RICS APC 2022 > Inspection > Flashcards

Inspection Flashcards

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1
Q

What do you take on inspection?

A
  • Mobile phone / camera
  • Tape measure / laser measure
  • File, plans and other supporting information
  • PPE
  • Pen and paper
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2
Q

What is included in full PPE?

A
  • Fluorescent jacket
  • Steel-toed boots
  • Non-slip soled shoes
  • Ear defenders
  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Hard hat
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3
Q

What are the four areas of inspection?

A
  • Desktop review
  • Locality
  • External
  • Internal
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4
Q

What does a desktop review entail?

A

• Online search (google maps, VOA, land registry, environmental agency website)
• Property documentation (leases, tenancy schedules, floor plans and other supporting documentation)
• Risk assessment for health and safety purposes in line with ‘Surveying Safely principles – PPE, lone working policy, ‘safe
person’ concept)
• Arrange access and make travel arrangements
• Prepare equipment (laser/tape measure, phone, camera)
• Comparable evidence (initial search for comparable evidence)

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5
Q

What do you consider when inspecting the locality?

A
  • Location / aspect / local facilities / public transport / business vibrancy
  • Contamination / environmental hazards / flooding / high voltage power lines / electricity substations
  • Comparable evidence / local market conditions / agents’ boards
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6
Q

What do you consider on an external inspection?

A
  • Method of construction
  • Repair and condition of exterior
  • Car parking / access / loading arrangements
  • Defects / structural movement
  • Check site boundaries with OS map and / or title plan
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7
Q

What do you consider on an internal inspection?

A
  • Layout and specification (flexibility and obsolescence)
  • Repair and maintenance
  • Defects
  • Services – age and condition
  • Statutory compliance – e.g. asbestos, building regulations, health and safety, Equality Act 2010, fire safety and planning
  • Fixtures and fittings and improvements
  • Compliance with lease obligations
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8
Q

How can you tell the age of a building?

A
  • Ask the client
  • Researching the date of planning consent or building regulations approval
  • Land Registry
  • Local historical records
  • Architectural style or architects certificate of practical completion
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9
Q

What methodology do you use when inspecting a property?

A

I start by inspecting the roof and worked my way down in a logical sequence. I also apply this approach internally, starting at the ceiling, working my way down the walls to the floor.

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10
Q

What are the main purposes of inspection?

A
  • Valuation
  • Agency
  • Property management
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11
Q

What do you consider when inspecting for valuation purposes?

A

Factors that impact value such as location, tenure, aspect, form of construction, defects, current condition, occupation details

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12
Q

What do you consider when inspecting for agency purposes?

A

Current condition of the building, repair and maintenance issues, statutory compliance, services, presentation of the accommodation and flexibility of the accommodation and its marketability

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13
Q

What do you consider when inspecting for management purposes?

A

If occupied – check the lease compliance, statutory compliance, state of the building, requirements for repairs/redecoration, user and details of the actual occupier

If unoccupied – check statutory compliance, state of the building, repair and maintenance issues, security arrangements, landscaping, risk of vandalism and damage to the building

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14
Q

What are the four types of foundation?

A
  1. Trench or strip footing
  2. Raft – slab foundation over whole site
  3. Piled – long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders
  4. Pad – slab foundation system under columns
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15
Q

What determines the type of foundation used?

A

Ground conditions and building loadings required

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16
Q

What is solid wall construction?

A

Simplest type of wall constructed in solid brickwork with headers, normally at least one brick thick. Solid wall bricklaying patterns include Flemish bond, which alternate between header and stretcher to tie together layers of brick

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17
Q

What is cavity wall construction?

A

Two layers of brickwork tied together with metal ties, with a cavity that may be filled with insulation. No headers are used, and sometimes evidence of cavity tray, air brick or weep holes may be seen

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18
Q

What is a stretcher?

A

A brick laid horizontally, flat with the long side of the brick exposed on the outer face of the wall

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19
Q

What is a header?

A

A brick laid flat with the short end exposed (e.g. used with headers in solid walls)

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20
Q

What is efflorescence?

A

Efflorescence is the white marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work, and is formed when water reacts with the natural salts

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21
Q

What is spalling?

A

Spalling is damaged brickwork where the surface of the bricks starts to crumble due to freeze/thaw action, after it has become saturated in the winter months

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22
Q

What is the current institutional specifications for shops?

A
  • Most new shop units are constructed either of a steel or concrete frame
  • Services capped off
  • Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
  • Let in a shell condition with no shop front, ready for the retailers’ fitting out works
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23
Q

What are the main methods of construction for offices?

A
  • Steel frame

* Concrete frame

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24
Q

How can you tell if it is steel frame?

A

Less columns and a wider span between columns

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25
How can you tell if it is concrete frame?
More columns, lower floor heights and a shorter span between columns
26
What is the current institutional specifications for offices?
* Full access raised floors with floor boxes * Approximate ceiling height of 2.6 – 2.8m * Ceiling void of 350mm and a raised floor void of 150mm * Maximised opportunities for daylighting, with 300-500 lux average * Approximate floor loading of 2.5 to 3.00 kN/sq m with an allowance of up to 1.2 kN/sq m for partitioning * Air conditioning and double glazed windows * Passenger lifts * Planning grid of 1.5m x 1.5m * Maximum depth of 12m to 15m (shallow plan) or 15m to 21m (deep plan) to allow for natural light to the office area * 1 cycle space per 10 staff and 1 shower per 100 staff * 8m2 to 10m2 general workspace density
27
Who defines office specification?
British Council for Offices Guide to Office Specification 2019
28
What are the types of air conditioning?
• VAV – variable air volume (highest capital cost but more flexible) • Fan coil – usually 4 pipe (lower initial cost & good flexibility but higher operating & maintenance costs) • VRV – variable refrigerant volume (lower capital cost but higher running and maintenance) • Static cooling – chilled beam and displacement heating (natural approach to climate control with lower capital and running costs but less flexibility) • Mechanical ventilation – when fresh air is moved around the building • Heat recovery systems • Comfort cooling – a simple form of air cooling system
29
What are the types of fit out?
* Shell and core * CAT A * CAT B
30
What is shell and core?
Common parts of the building are completed, and the office floor areas are left as a shell ready for fit out by the occupier
31
What is CAT A?
Basic finishing of an interior space (such as to Grade A specification). With basic installations and M&E services
32
What is CAT B?
Complete fit out to the occupiers specific requirements (installation of cellular offices, enhanced finishes and IT)
33
How are cellular offices usually set out?
1.5m planning grid
34
What is the typical space allowance for normal office use?
1 person for 7.5 – 9.25 sq m
35
What is the type construction for industrial / warehouse buildings?
Steel portal frame with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
36
What are current institutional specifications for industrial warehouse buildings?
* Minimum 8m clear eaves height with 10% roof lights * Minimum 30KN/sq m floor loading * Plastic coated steel profiled cladding with brick or blockwork walls to approximately 2m * Full height loading (electricity operated) * 3 phase electricity power (415 volts) * 5%-10% office content and WC facilities * Main services capped off * Approximate site cover of 40%
37
What is an inherent defect?
Defect in the design or a material which has always been present
38
What is a latent defect?
Fault to the property that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection of the property
39
What are warranties?
Assurance that the goods/services will meet certain expectations (e.g. fit for purpose, free from defects, complying with statutory regulations)
40
What is snagging?
Inspection process before practical completion for minor faults to be rectified
41
If you identify a defect on inspection, what do you do?
1. Take photographs of the defect 2. Try to establish the cause of the damage whilst on site 3. Inform my client of my investigation 4. Recommend specialist advice (building surveyor / structural engineer)
42
What are the three common causes of defects?
1. Water 2. Movement 3. Defective building materials
43
What are the types of movement?
* Subsidence | * Heave
44
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by a loss of support of the site beneath the foundation. This could be as a result of changes in the underlying ground conditions
45
What is heave?
The expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building. This could be caused by tree removal and the subsequent moisture build-up in the soil
46
What does horizontal cracking in the brickwork indicate?
Cavity wall tie failure in the brick wall
47
When does shrinkage cracking occur?
During drying out process for new plasterboard
48
What is differential movement?
Movement between old and new parts of the building, causing settlement cracking
49
What else can cause cracks?
Thermal expansion
50
What are some types/causes of damp?
* Rising damp (usually stops around 1.5m above ground level) * Condensation damp (caused by lack of ventilation and background heating) * Damp caused by defective plumbing/pipework/air conditioning
51
What is wet rot?
Type of defect caused by damp and timber decay
52
What are the signs of wet rot?
* Wet and soft timber * High damp meter reading * Visible fungal growth * Musty smell
53
What is dry rot?
Defect caused by fungal attack that can destroy timber and masonry
54
What are the signs of dry rot?
* Fungus (mycelium) spread across wood in fine and fluffy white strands * Large mushroom like fruiting bodies, strong smell, red spores * Cracking paintwork * Cuboidal cracking / crumbling of dry timber
55
What are some common defects of period buildings? (residential/office/retail)
* Dry rot / wet rot * Tile slippage on the roof * Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level * Structural movement / settlement
56
What are some common defects of modern industrial buildings?
* Roof leaks around roof lights * Water damage from poor guttering or burst pipes * Settlement/cracking in brick work panels
57
What are some common defects of modern office buildings?
* Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level * Water damage from burst pipes or air conditioning units * Structural movement * Cavity wall tie failure
58
What is the key legislation on contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
59
What RICS guidance on contamination?
RICS Guidance Note ‘Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability’ 2010
60
Who pays for remediation of contamination?
Polluter or landowner
61
What can cause contamination?
* Heavy metals * Radon and methane gas * Diesel / oil / chemicals
62
What are the signs of contamination?
Evidence of chemicals, oils, oil drums, subsidence, underground tans , bare ground, etc
63
What are the three phases of investigation into contamination?
1. Phase 1 – review of site history, site inspections and investigation 2. Phase 2 – investigation to identify nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples taken using bore holes (intrusive) 3. Phase 3 – remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements and monitoring standards
64
What would you do if there are concerns of contamination?
Recommend specialist advice
65
If you are instructed to value a site with contamination, what approaches should be considered?
1. Do not provide any advice until a specialist report is commissioned 2. Caveat the advice provided with an appropriate disclaimer highlighting the issue/use of special assumption 3. Deduct the remediation costs from the gross site value
66
What is Land Remediation Relief (LRR)?
Form of tax relief that applies to contaminated or derelict land in the UK It allows companies to claim up to 150% corporation tax deduction for expenditure in remediating certain contaminated or derelict sites, or those affected by Japanese knotweed
67
What are deleterious materials?
Materials that can degrade with age causing structural problems
68
What is a sign of potential problem with deleterious materials?
Brown staining on concrete
69
What are some examples of deleterious materials?
* High alumina cement * Woodwool shuttering * Calcium chloride
70
What are hazardous materials?
Materials that are harmful to health
71
What are some examples of hazardous materials?
* Asbestos * Lead piping/paint * Radon gas
72
What do you do if you suspect hazardous materials?
Recommend specialist reports
73
How do you know whether asbestos is present?
Check asbestos register
74
What is Japanese knotweed?
Invasive species that can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac
75
What legislation relates to Japanese knotweed?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
76
What is Japanese knotweed a problem?
* Difficult to control * Costly to eradicate (specialist company required to remove it) * Lenders may refuse loans if present
77
What does Japanese knotweed look like?
Purple/green hollow stem with green leaves
78
How is Japanese knotweed disposed of?
Must be disposed of legally, using chemical treatment, digging it out and removing it from the site to a licensed landside site in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990
79
What happens if you let Japanese knotweed spread?
It is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and can lead to fines and imprisonment
80
What are some other invasive species?
* Hogweed | * Himalayan Balsam
81
What is the latest RICS guidance on Japanese knotweed?
RICS Guidance Note on Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 2022
82
What does RICS Guidance Note on Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 2022 cover?
Contains decision tree based on risk level to help valuers determine the appropriate management approach needed for Japanese knotweed
RICS APC 2022
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