Inspection L3

Question 1

What are the four steps when carrying out an inspection?

Answer 1

Consider your personal safety (firms Health & Safety procedures for a site inspection), inspection of the local area, external inspection, internal inspection.

Question 2

What should you take on an inspection with you?

Answer 2

Mobile phone, Tape measure/laser, File, plans and other supporting information, Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a fluorescent jacket, steel-toed boots, ear defenders, gloves, goggles and hard hat, pen, and paper / Dictaphone.

Question 3

What should you consider in the immediate surrounding area of the property when conducting an inspection?

Answer 3

Location, aspect, local facilities, public transport, business vibrancy, Contamination, environmental hazards, flooding, high voltage power lines, electricity substations. Comparable evidence, local market conditions and agents’ boards.

Question 4

What should you consider when conducting an external inspection?

Answer 4

Method of construction, repair and condition of the exterior, car parking, access, loading arrangements, defects, structural movement, check site boundaries with OS map and/or Title Plan.

Question 5

What should you consider when conducting an internal inspection?

Answer 5

Method of construction, Repair and condition of the exterior, Car parking / access / loading arrangements, Defects / structural movement, Check site boundaries with OS map and / or Title Plan

Question 6

What are the different ways that you could date a building?

Answer 6

Asking the client, researching date of planning consent, land registry, local historical records, architectural style.

Question 7

Can you provide some purposes of inspection?

Answer 7

Valuation, agency, and property management.

Question 8

If inspecting a property for valuation purposes, what would you be looking out for?

Answer 8

Valuation influencers - Factors which can influence the valuation of a property such as location, tenure, aspect, form of construction, defects, current condition, occupation details.

Question 9

If inspecting a property for property management purposes, what would you be looking out for?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

If inspecting a property for agency purposes, what would you be looking out for?

Answer 10

Marketability issues, current condition of the building, repair and maintenance issues, statutory compliance, services, presentation and flexibility of the accommodation and its marketability.

Question 11

What is a shell and core fit out?

Answer 11

Where common parts of the building are completed, and the office floor areas are left as a shell ready for fit out by the occupier.

Question 12

What is the main method of construction for industrial buildings?

Answer 12

Steel portal frame building with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof.

Question 13

What is the difference between an inherent and a latent defect?

Answer 13

Inherent defect: defect in the design or a material which has always been present. Latent defect: fault to the property that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection of the property.

Question 14

What are the key RICS documents relating to inspection?

Answer 14

RICS Guidance Note Surveying Safely 2nd Edition, RICS COVID-19 Guide to Surveying Services: Physical Inspections for the Purpose of Residential Valuations and Condition-Based Surveys (England), RICS Red Book (specifically VPS 2 and VPGA 8), RICS Guidance Note Asbestos: Legal Requirements and Best Practice for Property Professionals and Clients 4th Edition, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Question 15

What is your lone working policy?

Answer 15

Keep an up-to-date calendar, let someone know when and where I am going and my expected return time.

Question 16

How would you identify an asbestos roof?

Answer 16

Asbestos cement roof tiles are usually square-shaped, and their colour is a combination of grey and black. If there was any doubt, I would employ the services of a qualified professional such as a building surveyor.

Question 17

What are the three types of damp?

Answer 17

Rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation.

Question 18

What does Japanese Knotweed look like?

Answer 18

Big leaves, jagged edges, leaves staggered along a bamboo like stem. Flowers are small and cream or white coloured.

Question 19

Can you provide some value significant factors when inspecting a property?

Answer 19

Access, age, accommodation, dimensions, hazards, location, repair, site coverage, specification quality, sustainability, use.

Question 20

How would you check your Distometer is working prior to inspection?

Answer 20

Measure a known distance within your office or home.

Question 21

Can you talk me through an inspection from start to finish?

Answer 21

You first must establish the purpose of the inspection and the needs of your client. Ensure you are competent to undertake the inspection, have the appropriate insurance and the client has signed Terms of Engagement. Undertake desktop investigations (gather useful information such as title documents, planning applications and building plans). Inspect the locality first, noting any ‘For Sale’ and ‘To Let’ boards nearby that could be useful later. Assess the area, note what use class most buildings in the vicinity are and any notable nearby occupiers. Inspect the external elements of the property, noting down key elements such as construction type, number of floors and roofing structure. Inspect the internal elements of the property. Note key information such as use and construction features such as the floors, walls, and ceilings. Take photos of the entire property. This can be useful later if you lose your notes or they are not clear. Keep appropriate records.

Question 22

Can you name some key areas you would look to inspect within a property?

Answer 22

Roofs, walls and cladding, rainwater goods, windows, doors, and joinery, structural frame, floors, finishes, internal walls/partitions, staircases, building services, outbuildings.

Question 23

What PPE would you take on an inspection to a derelict industrial unit?

Answer 23

Hi-vis, hard hat, steel toe capped boots, gloves, eye wear, ear defenders.

Question 24

Do you know any case law relating to inspections?

Answer 24

Roberts V J Hampson & Co is a case in which the defendants carried out a mortgage valuation inspection and drew attention to ‘limited’ amounts of dampness. The defendants were held liable to the house purchaser for negligence in failing to check whether the damp and rot may be more widespread. This case law determined that the extent of the inspection will vary according to the purpose.

Question 25

How often should you get your Distometer recalibrated?

Answer 25

Once a year.