Inspection Flashcards
4 step inspection process
- Consider your personal safety
- Inspection of the local area
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
What would you take on an inspection?
- Mobile phone
- Tape measure/laser
- File, plans and other supporting information
- PPE if needed
- Pen and paper
What are the different types of PPE?
- Fluorescent jacket
- Steel-toed boots
- Ear defenders
- Gloves & goggles
- Hard hat
Consideration of the immediate area
- Location / local facilities / public transport
- Contamination / environmental hazards
- Comparable eviendece / agents’ boards
External inspection
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition of the exterior (from the roof downwards)
- Car parking
- Check site boundaries with OS map
Internal inspection
- Layout and specification
- Repair and maintenance
- Statutory compliance such as asbestos
- Fixtures, fittings and improvements
- Compliance with lease obligations
RICS Surveying Safely Professional Standard 2018
- RICS members and regulated firms have a responsibility for health & safety
- Importance for competence, training and “safe person” concept
What is the safe person concept?
- The ‘safe person’ concept means that each individual assumes individual behavioral responsibility for their own, their colleagues, and others health and safety while at work
- It has two aspects: organisational responsibility and individual responsibility
Safe person concept: organisational responsibilities include
- Providing training and information
- Establishing safe systems of work
- Providing appropriate PPE
Safe person concept: individual responsibilities include
- Being competenat to perform work safely
- Recognising your own abilities and limitations
- Being an effective team member
Lone Working
Checklist of things to consider before going on an inspection by yourself
- Gather as much information about the site as possible and seek to ensure that all hazards are identified
- Record as much personal detail about the client / site contact as possible
- Inform a colleague where they are going and when they can be expected back
JLL’s lone working policy
Where possible, lone working must be avoided but where it has to be undertaken should:
* Maintain regular contact with the Director on the project and should always bring a mobile phone
* Ensure I am sufficiently experienced to understand the risks fully and have received the appropriate training
Different inspection purposes:
- Valuation (valuation influencers)
- Property management (policing the lease)
- Agency (marketability issues)
- Asset management (policing the lease)
Inspection for valuation purposes
Understand all the factors which can influence the valuation of a property such as location, tenure, defects, current condition and occupation details
Inspection for asset management / property management purposes
- If occupied, check the lease compliance, statutory compliance, state of the building and requirement for repairs
- If unoccupied, check the statutory compliance, state of the building, repair and maintenance issues, security arrangements and risk of vandalism to the building
Inspection for agency purposes
Consider the current condition of the building, repair and maitenance issues, statutory complinace, services and presentation of the accomodation and its marketability
4 common forms of foundation
- Trench or strip footings - for resi dwellings
- Raft - slab foundation for lightweight loads
- Piled - reinforced concrete cylinders for heavyweight loads
- Pad - slab foundation system under columns so load is spread evenly
2 different types of brickwork construction
- Solid wall construction - solid brickwork with headers, normally at least one brick thick
- Cavity wall construction - two layers of brickwork are tied together with metal ties, no headers used
2 different types of bricks
- Stretcher - a brick laid horizontally, flat with the long side of the brick exposed on the outer face of a wall
- Header - a brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed
Efflorescence
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work
Spalling
Damaged brickwork where the surface of the bricks starts to crumble because of freeze/thaw action
Shop specifications
- Most new shop units are constructed either of a steel or concrete frame
- Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
- Let in a shell condition with no shop front
What are the two main methods of construction for a new office building?
Steel or concrete frame
Steel frame buildings
Usually have less columns and a wider span between the columns
Concrete frame buildings
Usually have more columns, lower floor heights and a shorter span between columns
What do you need to do if you cannot see what form of construction it is on site?
Check the architect’s drawings and specification or building manual
Current institutional specification for offices (BCO for Offices Guide to Office Specification 2023) includes the following:
- Full access raised floors with floor boxes
- Approx ceiling height of 2.6 - 2.8m
- Air conditioning and double-glazed windows
- Passenger lifts
- Ceiling void of 350mm and a raised floor void of 150mm
What are the different types of air conditioning systems?
- VAV - variable air volume (highest capital cost but most flexible)
- Fan coil - usually 4 pipe (lower initial cost & good flexibility but higher operating & maintenance costs)
- VRV - variable refrigent volume (lower capital cost but higher running and mainteance costs)
- Static cooling - chilled beam and displacement heating (a natural approach to climate control with lower capital and running costs but less flexibility)
- Mechanical ventilation - when fresh air is moved around the building
- Heat recovery systems
- Comfort cooling - a simple form of air-cooling system
R22 refrigerant systems
- From 1st Jan 2015 the use and replacement of the low temperature refrigerant R22 is illegal
- Existing systems need to be modified to become more environmentally friendly
What is shell & core fit out?
Where the common parts of the building are completed, and the office floor areas are left as a shell ready for fit out by the occupier
What is CAT A fit out?
Grade A spec as defined by the BCO
What is CAT B fit out?
To complete the fit out to the occupier’s specific requirements
Cellular office planning grids
Usually set out on a 1.5m planning grid
What is the typical space allowance for normal office use?
Approximately 1 person for 7.5 - 9.25 sqm
What is the typical construction of industrial buildings?
Usually a steel portal frame building with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
What are the specifications of an industrial building?
- Minimum 8m clear eaves height
- Full height loading doors
- 3-phase electricity power
- Main services capped off
- LED lighting
- Approx site cover of 40%
What is an inherent defect?
A defect in the design or a material which has always been present
What is a latent defect?
Fault to the property that could not have been discovered by a reaonsably thorough inspection of the property
What steps should you follow if you identify a building defect during your inspection?
- Take photographs of the defect
- Try to establish the cause of the damage whilst on site
- Inform my client of my investigations
- Recommend advice from a building surveyor
What are the 3 common causes of defects?
- Movement
- Water
- Deterioation of building materials
What is subsidence?
- It is the vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support of the site beneath the foundation
- Could be a result of changes in the underlying ground conditions
What is heave?
- It is the expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building
- This could be caused by tree removal and the subsequent moisture build-up in the soil
What are the different types and causes of cracking?
- Horizontal cracking in brickwork - cavity wall tie failure in brick wall
- Shrinkage cracking - new plasterwork during the drying out process
- Thermal expansion can also cause cracks
What causes wet rot and what are the signs?
- Wet rot is caused by damp and timber decay
- Signs include wet and soft timber, visible fungal growth and a musty smell
What causes dry rot and what are the signs?
- Dry rot is caused inside by fungal attack
- Signs include fungus, known as myceliumn
What can be the cause of condensation?
- Can be caused by lack of ventilation and background heating
- Signs include mould and streaming water on the inside of window or walls
What are the other causes of damp?
- Caused by leaking plumbing / air conditioning units / pipework
- Rising damp usually stops around 1.5m above ground level
What are some common building defects for period residential / office / shop buildings?
- Dy rot
- Wet rot
- Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level
- Water ingress around door and window openings
What are some common building defects for modern industrial buildings?
- Roof leaks around roof lights
- Damaged cladding panels
- Water damage from poor guttering
What are some common building defects for modern office buildings?
- Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level
- Damaged cladding
- Cavity wall tie failure
- Efflorescence
- Water damage from air conditioning units
What is water ingress?
Water ingress, also known as penetrating damp, is when water penetrates through the walls or brickwork of a building from the outside
Key legislation for contamination is ?
Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended RICS Professional Standard: Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability
Tell me about the RICS Professional Standard: Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability, 2010
- Surveyors must understand their obligations, know their responsibilities and comply with the law
- General principle is that the polluter or the landowner pays for the remediation
Why can contamination exist?
Because of such issues as heavy metals, radon and methane gas and diesel/oil/chemicals
What are the signs of contamination to look out for?
Evidence of chemicals, oils, oil drums, subsidence, underground tanks etc.
What are the 3 typical phases of contamination investigation?
- Review of site history with a desk top study and site inspection and investigation
- Investigation to identify nature and extent of contamination with soil samples taken using bore holes (intrusive)
- Remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements and monitoring standards
If you find signs of contamination?
Suggest specialist report if there are any concerns
When instructed to value a site with contamination, what are the approaches that need to be considered?
- Do not provide any advice until a specialist report is commissioned
- Caveat the advice provided with an appropriate disclaimer highlighting the issue/use of a special assumption
- Deduct the remediation costs from the gross site value
What is land remediation relief (LRR)?
- It is a form of tax relief that applies to contaminated or derelict land in the UK
- It allows companies to claim up to 150% corporation tax deduction for expenditure in remediating certain contaminated or derelict sites or those affected by invasive plants such as Japanese Knotweed
What are deleterious materials?
Can degrade with age causing structural problems
What are the tell-tale signs/clues to potential problems with deleterious materials?
- Brown staining on concrete, concrete frame buildings and 1960s/70s buildings as well as modern ones
Can you name some examples of deleterious materials?
- Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)
- High alumnia cement
What is RAAC?
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
- Material used in construction in many buildings between the 1960s-1990s
- Subsceptible to deterioation over time which can lead to structural issues
Can you provide some examples of hazardous materials?
- Asbestos
- Lead piping
- Radon gas
If you find hazardous materials on site?
Recommend specialist reports and make appropriate assumptions in my advice
Definition of hazardous material
Material that is harmful to health
Before inspecting a property known to have hazardous materials, what should you do?
Always check contents of an asbestos report/register
What is the disposal of water?
- It is when surface water runs off into the water course, such as a soak away or storm drain
- Foul water drains from soil pipes into a sewerage system (private or public)
- Statutory undertakers own a private sewer from the boundary of the property
What is Japanese Knotweed?
- It is an invasive plant which can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmic
- It is not easy to control and is costly to eradicate
If Japanese Knoweed was present on a property?
- Property lenders may refuse a loan if it is present or nearby to a property
What are the signs of Japanese Knotweed?
Purple/green hollow stemmed with green leaves
How do you remove Japanese Knotweed?
Specialist company must remove and dispose of it by using chemical treatment or digging it out and removing it from site to a licensed landfill site in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990
What is the Environmental Protection Act 1990?
- The purpose of the Environmental Protection Act is to set out the structure and authority of waste management and emissions control
- Aims to protect the environment with controls that work towards reducing air pollution, carbon emissions, and harmful waste disposal practices
What is the RICS standard related to Japanese Knotweed?
RICS Professional Standard: Japanese Knotweed and residential property, 2022
Can you tell me about the RICS Professional Standard: Japanese Knotweed and residential property, 2022
Contains a decision tree based on risk level to help valuers determine the appropriate management approach needed for Japanese Knotweed
Is letting the spread of Japanese Knotweed a criminal offence?
- Yes it is under the Widlife and Countryside Act 1981
- A magistrates court can impose a max fine of £5,000 or a max prison sentence of 6 months, or both
- A crown court can impose an unlimited fine or a max prison of 2 years, or both
What can LPAs grant if landowners ignore Japanese Knotweed?
They can grant Community Protection Notice (CPN) and fines up to £2,500 per person
Can you name any other invasive plants?
Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam
Can you name a case law related to Japanese Knotweed?
Williams v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd 2018
* Network Rail was liable for the cost of treating the invasive plant plus damages for the loss of use and enjoyment of their neighbour’s property (but not the reduced value of the property, as previously contended), even after the plant was treated
How big is a brick?
In line with British Standards, the standard brick dimensions in the UK are 215mm long x 102.5mm wide x 65mm high
