Inspection Flashcards
What are the different reasons for property inspection?
Valuation (valuation influencers)
Property management (policing the lease)
Agency (marketability issues)
What reasons have you conducted inspections?
Valuation, agency (for development land).
What procedures do you follow when conducting an inspection?
Consider personal safety + initial dd
Inspection of local area
External inspection
Internal inspection
What are your company’s H&S procedures?
Follow lone working policy
Undertake desktop risk assessment
How do you adhere to RICS Surveying Safely 2nd Edition 2018?
I ensure that I am a safe person, and ensure the appropriate PPE I worn on site by both myself and others.
How familiar are you with RICS Surveying Safely 2nd Edition 2018?
Sets out basic good practice principles for management of H&S for firms and members.
Structure of Surveying Safely 2018 document:
- Personal responsibilities
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Workplace H&S
- Occupational hygiene and health
- Visiting sites
- Fire safety
- Residential property surveying
- Procurement and management of contractors
What are the key factors to note when inspecting a property?
For valuation – location, tenure, forms of construction, defects, current condition.
Why is it important to record all inspections using notes and photographs?
Able to describe in greater detail and include in valuation report to be clearer to the client.
How do you ensure that all inspections are recorded correctly?
Clear note taking and lots of pictures taken which can be recorded and filed
What do you do to ensure that you are up to date with the latest regulations and guidance
Attend CPD on inspection
What would you take on an inspection?
PPE, Camera, disto, notepad and charged phone.
What is the step-by-step process in which you would undertake an inspection?
Consider safety
Inspect local area
External inspection
Internal inspection
What do you consider when inspecting a building externally?
Defects in brickwork
Car parking
Loading arrangements
Check site boundaries
What do you consider when inspecting a building internally?
Layout and specification
Defects
Services age and condition
Statutory compliance
Fixtures fittings and improvements.
How do you conduct a safe inspection?
In accordance with the surveying safely professional standard part 5 (visiting safely)
Why PPE required?
To ensure the safety of surveyors whilst inspecting.
What are the four common types of foundation?
Trench
Pad
Piled
Raft
What are the different types of brickwork / wall?
Solid wall
Cavity wall
Bricks = stretcher or header.
How can you tell if there is a cavity wall?
No headers used.
Air brick or weep holes may be seen.
What would you typically see in a Grade A office specification?
Raised level access floors.
2.7m floor to ceiling height.
High end amenities such as a gym / sauna.
Passenger lifts.
Maximised opportunities for daylighting
LED lighting throughout.
Air conditioning
Who determines office specification?
British Council for Offices
What are the different types of fit out?
Shell and Core – common areas completed, office aspect left as shell for occupier fit out.
Cat A – to grade A specification as above.
Cat B – Installation of occupier’s fit out including cellular offices, enhanced finishes and IT set up.
What would you typically see in an industrial Grade A specification?
Min. 8m clear eaves.
30kn/m2 floor loading
LED lighting
Full height loading doors
3 phased power.
5-10% office content.
Define latent and inherent defect
Inherent defect – defect in the design / material which has always been present.
Latent defect – fault in property that could not have been recently discovered on inspection
What are the three most common causes of defect?
Water
Movement
Non performance / deterioration of materials.
What are the different types of movement?
Subsidence – vertical downwards movement of foundation
Horizontal cracking in brickwork – cavity wall tie failure
Shrinkage cracking – cracking in plasterwork during drying process.
Heaving - building increases in height
What are the different types of damp? Where could they come from?
Wet rot – caused by damp and timber decay.
Dry rot – caused by fungal attack.
Rising damp – usually stops 1.5m above ground.
Condensation – caused by lack of ventilation.
Damp also caused by leaking plumbing/AC.
What is a deleterious material? Some examples
Material that can degrade with age and cause structural problems.
1. RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete)
2. High alumina cement
3. Woodwool shuttering.
What is a hazardous material? Some examples
Material harmful to health.
1. Asbestos
2. Lead piping/paint
What is Japanese Knotweed? How would you identify it?
Is a plant with green/red stem and white flower.
Invasive plant that can damage hard surfaces.
How must it be disposed of?
Chemical treatment, digging out and removing and placing in a licensed tip.
What are the penalties of allowing JK to spread?
£5k or 6 months prison.
How identify 1990’s building
move from minimalism to more decorative architecture including lots of curvature
3 types of movement
Subsidence
heave
thermal movement
What is cut-edge corrosion
On industrial metal sheets - paint the sides but the thin ends aren’t painted and begin to corrode.
