Inspection Flashcards
1
Q
What is your firm’s 4-step process when inspecting a property?
A
- Prepare for the inspection – as per Surveying Safely Guidance Note 2018. Consider personal safety.
- Inspection of the local area – location, facilities, transport, environmental hazards, flooding, comparable evidence, local market conditions, agents’ boards
- External inspection – construction, condition, parking, access, defects, site boundary
- Internal inspection – layout, specification, defects, services, fixtures/fittings, statutory compliance, compliance with lease obligations
2
Q
What do you take on inspection?
A
- Mobile phone
- Camera
- Tape measure/laser
- File, plans and other supporting info
- Personal protection equipment (PPE)
- Pen and paper/Ipad
3
Q
What do you look for when considering the local area?
A
- Location/local facilities/public transport/vibrancy
- Contamination/flooding/environmental hazards
- Comparable evidence/local market conditions/agent boards
4
Q
What do you look out for when inspecting externally?
A
- Construction / materials
- Repair/Condition
- Defects
- Car parking/access
- Ways to date the building
5
Q
What do you look for when inspecting internally?
A
- Signs of defect / repair
- Condition / maintenance
- Layout / configuration of the space
- Services - age and condition
- Asbestos etc
6
Q
What are the reasons for inspections?
A
- Valuation – Looking for factors which could influence the value of the property such as location, tenure, construction, condition, covenant strength, WAULT etc.
- Property management – lease compliance, condition of building, repairs/redecoration, user, security, landscaping, risk of vandalism and damage (if unoccupied)
- Agency – current condition of the building, repair / maintenance, layout / configuration, services of the building and marketability
7
Q
What RICS guidance regulates inspections?
A
RICS Surveying Safely (2018) guidance note – “safe person” concept
8
Q
What does the RICS Surveying Safely 2018 Guidance Note cover?
A
- You should carry out a pre-assessment prior to inspections
- ‘Safe person concept’ each individual is responsible for the safety of themselves, colleagues and others whilst at work
- Outlines safe practices for lone working
Firms must provide:
- Safe working environment
- Safe work equipment
- Competent staff
9
Q
What does the Surveying Safely guidance note say about inspections?
A
You should carry out a pre-assessment before inspection.
10
Q
What is the safe person concept?
A
Individual assumes responsibility for the H&S of themselves, others and colleagues whilst at work.
11
Q
How can you stay safe on an inspection?
A
- Ensure mobile phone is charged
- Notify team of whereabouts / share calendar
- Sign in an out of visitor’s book if available on site
- Wear correct PPE if necessary
- Carry out a risk assessment and due diligence beforehand
- Follow the surveying safely guidance note and firm’s lone working policy
12
Q
What is JLL’s lone working policy?
A
Prior to your visit you should…
* Gather as much information as possible about the site
* Identify possible hazards and risks
* Record personal details about the client / site contact
* Inform a colleague of where you are going and when you will be back
* Report back to a colleague when the visit has concluded
13
Q
What factors affect the value of an retail unit/shopping centre?
A
- Size
- Location
- Proximity to public transport
- Quality and condition
- Covenant strength
- Tenant mix
14
Q
What factors affect the value of an office?
A
- Size
- Location (submarket, prominence, accessibility)
- Proximity to public transport
- Floor layout / configuration
- Specification
- Amenities
- Quality and condition
15
Q
What factors do you consider when inspecting for letting purposes?
A
- Condition
- repair / maintenance
- layout / configuration
- marketability
16
Q
How would you carry out a risk assessment?
A
- Identify potential hazards
- Identify who is at risk of harm
- Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
- Record findings
- Review assessment and update if necessary
17
Q
What are the four types of foundations?
A
- Trench or strip
- Raft
- Piled
- Pad
18
Q
What are trench / strip foundations?
A
Closely spaced columns - used in resi
19
Q
What is a raft foundation?
A
Slab across the whole site to spread the load
20
Q
What is a piled foundation?
A
Reinforced concrete cylinders
21
Q
What is a pad foundation?
A
Slab foundation under individual or grouped columns
22
Q
What types of brickwork are there?
A
- Solid wall construction
- Cavity wall construction
- Stretcher and header bricks
- Efflorescence
- Spalling
23
Q
What is a cavity wall?
A
Two layers of brickwork held together with metal ties and a cavity in between. May be filled with insulation.
24
Q
How can you identify a cavity wall?
A
- No headers used
- Cavity tray, air brick or weep hole may be used
25
Why is a cavity wall used?
Provide good insulation and reduces risk of damp.
26
How can you tell the difference between a solid wall and cavity wall?
* Age of building – cavity walls weren’t used until 1990s
* CW – 2 layers of brick, metal ties, only have stretcher bricks – breeze block on internal wall
27
How would you check the age of a building?
- Ask the client
- Planning documents on portal
- Land registry
- Local historical records
- Architectural style
- Certificate of completion
28
What are the white marks on brickwork called?
Efflorescence
29
What is efflorescence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in brickwork. Formed when water reacts with natural salts – chemical process.
30
What does it mean if there is efflorescence?
Not a major problem. But could be a sign of moisture intrusion.
31
What is spalling?
Damaged brickwork. Brick starts to crumble because of freeze/thaw action when it has become saturated during winter.
32
What is the institutional specification of shops?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
- Let in a shell condition
33
What is the institutional specification of offices?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Steel frame buildings = less columns
- Concrete frame buildings = more columns
- Full access raised floors with floor boxes
- Passenger lifts
- Air conditioning and double glazed windows
- Ceiling floor void of 350mm
- Raised floor void of 150mm
- One cycle space per 10 people
- Approx floor loading of 2,5 - 3.0 KN/sq m
34
What is the institutional specification of industrial/warehouses
- Steel frame building with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
- Minimum 8m clear eaves height with 10% roof lights
- Minimum 30KN/sq m floor loading
- Full height loading doors (electrically powered)
- 5-10% office content and toilet facilities
- Main services capped off
- Approx site cover of 40%
- LED lighting
35
What are the different types of air conditioning systems?
- Variable air volume
- Fan coil
- Variable refrigerant volume
- Static cooling
- Comfort cooling
36
What is a shell and core fit out?
Common parts of the building are completed and the office floor area has been left as a shell ready for fit out
37
What is Category A fit out?
Grade A specification - Full access raised floors, passenger lifts, Air con, double glazed windows, ceiling void of 350mm.
38
What is a Category B fit out?
Plug and play - building has a speculative fit out or fit out to the occupier's specific requirements
39
What are the types of defect?
* Inherent – defect in design or material which has always been present
* Latent – fault to the property that could not have reasonably been found on inspection
40
What do you do if you find a defect on site?
1. Take photographs
2. Try to establish the cause whilst on site
3. Inform client of your investigations
4. Recommend advice from a building surveyor (If movement, structural engineer)
41
What are the most common causes of defect?
1. Movement
2. Water
3. Defective / non-performance / deterioration of building materials
42
What is snagging? Why is it done?
Checking building works before they finish to identify any defects.
43
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by loss of support of the site beneath the foundation.
44
What are the different types of movement?
* Subsidence – vertical downward movement of foundation
* Heave – expansion of the ground beneath building. Could be caused by tree removal
45
What could different types of cracks indicate?
* Shrinkage cracking – drying out of materials
* Horizontal cracking – could mean cavity wall tie failure
* Thermal expansion / movement can cause cracks
* Other cracks could be due to movement e.g. settlement cracks
46
What are the types of rot?
1. Wet rot
2. Dry rot
47
What causes wet rot?
Caused by damp and timber decay.
Signs: wet and soft timber, fungal growth and musty smell
48
What causes dry rot?
Caused by fungal attack.
Signs: fungus, cracking paint, red spores, strong smell
49
What are the three types of damp?
1. Rising
2. Penetrative
3. Condensation
50
What causes rising damp?
Moving ground water through a wall or broken pipes. Usually stops 1.5m from ground level.
Signs: rotting skirting, damp, musty smell, wet patches
51
What causes penetrative damp and how can you identify it?
Damp caused by water leaking through cracks in walls, rain or plumbing leaks
Signs: damp patches on walls/ceilings which may darken when it rains
52
What causes condensation?
Lack of ventilation and background heating.
Signs: mould and streaming water on windows or walls
53
What are common defects in industrial buildings?
Leaks around roof lights, damaged cladding panels, water damage from poor guttering, cracking in brick work
54
What are common defects in offices?
Damaged cladding, water damage from burst pipes or air con units, efflorescence, cavity wall tie failure, damp penetration at roof and ground floor level
55
What are common defects in old retail?
Dry wet, rot rot, damp penetration, water ingress around door and window openings
56
What is the key legislation relating to contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
57
What RICS materials governs contamination?
RICS Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability (2010) guidance note
58
What does the guidance note cover?
Surveyors must understand their obligations, know their responsibilities and comply with the law.
General principle is that the polluter or the landowner pays for remediation.
59
What are signs of contamination?
Chemicals, oils, oil drums, subsidence, etc.
60
What is the difference between deleterious and hazard materials?
* Delerious material – can degrade with age causing structural problems
* Hazardous material – is harmful to health
61
What are examples of deleterious materials?
Calcium chloride, brown staining on concrete and high alumina cement
62
What are examples of hazard materials?
Asbestos, radon gas and lead painting/piping
63
What is Japanese Knotweed?
An invasive plant that can damage hard surface e.g. concrete.
It is not easy to control, costly to eradicate and a specialist must be employed to removed and dispose of it
64
Why is Japanese Knotweed a risk?
It is of great concern to property lenders who may refuse a loan if it is present or nearby to a property
65
How do you eradicate Japanese Knotweed?
Disposed of legally by chemical treatment and digging it out
66
What does it look like?
It is purple/green hollow stemmed with heart shaped green leaves. It has white flowers in the summer
67
Where do you find Japanese Knotweed?
Drains, patios, gardens, etc
68
What is the legislation that disallows the spread of Japanese Knotweed?
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - can impose a max. £5000 fine or 6 month imprisonment
69
What’s the measurement of a brick?
70
Who’s responsible for holding the asbestos register and fire risk assessment?
Duty holder
If occupied - tenant
If void - Landlord
