’s condition and highlights visible defects, risks and issues that may need further investigation.

This is important because a property’s condition can be a major negotiation tool during the home purchasing process and a primary driver behind the final buying decision. A home that requires significant repair work may justify a lower offer because of the cost involved and could potentially deter the buyer from purchasing it in the first place. Because of this, a survey can provide vital information for the aspiring homeowner.

The three levels of RICS Home Survey

RICS Level 1 Home Survey, previously called a Condition Report, is the most basic of the three levels. It describes the condition of the property, identifies risks and potential legal issues and highlights urgent defects. It is generally aimed at conventional properties built from common materials and in good condition.

RICS Level 2 Home Survey, previously called a Home Buyer Report or Home Buyers’ Survey, is more detailed. It is generally suitable for conventional properties in reasonable condition that are simple in form and layout. It includes advice on defects and on maintenance or repairs that may be required. A Level 2 can be provided as a survey only, or as a survey with a market valuation and insurance reinstatement figure.

RICS Level 3 Home Survey, previously known as an RICS Building Survey, is the most comprehensive option. It provides an in depth analysis of the property’s condition and includes advice on defects, repairs and maintenance options. It is generally recommended for large, older or run down properties, unusual or significantly altered buildings, or where major works are planned.

At BackupTyping, HomeBuyer Reports and other survey reports are among the documents our specialist property typists regularly work with. For more about how surveyors turn site observations and dictation into finished reports, see What Is Audio Transcription for Chartered Surveyors?

When do you need one?

There is no legal requirement in England and Wales for a buyer to obtain a Home Survey before purchasing a property. However, it is strongly recommended. The usual time to arrange one is after your offer has been accepted and before you make a legal commitment to buy.

A survey can make you aware of defects and other issues that could affect the property’s condition, repair costs or value. If problems are found, you may decide to investigate further, obtain quotations for repairs, renegotiate the purchase price or even decide not to proceed.

If you’ve decided to arrange a survey, you can use the RICS Find a Surveyor service to find a suitable professional.

Why should you use an RICS surveyor?

If you’re wondering why you should use an RICS surveyor, the reason is straightforward. RICS Home Surveys are carried out by RICS members in accordance with the RICS Home Survey Standard. Individual RICS surveyors may use the designations AssocRICS, MRICS or FRICS, and the surveyor should have relevant experience of the type, age and construction of the property being inspected.

Where the service includes a valuation, the surveyor should also be an RICS Registered Valuer. RICS members and regulated firms work to professional standards designed to provide a consistent and impartial service.

The surveyor provides the professional assessment, but the finished report also needs to present that expertise clearly. We look at the document production side in Why Report Formatting Matters More Than Most Businesses Realise

Conclusion

If you’re buying a property in England or Wales, a Home Survey can give you important information before you make a legal commitment to buy. It can identify defects, highlight areas that need further investigation and help you understand potential repair and maintenance costs.

Having the correct information about the condition of the home can significantly alter negotiation. A buyer with the right information can consider whether the agreed price still reflects the condition of the property, negotiate where appropriate, or simply decide to explore other options for their next home.

The important thing is to choose the right level of survey for the property. What many people still call a HomeBuyer Report is now the RICS Level 2 Home Survey, while Levels 1 and 3 provide different levels of detail depending on the property and the buyer’s needs.

For surveyors producing reports like these, outsourcing the typing and document-production stage can also save valuable professional time. Our article Fee Earner or Typist? Why Outsourcing Typing Works looks at this in more detail.

Here if you need us, on standby if you don’t.

BackupTyping has been working for chartered surveyors across the nation for over 20 years. If you’re interested, contact us by email or call on 020 7096 1663 now. You can also download our free dictation app to try our service for yourself.

Find A Surveyor

Conducting business over the internet? Why cybersecurity is so important

By Jack Day

If you’ve spent any time using the web, you’ve probably seen and heard about the various cybersecurity software available commercially. But what you may not be aware of is why cybersecurity is such an important tool for digital businesses.

While the digital world is no longer the uncharted land it once was, the criminals lurking inside it are still active and have methods to deceive you. From phishing scams and malware to elaborate social engineering schemes, digital criminals are constantly adapting and looking for their next target.

Whether you’re involved in property typing or any other profession, digital safety is one of the central pillars of digital businesses.

The Risks of Cyber Attacks

The risks that come with cyber attacks and data breaches are manifold. Perfectly good people have been misled and deceived by scammers in various forms. Victims of cybercrime can not only have their finances stolen, but even have their whole identities taken by impersonators who may implicate them in nefarious acts.

Proving you’ve been defrauded or impersonated in a court of law can be a very difficult process that can potentially involve expensive legal fees. Hence, it is much easier and safer to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime in the first place.

These problems can prove an even bigger issue for businesses to deal with. While the primary risk posed to victims is immediate financial loss, money can be taken from the business and the service disruption caused by an attack can prevent the business from serving customers. There are also the major consequences of both reputational damage and potential regulatory fines. Companies that fail to meet their data security obligations can face significant financial penalties and potentially become the target of regulatory investigation.

Beyond the immediate financial repercussions, the credibility of a business can be seriously affected by a data breach. Companies known to be vulnerable to cybercrime or that aren’t seen to take digital security seriously will likely damage their reputation and could experience a major decline in customers. If a business is not considered trustworthy with important information, the consumer will be forced to take their money elsewhere. Eventually this decline could result in your business collapsing, as the trust of consumers can be difficult to regain.

How to Maintain Security

There are numerous ways to maintain digital security. One of the primary methods is keeping your antivirus and anti-malware protection software up to date. Hackers regularly upgrade their toolkits and so it’s important for your defences to be updated accordingly.

It is also highly recommended to use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, back up important data and limit access to it before securely deleting it once there is no longer a need to retain it. These are the main steps to prevent data from being compromised and the negative results that can follow.

Technology itself continues to change the way property professionals work. We have previously looked at this in our article on Speech-to-Text in Surveying Right Now and Where It Still Falls Short, including the benefits and limitations of automated transcription.

Outside of these steps, it is also best to keep your devices away from unauthorised users, dispose of old equipment containing potentially valuable information safely and to only conduct business using a secure Wi-Fi connection. This helps prevent unauthorised users from accessing your private information. Physical devices can be hacked and public Wi-Fi can present additional security risks, so it is important to protect the physical components storing your digital data too.

Our Commitment to Cybersecurity

At BackupTyping are committed to our good reputation in the field of property typing. We regularly maintain and update our digital security systems and maintain transparency with our customers.

We pride ourselves on quick but accurate transcription and keeping your data safe is an important part of this. We have been providing property typing for decades and have developed a full understanding of the various tools needed to maintain our position within the field. You can read more about the service in What Is Audio Transcription for Chartered Surveyors?

For surveying practices deciding how best to manage their document production, we have also looked at the question in Fee Earner or Typist? Why Outsourcing Typing Works.

Here if you need us, on standby if you don’t.

BackupTyping has been working for chartered surveyors across the nation for over 20 years. If you’re interested, contact us by email or phone at 020 7096 1663 now and download our free dictation app to try our service for yourself.

What Will Surveyors Need From a Typing Company in Five Years?

It’s an interesting time to be running a transcription business. Technology is changing quickly and some of the work we’ve traditionally carried out is becoming easier to automate.

We’re not particularly worried about admitting that. There’s little point pretending that speech-to-text isn’t improving or that AI won’t have an effect on how reports are prepared.

The more interesting question is what our clients will need from us next.

Less Typing, More Document Production?

We suspect that, over time, more surveyors will produce their own first drafts using AI-assisted tools.

Some will continue dictating, particularly when they’re on site or working on detailed reports. Others may prefer speaking directly into software that produces an initial document.

But there will still be work involved in preparing reports for issue. Templates need maintaining, photographs need inserting, tables need checking, documents need proofreading and formatting.

And somebody needs to make sure the finished report follows the firm’s requirements. Our earlier article Using AI for Survey Reports? Here’s Where Human Support Still Saves Time explores the work that remains after drafting.

The Value of Experience

We’ve spent more than 25 years working with surveyors and other property professionals. That experience is valuable because we understand the documents our clients produce and the standards they expect.

Our typists are familiar with surveying terminology, specialist report formats and the practical difficulties involved in preparing complex documents.

Those skills remain relevant even when the initial text comes from AI rather than an audio recording. You can read more about the specialist role in What Is an Audio Typist?.

A Service That Adapts

We don’t expect every client to use the same technology. Some will continue sending us dictation and others will send AI-generated drafts, scanned documents or existing Word files. Others may only need occasional help with particularly complicated reports.

Our aim is to provide the transcription and document production support that fits around those different requirements.

We also recognise that technology will continue to develop. If a new tool makes part of the process easier, we’ll look at how it can help us and our clients.

Looking Ahead

The future of property typing may involve less traditional transcription and more proofreading, formatting and document production.

That’s a change we’re already seeing in the work we receive. For us, the priority remains the same: doing a good job, producing accurate documents and providing a reliable service with a human touch.

The methods may change. The standards shouldn’t.

Whether you’re using traditional dictation, speech-to-text or AI-assisted report writing, BackupTyping can help you produce professional documents. Call 020 7096 1663 or Email.

The Human Check: Why AI-Generated Reports Still Need Attention

AI transcription has improved enormously but if you’ve ever used it to transcribe a technical report, you’ll know that the occasional mistake can still slip through.

Sometimes the errors are obvious and sometimes they’re surprisingly convincing - those are the ones worth watching.

When a Word Sounds Right but Isn’t

Property reports contain plenty of terminology that general speech-to-text systems may struggle with.

We’ve previously written about the difficulties AI can have with words such as cornicing and other specialist surveying terms. See our earlier article on AI mishearing surveying terminology.

A transcription error might produce a word that looks perfectly reasonable but changes the meaning of the sentence. Numbers and measurements can also be problematic.

A small error in a figure may have a significant effect on the information presented.

Proofreading Still Matters

When our typists prepare documents, they proofread and check their work before returning it. Their familiarity with property terminology helps them recognise wording that may need attention.

However, proofreading has its limits. If a recording is unclear or a technical statement needs verification, we may need to refer it back to the surveyor.

The same applies to AI-generated drafts. We can identify apparent errors, improve formatting and flag inconsistencies, but technical accuracy and professional approval remain the surveyor’s responsibility.

A Different Type of Work

As AI becomes more widely used, we expect more clients to need help checking and preparing documents they’ve already drafted.

That may involve correcting transcription errors, applying the firm’s template, checking document consistency or identifying sections that need clarification.

For some clients, that could become more useful than traditional transcription. For others, dictation will remain the preferred method. We intend to support both.

The Finished Document Matters

A report can be produced quickly and still require a considerable amount of attention before it’s ready to issue.

Professional proofreading and document formatting help reduce that final administrative workload. If AI has made an unusual interpretation of a surveying term, an experienced human reader may be able to spot it before it becomes an embarrassing mistake.

BackupTyping provides transcription, proofreading and document formatting support for chartered surveyors and property professionals. Contact us to discuss your requirements on 020 7096 1663 or email.

What Happens to the Difficult Reports?

Some reports are relatively straightforward while others seem to involve every possible complication.

There are photographs to insert, tables to organise, unusual formatting requirements and several different documents that need bringing together. And, of course, the deadline is usually approaching.

Not Every Report Is a Simple Word Document

Building surveys, dilapidations schedules and photographic schedules of condition involve considerably more document production than a standard letter or short report.

A large photographic schedule may require hundreds of photographs to be arranged and labelled. A dilapidations schedule may involve complex tables, specific formatting and detailed instructions.

Then there are scanned leases and older documents that need converting into editable files.

These are the sorts of assignments where experienced document production support can be particularly useful. For another look at the options, see our earlier Word versus PowerPoint photographic schedules article.

AI Doesn’t Necessarily Make the Difficult Bits Easier

AI and speech-to-text tools can help prepare the written content of a report.

But the more complicated the document, the more important it becomes to check the results carefully.

A large table that’s been reformatted incorrectly can create considerable additional work. The same applies to missing photographs, incorrect numbering or sections that have ended up in the wrong place.

Familiarity Makes a Difference

Our typists regularly work with property documents and the formatting requirements that go with them.

We understand that a photographic schedule needs to follow the client’s instructions and that a dilapidations schedule must retain its intended structure.

We can also work from scanned documents, handwritten amendments and existing Word files. We don’t need every assignment to arrive as a perfectly clear audio recording.

Send Us the Awkward Ones

If you’ve got a particularly complicated document that’s taking up too much of your time, it’s worth asking whether we can help.

We can review the material, establish what’s required and agree on the appropriate turnaround. Some assignments need traditional transcription whereas others are entirely about document formatting and production.

And if there’s something we can’t reasonably do within your deadline, we’d rather tell you at the outset.

For building survey report typing, dilapidations schedules, photographic schedules and specialist document production, contact BackupTyping on 020 7096 1663 or at hello@backuptyping.co.uk.

Outsourcing Your Property Typing Doesn’t Mean Losing Control

Outsourcing is sometimes treated as an all-or-nothing decision. You either have an in-house typing team or you send everything elsewhere.

But that’s not how many of our clients use us. Some send us work every day. Others only need help when things get particularly busy.

Increasingly, we’re working alongside clients who prepare their own first drafts.

You Decide What to Send

You might prefer dictating your reports and leaving the transcription to us. Perhaps you’ve started using speech-to-text and only need help with the formatting. Or you may have an excellent administrative team that occasionally needs additional support.

All of those arrangements can work.

Our outsourced typing services are intended to fit around your existing business, rather than require you to reorganise it.

What About Confidentiality?

It’s a reasonable question, particularly when you’re dealing with confidential property information.

We work with experienced freelance transcription professionals who are engaged under written agreements containing confidentiality and data protection obligations.

Access to client information is restricted to authorised personnel and our contractors are required to follow our security procedures.

We also work with established client templates and instructions, helping maintain consistency across the documents we produce.

You Remain in Charge of the Report

When you send work to BackupTyping, you retain responsibility for the technical content. We follow your instructions, prepare the document and refer unclear or potentially incorrect information back to you where necessary.

If you use AI to produce the first draft, that’s entirely your decision. If you prefer traditional dictation, that’s fine too. Our role is to provide reliable transcription and document production support, whichever method you choose.

A Little Extra Capacity Can Go a Long Way

There are times when even a well-organised office has more work than it can comfortably manage. A particularly busy inspection schedule, staff holidays or a large instruction requiring many reports can quickly create a backlog.

Having an established property typing company available means you can send work out when necessary without committing to additional permanent staff.

And when things quieten down, you simply send less. For more on the time saved, see Fee Earner or Typist?.

If you need additional transcription or document production support, contact BackupTyping on 020 7096 1663 or at hello@backuptyping.co.uk.

Your Report Templates Are Worth Protecting. Even From Microsoft Word.

Every surveying firm has its own way of presenting reports. Some have spent years developing their templates. Others have carefully designed layouts to meet particular client requirements.

Either way, those templates are there for a reason. So it’s frustrating when a perfectly good report gets pasted into Word and the formatting immediately falls apart.

Why Templates Matter

A consistent report template helps maintain professional standards across a business. It also makes reports easier to prepare, review and read.

But templates can be surprisingly complicated. There may be different heading styles, tables, page layouts, automatic numbering, headers and footers.

Add photographs, appendices and a few unusual tables, and even a relatively straightforward report can become difficult to format.

The Problem With Copying and Pasting

Speech-to-text and AI tools are useful for preparing content, but moving that content into an existing Word template can create additional work.

Headings lose their styles. Paragraph spacing changes. Tables don’t always behave as expected. Occasionally, an entire document seems determined to develop a layout of its own.

If you’ve spent enough time using Word, you’ll know exactly what we mean.

We Work With Your Existing Templates

Our document formatting services are designed around the way your firm already works.

We can prepare reports directly within your existing templates, following your preferred formatting and document structure.

That might involve a building survey, a valuation report, a photographic schedule of condition or a dilapidations schedule. We also provide copy typing services for scanned documents and other material that needs converting into editable Word files.

Consistency Without the Extra Work

For firms producing large numbers of reports, consistent formatting can make a considerable difference. It reduces the amount of time spent correcting documents and helps maintain the presentation standards your clients expect.

You don’t necessarily need to replace your templates or change the way your surveyors prepare reports. Sometimes you simply need someone who knows how to use them.

BackupTyping provides professional Word document formatting services for surveyors and other property professionals. Send us your existing template and we’ll work within it. Contact us on 020 7096 1663 or hello@backuptyping.co.uk.

Property Typing Jobs: Do You Have the Skills?

Fast Fingers? Property Typing Could Be the Job for You

What does it actually take to become a professional property typist?

Are you a fast and accurate typist? Do you like the idea of working from home rather than spending your mornings sitting in rush-hour traffic? If so, property typing could be worth considering.

Property typing involves turning audio dictation from chartered surveyors into accurate, professionally formatted documents. Building surveys, valuation reports, Schedules of Dilapidations, Schedules of Condition and site notes are just some of the documents you might encounter.

But listening and typing is only part of the job.

First Things First: Can You Type?

You need to be able to type quickly. At BackupTyping, our property typists are required to have a minimum typing speed of 80 words per minute.

But speed on its own isn't enough.

There isn't much point in typing 100 words per minute if you then spend the next half an hour correcting what you've written. Accuracy, spelling, grammar and attention to detail matter just as much.

You also need to be able to listen and type at the same time, recognise when something doesn't look or sound right and go back to the original audio when necessary.

A good property typist is fast. A very good property typist is fast and accurate.

You'll Need to Speak Surveyor

Not literally, of course, but property typing comes with its own vocabulary.

Chartered surveyors regularly use terminology that somebody without property experience may rarely encounter. Building elements, defects, construction methods, lease terminology and industry abbreviations can all appear within a single piece of dictation.

Knowing the terminology makes the job much easier. Instead of trying to work out what an unfamiliar word might be, an experienced property typist will often recognise it immediately from the context.

That's why property experience matters to us at BackupTyping. All of our typists have previously worked at senior levels within chartered surveying organisations.

If you're interested in the process from the surveyor's side, our guide to audio transcription for chartered surveyors explains how dictated reports become finished documents.

It's Not Just About the Words

Typing the words is only part of the job.

A surveyor doesn't generally want a great block of accurately typed text returned to them. They want a professional document they can actually use.

That could mean working with an existing company template, applying headings and numbering, formatting tables, inserting photographs, sorting out page breaks and following a client's house style.

A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word is essential. Depending on the work involved, familiarity with Excel and other Microsoft applications can also be useful.

That's where property typing goes beyond basic transcription. The job isn't necessarily finished when the last word has been typed.

You can read more about what is involved in professional report formatting.

What Equipment Do You Need?

The good news is that you don't need to turn your spare room into an office full of specialist equipment.

You will need a reliable computer or laptop, a good internet connection, the appropriate software and somewhere reasonably quiet to work.

A transcription foot pedal is also an important piece of equipment for a professional typist. It allows you to play, pause and rewind audio using your foot while your hands remain on the keyboard.

And, of Course, You Get to Work From Home

For many property typists, this is a big advantage.

There is no daily commute, no rush-hour traffic and no spending money simply to get to and from work. Your journey to work may consist of walking into another room and switching on your computer.

Remote property typing can also give you more control over your working day. Depending on your deadlines, you can often fit the work around children, appointments and other commitments.

But there is an important difference between flexible working and working whenever you fancy.

Flexible Doesn't Mean Deadline-Free

Property transcription can be time-sensitive.

At BackupTyping, our clients can choose 2 Hour Urgent, Same Day, Overnight or 24 Hour turnaround services. If you've accepted work that needs to be returned within a particular timeframe, that deadline matters.

Working remotely therefore requires self-discipline. Nobody needs to be standing over your shoulder, but the work still has to be completed accurately and on time.

You get flexibility, but you still have to get the work back when you said you would.

Is Property Typing for You?

Property typing isn't going to suit everybody.

If you hate sitting at a computer, find detailed documents tedious or don't enjoy listening carefully to audio, it probably isn't the obvious choice.

If you can type at least 80 words per minute, have a good eye for detail, are comfortable using Microsoft Word and enjoy working independently, you're already off to a good start.

Property experience is a big advantage. So is being the sort of person who spots that a heading is in the wrong font, a paragraph number has gone astray or a sentence you've just typed doesn't make sense in context.

So yes, fast fingers matter, but they're only part of it.

You need speed, accuracy, good Word skills, attention to detail and an understanding of the language used within the property industry. You also need to be organised enough to work independently and meet deadlines.

If all of that sounds like your kind of work, property typing could be worth a look.

Interested in Working With BackupTyping?

BackupTyping has specialised in property transcription and document production since 1999. Our typists work remotely and have previous senior level experience within chartered surveying organisations.

If you're an experienced property professional with excellent Microsoft Word skills and a typing speed of at least 80 words per minute, we'd be interested in hearing from you.

Contact BackupTyping to introduce yourself and tell us a little about your property experience and typing background.