THE Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS) ought to be able to bring something to the combined kitty when it merges with Irish Auctioneers Valuers Institute (IAVI) in the next fortnight or so.

The plan is for it to move to the IAVI building on Merrion Square, thus freeing up its own headquarters at 5 Wilton Place beside the canal.

The four-storey over basement building is now going to be sold, though the timing is hardly ideal as members will be acutely aware.

Values of Georgian offices have fallen by around half from the peak while rents are also on the slide.

The building was at one time owned by some of the SCS members, but they sold it back to the organisation at the time of its centenary in 1995. It might be quite a squeeze for the SCS over at Merrion Square and there is likely to be some doubling up of staff too.

It seems there isn’t room from the Irish Property Facility Management Association (IPFMA) which currently shares offices with the SCS and which will have to find alternative accommodation.