Inspection

Question 1

What activities do you perform as part of risk assessment before each inspection?

Answer 1

• Check that my equipment is working and packed
• Desktop review of the property history to check for known hazards.
• Map and plan a route and follow the company lone worker policy
• Ensure that the tenant is aware of my attendance and when I leave the site.

Question 2

How do you ensure the effectiveness of your personal protective equipment (PPE)?

Answer 2

• Regularly inspect PPE for damage, ensure correct fit and replace expired items.

Question 3

What information do you record in your work calendar for each inspection?

Answer 3

• The name and address and site contact of where I am going and its purpose
• My ETA and travel plans
• My registration and mobile number

Question 4

Could you describe a situation when you had to disengage from an inspection due to safety concerns?

Answer 4

• I arrived at the site and found that the pharmacy had been left with waste bins piled 10 bags high. With the risk of clinical waste, I disengaged and arranged for it to be cleared by qualified professionals.

Question 5

What are some examples of different types of building construction you are familiar with?

Answer 5

• Our buildings are normally traditional brick or steel frame.
• I am aware of masonry, concrete, and modular systems.

Question 6

Can you explain the process of a desktop inspection?

Answer 6

• To review the plans, EPCs, photos and previous inspection reports
• To review the statutory documents and any specialised reports such as Asbestos plans, to assess condition and compliance remotely.

Question 7

How do you use the plans, property files, and statutory documents during the inspection?

Answer 7

• For property management inspections, I audit the statutory documents to ensure that they are current and available on site (digitally/hardcopy).
• I use the plans to spot check the measurements and cross-reference for tenant alterations.

Question 8

Can you elaborate on how the conversation with the property and asset manager contributes to

Answer 8

• Provides history and context on tenant issues, maintenance history and planned works.

Question 9

How do the provisions of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 influence your approach to inspections?

Answer 9

• Ensures that I take reasonable care to protect myself and others, including hazard identification.

Question 10

Can you give an example of how you have adhered to the RICS Surveying Safely 2018 guidance note?

Answer 10

• I followed my company’s lone working policy, ensured my equipment was working and undertook dynamic risk assessments on site.

Question 11

What types of inspections have you carried out and for what purposes?

Answer 11

• I have completed property management, valuation, rent reviews and asset management inspections.

Question 12

How has your understanding of different perspectives (property management, asset management, valuation) impacted your inspection process?

Answer 12

• Property management are focussed on operational risks.
• Asset management on long-term capex.
• Valuation on comparables and conditions.

Question 13

Describe the inspection you carried out at Etrop Court Wythenshawe. What were the unique features of the property and how did they affect its value?

Answer 13

• This is a relatively modern 4 storey core+ office property in Wythenshawe with adequate car parking provisions.
  *It was a steel frame building which accommodated open plan office space. It also had raised flooring, which facilities access to media conduits , EPC B and strong tenant covenant. All of which enhanced its value.
• However, it was outside of the manchester airport corridor with limited facilities and it had a shorter Wault which compressed the value.
• valued at £14m 6.3% Equivalent yield.

Question 14

What constraints affected the value of the office building at Etrop Court Wythenshawe?

Answer 14

• Secondary location with lack of local facilities, transport links and lack of local professional workforce.

Question 15

Can you elaborate on the external and internal inspection at the Pontypool medical centre? What kind of checklist did you use?

Answer 15

• I used a tailored RICS template to assess the condition of the property.
• It factored in the weather, date, location, and I ranked the external and internal features and statutory documents against a set criterion (Good, Average, Requires Maintenance or n/a). All identified issues were photographed and reported to our FM team to manage.
• For example, at Pontypool, I noted that the car park had potholes, the roof was covered in moss, which blocked the gutters and external paths, causing a slip hazard. Internally, the practice was in good condition, had full statutory documentation and PPMs plans. The lift and fire extinguishers had evidence of recent inspections, and the emergency lights were operational. They did, however, they did have storage in the plant room, blocked stairwells, and had the fire doors propped open.
• I also noted that the partners had changed and had a conversation about their space utilisation and whether they were intending to stay post renewal.

Question 16

In your inspection at Pontypool, what were the health and safety risks you identified? How did you mitigate these risks?

Answer 16

• I noticed that they had storage in the plant room, blocked stairwells and fire doors propped open. I instructed them to put these breaches right (the fire door was done whilst I was on site). I asked for supporting photos to ensure that the breaches had been cleared, and it was followed up on the next site visit

Question 17

Describe your follow-up process to ensure compliance with health and safety standards at Pontypool.

Answer 17

• I asked for photos to evidence that the H&S issue had been resolved.
• Rechecked at the next site visit.

Question 18

In your inspection at Crompton, what issues did you note? How did these affect the property users?

Answer 18

• I noted that the neighbours’ trees were blocking the natural light and security lighting, making the cleaner’s trip to the bin store after hours hazardous. Both from a slip hazard and a safety perspective.

Question 19

What actions did you take to minimise risks and improve site user safety at Crompton?

Answer 19

• I negotiated with the neighbour to trim the trees, which improved visibility and reduced the slip hazards.
• I arranged for additional lighting to be installed within the binstore, which illuminated on entry.
• I also arranged for the landscaper to clear the leaves and debris as part of their fortnightly site visits.

Question 20

How did your actions at Crompton relate to minimising the risk of insurance claims?

Answer 20

• By taking actions to reduce the hazards on site, this minimised the risk of injury and those claims from staff, in line with the HSE guidance and HSAW Act 1974.

Question 21

What is the main aim of your review of the Edinburgh medical centre portfolio?

Answer 21

• Assess compliance, identify risks, capex needs, compliance and opportunities for asset management/disposal.

Question 22

How was the inspection of the properties carried out and what aspects did you focus on during the inspection?

Answer 22

• I conducted external and internal inspections, focusing on location, transport links, property specifications, age, condition, Care Inspectorate compliance, car parking, potential for expansion, usage levels, and demand for services.
• I also interviewed the Practice Manager to understand how they utilised the space, specifically whether it was under-utilised or over capacity, both of which could be indicators of potential exits at lease renewal.________________________________________

Question 23

What were the key elements you reported on to the Investment Team?

Answer 23

• I reported on property condition, age, capacity, compliance, strategic fit and potential for alternative use.

Question 24

Can you explain your findings in relation to the CQC compliance of the properties?

Answer 24

• It acted as an indicator of the deterioration of the property condition due to age, which would require significant cap-ex investment to upgrade, thereby compressing the yield.

Question 25

Could you provide details on potential opportunities for alternative use you uncovered during your review?

Answer 25

* In most areas, the alternative use would be residential apartments. However, in some areas, the opportunities included hotel (parade of B&Bs) or office use (central Edinburgh).

Question 26

Can you discuss the rationale behind recommending the surgeries for disposal?

Answer 26

* The stock is primarily aged, tired, small, on its second lease cycle and valued at sub £2 million. This is out of step with the wider portfolio. There was also limited scope for extensions or asset enhancement and a lack of diversification as most assets were concentrated in Edinburgh

Question 27

How was your recommendation received by the Investment Team and what actions have since been taken?

Answer 27

* My findings aligned with their desktop analysis and were accepted. They are exploring informal confidential conversations with specialised agents to gauge market demand and potential yields. This is in the very early stages of consideration.

Question 28

What problems did you identify at Denton Surgery during the property management inspection?

Answer 28

* Vertical hairline cracks in four corners of the external façade running through both brick and mortar.

Question 29

How did you respond to the identification of hairline cracks at Denton Surgery, and what steps did you take to evaluate potential issues?

Answer 29

* I logged the defect, taking detailed photos and measurements at the site, noting the direction of travel and any other defects (damaged drainpipe and blocked drains). * As this was outside my area of competence, I commissioned a building surveyor's report, which advised that it was likely due to thermal movement. He recommended a repair to a downpipe, repointing and monitoring with a wall-tie over 12 months.

Question 30

How is the situation at Denton Surgery being monitored moving forward?

Answer 30

* The building surveyor’s recommendations are being followed.