Inspection Flashcards
What is the difference between a survey and an inspection?
An inspection is visual and non-invasive to determine nature and condition of property
A survey is a detailed investigation into construction/services of a property to enable surveyor to give advice
What is the difference between disrepair and defect?
Disrepair - something wearing out over time
Defect - something missing that is causing an issue
What is patent and latent defects?
Patent - obvious
Latent - hidden
What does Chapter 5 of RICS GN’ ‘Technical Due Diligence of Commercial Property (2020)’ refer to?
The Inspection - requires methodical approach to collecting data in great depth
Inspection checklist so you do not miss anything
Note taking needs to be done and saved on file afterwards
What are you owed when you enter a property?
Duty of care
What is the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974?
Codifies and places a duty of care on employers to take ‘reasonably practicable’ steps to ensure the health, safety and well-being of:
All employees (section 2)
Others not employed (section 3)
Of the premises (section 4)
Section 7 - general duties of employees at work
What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?
Hazard - an agent which has the potential to cause harm to someone
Risk - the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm
When should you undertake a risk assessment?
Before
During (dynamic risk assessment)
What is involved in a pre-inspection risk assessment?
- identify the hazards
- decide who might be harmed and how
- evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
- record the findings and implement them
- review the assessment and update if necessary
- advise all those affected
What should you do when going on inspection? (Suzy Lamplugh Trust guide)
- your own risk assessment
- means of communicating with others (charged phone)
- knowledge of plans whilst out
- site contacts
- inform others of your movements
- exit strategies if feeling unsafe
What is the suggested four step process for an inspection?
- Consider your safety (risk assessment)
- Inspection of local area
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
What should you take to an inspection?
- Mobile phone
- Camera
- Tape measure/distometer
- PPE (fluorescent jacket, steel toed boots, hard hat, goggles, gloves)
- Pen and paper
- floor plans/relevant documents
What should you look out for when inspecting the local area?
Location/aspect/local facilities/public transport/footfall
Contamination/environmental hazards/masts and high voltage lines
Agents boards/vacancy/comparable evidence
What should you look out for on an external inspection?
- method of construction
- repair and condition of exterior
- car parking/access
- defects/structural movement
- site boundaries
- dating building (architectural style)
What should you look for on an internal inspection?
- layout and specification
- repair and maintenance
- defects
- services
- fixtures and fittings/improvements
- compliance with lease obligations
What are the different inspection purposes?
- Valuation (valuation influencers)
- Property management (policing the lease)
- Agency (marketability issues)
What are 3 invasive species?
Japanese Knotweed/Giant Hogweed/Himalayan Balsam
What is Japanese knotweed?
An invasive plant that damages hard surfaces such as tarmac
Not easy to control, costly to eradicate and a specialist company must remove/dispose it
Is a criminal office if you allow it to spread
How can you identify Japanese Knotweed?
- spade shaped
- 20cm green leaf
- purple hollow stem
- can grow up to 3m tall
What are hazardous materials?
Material that is harmful to health
E.g. asbestos, radon gas, lead piping
Need to recommend specialist reports and make appropriate assumptions in advice
What are the types of asbestos?
65 types in the UK.
- White (most common)
- Brown
- Blue (most deadly as thinner and can get in lungs)
What are deleterious materials?
Materials that degrade with age causing structural issues
E.g. High alumina cement/mundic
What should you do if instructed to value a contaminated site?
- provide no advice until specialist report is commissioned
- caveat advice with appropriate disclaimer highlighting issue
- deduct remediation costs from site value