What are the various processes you should take when going on an inspection?
- Consider your personal safety (firms Health & Safety procedures for a site inspection)
- Inspection of the local area
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
What should you take with you?
- Fully charged phone
- Camera
- Tape measure/laser – accuracy has been checked
- Files, plans and other supporting information
- Personal protection equipment
- Pen and paper
What do you look for when considering the local area?
- Location, aspect, local facilities, transport connections, vacancies
- Contamination, environmental hazards, flooding risk, electricity substations
- Letting boards, local market conditions
What do you look for when undertaking an external inspection?
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition (work from roof down)
- Car parking, access, loading arrangements
- Check boundaries with title plan
- Date the building – provided by the client – could also check land registry, local historical records, architectural style or architects certificate or practical completion
What do you look for when undertaking an internal inspection?
- 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, fire safety and planning
- Fixtures and fittings and improvements
- Compliance with lease obligations
What are the different ways that you could date a building?
- Asking the client
- Researching the date of planning consent or building regulations approval
- Land Registry
- Local historical records
- Architectural style
- Architects certificate of practical completion
What are the THREE different purposes of inspection?
- Valuation - valuation influences
- Property management - policing the lease
- Agency - marketability issues
If inspecting a property for valuation purposes, what would you be looking out for?
Valuation influences: Factors which can influence the valuation of a property such as; - location - tenure - aspect - form of construction - defects - current condition - occupation details
If inspecting a property for property management purposes, what would you be looking out for?
Policing the lease -
Occupied: check the lease compliance, statutory compliance, state of the building, requirement for repairs/redecoration, user and details of the actual occupier
Unoccupied: check statutory compliance, state of the building, repair and maintenance issues, security arrangements, landscaping, risk of vandalism and damage to the building
If inspecting a property for agency purposes, what would you be looking out for?
Marketability issues:
Current condition of the building, repair and maintenance issues, statutory compliance, services, presentation and flexibility of the accommodation and its marketability.
