Measurement Flashcards

1
Q

Tell me about your understanding of RICS Property Measurement

A

RICS Property Measurement, 2nd Edition, 2018 → professional statement

Provides techincal definitions and incorporates aspects of the IPMS suite of guidance

Updates the COde of Measuring Practice, 2007 (guidance note)

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2
Q

When would you use NIA as a measurement basis?

A

Estate Agency and Valuation: Shops, supermarkets, offices, business use

Rating: Rating of shops, supermarkets, offices

Property management; calculation of service charge apportionment

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3
Q

What is NIA and what is included?

A

Net Internal Area

The useable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level

Includes: atria with clear height above, entranec halls, notional lift lobbies

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4
Q

What is GIA and what does it include?

A

Gross Internal Area

The are of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter wall at each floor level

Includes:

  • Areas with headroom of less than 1.5m
  • Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
  • Columns, stairwells, lift wells, lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel rooms
  • Mezzanine areas with permanent access
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5
Q

When would you use GIA as a measurement basis?

A

Building cost estimation - recognised method of measurement for calculating building cost

Etstae Agency Valuation - marketing and valuation of industrial buildings, warehouses, department stores

Rating - Industrial, warehouses, retail warehouses

Property management - calculation of SC apportionment on industrial assets

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6
Q

What is GEA and what does it include?

A

Gross External Area

The area of a building measured externally at each floor level

Includes:

  • Perimeter wall thickness and external elavations
  • Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
  • Columns, stair wells, lift wells lift rooms, plant rooms
  • Mezzanine areas with permanent access
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7
Q

What is excluded from GEA?

A
  • Open vehicle parking areas
  • fire escapes
    • canopies
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8
Q

When would you use GEA?

A
  • Town planning
  • rating and council tax
  • Building cost estimation
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9
Q

What is excluded in GIA?

A

Canopies

Fire escapes

Perimeter wall thickness

Covered ways

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10
Q

What is excluded in NIA?

A
  • Toilets
  • Plant and lift rooms
  • Cleaners rooms
    • internal columns
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11
Q

What measurement basis would you use for office property?

A

NIA or IPMS1-3

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12
Q

What measurement basis would you use for industrial property?

A

GIA

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13
Q

What measurement basis would you use for retail property?

A

NIA

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14
Q

how does RICS Property Measurement differ from the old code of measuring practice?

A

Introduces IPMS to avoid current inconsistencies in different countries

Improve global transparency

Replaces the measurement of offices and residential in the RICS Code of Measuring Practice

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15
Q

Why is accuracy important when you measure buildings?

A

To ensure there are no miscalculations or errors in the later prupose for which the measurement was carries out

→ e.g in rating, building cost, SC apportionment

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16
Q

Tell me how you use floor plans to facilitate measuring buildings?

A

To help understand layout and plan what should / shouldn’t be included within the measurement

To confirm measurements using scale

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17
Q

How do you calibrate a laser measurer (disto)?

A
  • Establish a constand baseline → easy to access / not long in length. → measure with accurate steel rule
  • Place disto on tripod or flat/secure surface and take the measurement from baseline at least 10 times
  • Average the values measured and calculate the standard deviation
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18
Q

Why do you take check measurements?

A

To ensure accuracy of your measurements and equipment

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19
Q

Tell me about strength and weakness of a measuring technique you have used

A

Disto

Strength: accurate, straight, fast to use

Weakness: Delicate → precise calibration must be maintained. → dropping can cause inaccuracy

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20
Q

When would you use a tape measurer?

A

To measure small distances

Calibrate disto

Confirm disto measurements

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21
Q

When would you use a trundle wheel?

A

To measure a plot of land for valuation purpose

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22
Q

What is a potential source of error when measuring?

A

Human error:

Misreading, unsure what to include/exclude

Equipment error: check / calibrate annually

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23
Q

What is IPMS?

A

International Property Measurement Standards

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24
Q

Why has IPMS been introduced?

A
  • Avoid current inconsistencies in definitions of measurement in different countries
  • Improve global transparency
  • Establish consistencies in global property measurement
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25
Q

Which IPMS standards are adopted by RICS?

A

IPMS for offices and residential

IPMS for industrial and retail drafted in 2018 and 2019 respectively and may be introduced in 3rd edition of RICS Property Measurement

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26
Q

What is dual reporting ?

A

Measuring to both RICS Property Measurement and RICS Code of Measuring Practice

E.g IPMS 3 and NIA

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27
Q

When would you use dual reporting?

A

When requested by a Client or if needed as comparables in valuation for properties measured to NIA only.

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28
Q

What is IPMS 1? (offices?

A

Measures the area of a building including external walls on a floor-by-floor basis

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29
Q

WHat is included in IPMS 1 offices?

A

stated seperately:

  • Covered gallies / internal balconies
    • General accessible roof terraces (excldued in GEA)
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30
Q

WHen is IPMS 1 offices used?

A

For planning or building cost purpose

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31
Q

What is IPMS 1 former cod equivalent?

A

GEA

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32
Q

What is the difference between IPMS 1 office and GEA?

A

IPMS 1 includes covered gallies → MUST be stated seperately

IPMS 1 includes accessible roof terraces → MAY be stated seperately

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33
Q

WHat is IPMS 2 offices?

A

Measure the interior of an office and includes all areas available for direct use → measured to internal dominant face on a floor by floor basis

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34
Q

What is included in IPMS 2 offices?

A

Stated seperately:

  • Covered gallies and balconies
    • Generally accessible roof terraces
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35
Q

When is IPMS 2 offices used?

A

For agency and valuation purposes

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36
Q

What is IPMS 2 former code equivalent?

A

GIA

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37
Q

WHat is the difference between IPMS 2 office and GIA?

A

IPMS 2 includes the area occupied by the reveals of windows when measured and assessed as the internal dominant face

Covered gallies / internal balconies included in IPMS 2 but stated seperately

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38
Q

What is IPMS 3 offices?

A

Used for measuring the occupation of floor areas in exclusive use, excluding standard facilities and share circulation areas

Measured to internal dominant face on a floor by floor basis

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39
Q

What is included in IPMS 3 offices?

A

Stated seperately:

  • Covered gallies / internal balconies
    • Generally accessible roof terraces
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40
Q

When is IPMS 3 offices used?

A

Agency and Valuation

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41
Q

What is IPMS 3 offices former code equivalent?

A

NIA

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42
Q

What is the difference between IPMS 3 office and NIA?

A
  • Perimeter measurement taken to internal dominant face
  • No exclusions for restricted height of less than 1.5m
  • All columns included
    • Covered gallies for the exclusive use of one tenant included but stated seperately
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43
Q

What is the internal dominant face?

A

The inside finish surface comprising 50% or more of the surface area for each vertical section forming an internal perimeter

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44
Q

What are the IPMS standards retail?

A
  • IPMS 1 (external)
  • IPMS 2 - Retail (internal)
  • IPMS 3A - Retail (occupier)
  • IPMS 3B - Retail (occupier)
  • IPMS 3C - Retail (occupier)
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45
Q

What are the IPMS industrial?

A

IPMS 1 - External

IPMS 2 - Internal

IPMS 3A - External (Exclusive occupation)

IPMS 3B - Internal (Exclusive Occupation)

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46
Q

What is IPMS 1 Retail & Industrial?

A

Used for measuring the area of a building including external walls → whole building measurement

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47
Q

When is IPMS 1 Retail and Industrial used?

A

Planning purposes or the summary costing of development proposals

48
Q

What does IPMS 1 Retail & Industrial include?

A
  • All areas and walls
  • Pillars and enclosed walkways or passages between seperate buildings
49
Q

What does IPMS 1 Retail & Industrial exclude?

A
  • Temporary structures
  • Open lightwells
  • Open external stairways that are not integral part of the building (e.g open framework fire escape)
50
Q

What is IPMS 2 Retail and Industrial?

A

The total of the areas of each floor level of a building measured to the internal dominant face of all external walls

51
Q

When is IPMS 2 Retail and Industrial used?

A

Providing data on the use of space and for benchmarking

→ make direct comparisons between data derived

52
Q

What does IPMS2 Retail & industrial include?

A
  • All internal areas, including internal walls and pillars
  • Internal laoding bays and mezzanines included but stated seperately
  • Enclosed void areas (atria) included only at lowest level
53
Q

What does IPMS 2 Retail & Industrial exclude?

A

Excluded but to be stated seperately;

  • Areas outside the external wall, such as sheltered areas and external loading bays
54
Q

What is IPMS 3A, 3B, 3C and when are they used?

A

Used for emasuring teh occupation of floor areas in exclusive use

55
Q

What are limited use areas and how do you report these?

A

Allow members to quantify seperately those areas in the relevant IPMS total, such as areas with limited height, where special consideration is needed

They are stated seperately in the calculation if included

56
Q

What do you know about IPMS for All building Asset Class

A

Consultation period closed in MArch 2021 and will be published in future

57
Q

What is the Retail Area?

A

The retail area of a shop is the NIA

58
Q

What is the storage area?

A

The NIA of a shop which does not form part of the retail area whic is used exclusively for storage purposes

59
Q

What are the Ancillery Areas?

A

NIA not included in Retail Area and storage area but capable of beneficial use

60
Q

What is the gross frontage?

A

The overall external measurement in a straight line accross the front of the building, from the outside of external walls, or the centre line of party walls

61
Q

What is net frontage?

A

The overall external frontage on the shop line measured between the internal face of the external wall, or internal face of support column

62
Q

What is shop width?

A

Internal width between inside faces of external walls at the front of the shop or other point of reference

63
Q

What is shop depth?

A

Measurement from the notional display window to the rear of the retail area

64
Q

What is building depth?

A

Maximum external measurement from front to rear walls of a building at ground level

65
Q

What guidance is there when carrying out measurements?

A
  • Code of Measuring Practice, 2007
  • RICS Property MEasurement, 2018 → incorporates IPMS

→ IPMS is mandatory for office measurements as of 1st January 2016

66
Q

What would you take with you when measuring?

A

Disto, pencil, paper, ruler, measuring tape

67
Q

What do you exclude from the measurement of an office building

A

Varies depending on measurement

→ Exclude columns and areas with height of less than 1.5m → code of measuring pracitce (included in IPMS)

→ Exclude toilets, plant and lift rooms, stairwells, clear cupboards → NIA / IPMS 3

68
Q

How do you measure an industrial unit with a mezzanine floor and a canopy?

A

→ The canopy would be excluded

→ Mezzanine floor included if it has permanent access

69
Q

How would you measure a shop trading on basement, ground and first floor with a large central staircase and return frontage?

A

I would measure on NIA basis, therefore exclude any tenant fit-out

→ i would also use the zoning technique

70
Q

What is zoning?

A

Valuation technique based on halving back principle

71
Q

How would you value a plot of land for valuation purposes?

A

I could use an OS plan or promt to carry out a desktop measurement

→ Alternatively, i could use a trundle wheel and walk the boundary of the site

72
Q

Is the Code of Measuring Practice mandatory for RICS members?

A

No, it is a guidance note, so only advises best practice

Members are how strongly encouraged to follow it

73
Q

Would you include gatehouses or plat rooms which are outside of the main building?

A

→ yes, if a permanent structure

→ fuel tanks not included

→ if unsure always consult Code of Measuring Practice and RICS Property Measurement

74
Q

How would you measure an industrial building for rating purposes?

A

On GIA basis → consult the Code of Measuring Practice

75
Q

How would you measure a food store / supermarket or out of town retail warehouse?

A

on GIA basis → consult the code of measuring practice

76
Q

What do you exclude from the measurement of an industrial unit?

A

Canopies

Fuel stores

Covered ways

77
Q

What scale of plan to you usually work to in your area of work?

A

1: 50 (room plan)
1: 100 (building plan)
1: 1250 (street plan) → better for development sites

78
Q

What is the difference between a goad plan and an OS plan?

A

Goad shows retail occupiers (not to scale) - birds eye view of a retail centre

OS plan is a to scale map

79
Q

What information must be included on all plans?

A
  • Scale and north point
    • Crown copyright
80
Q

On an OS plan, what do the numbers mean on a field and numbers on a road

A

Height above sea level

81
Q

How do you deal with tenants’ improvements when measuring for valuation purposes?

A

Take instructions from your client and check what is and isnt tenants improvements

→ also check the reinstatement clause

82
Q

What type of property would you measure on a Gross External Area?

A

Industrial buildings in Scotland for rating purposes

Town planning & council tax valuation

83
Q

What is ITZA?

A

In terms of Zone A

→ Zoning is a valuation technique, not basis of measurement

84
Q

When and why would you use ITZA?

A

Space near street is more valuable - ability to attract passing footfall into the shop

85
Q

how do you zone?

A

Halving back principle using 20ft (6.1m) as standard zone

→ half back each area until getting to Zone C / D, then remainder

→ 30ft zones used in Oxford Street, Bond Street and Scotland

86
Q

What is teh equivalent zone method for offices?

A

‘in terms of best space’ using ‘headline rent’

Common allowances / discount - quantum discounts, shape e.g excessive frontage to depth, unusual shape, masked area, split levels

87
Q

Why do you always zone a retails unit?

A

In general, the Market uses zone, so best to use in order to make comparisons

However, zone is not required and for departments stores and very large units, you may wish to value on an overall basis (once ground level exceeds 10,000ft)

88
Q

How do you measure a mansard roof?

A
  • For NIA, i would exclude all area under 1.5m
  • FOr GIA, i would include it all up to the permimeter wall
89
Q

What basis of measurement do you use for rating?

A

NIA - offices and shops

GIA - supermarket, industrial, warehouse, leisure

90
Q

Tell me about party walls

A

Party Wall Act 1996

→ Party Wall along boundary of land belonging to two or more owners

→ Any works must inform adjoining owners 2 months before→ otherwise, work can be stopped through court injunction or legal redress

→ Written consent not granted by owners, party wall surveyor can preapre party wall award

91
Q

Tell me about an office building you have measured and the approach taken?

A

Riverbridge House

Measured on NIA and IPMSE 3 → excluded WC’s, stairwells, plant rooms and cleaner cupboard

Provided with floor plans so used these and measured using a disto before returning to the offic and calculating the total area on excel

92
Q

How would you measure an office suite with continuous heting system around the premieter of the suit and partitioned offices?

A

I would exclude it if it protrudes more than 0.25m

Reference RICS Property Measurement, 2018 and measure on NIA and IPMS 3

93
Q

How would you measure an atrium in an office building occupied by a single tenant?

A

Include it at base level → nothing above

94
Q

How do you treat a notional lift lobby and notional fire corridor during an inspection of an office?

A

Include in NIA

Consult Property Measurement and Code of Measuring

95
Q

What is Quantum?

A

Allowance for quantity for large properties

→ Dependent on demand for particular type and size of property in areas

96
Q

What is the basis of measurement for residential valuation?

A

Depends on comparables

→ Generally GIA, but could also use Net Sales Area, especially for new builds

97
Q

What are the 3 bases of measurement?

A

NIA - Offices and Shops

GIA - Residential, estate agency, department store, industrial, warehouse

GEA - insurance, building cost

98
Q

What does GEA include?

A
  • Area of building measured externally at each floor level
  • everything in the main envelope of the building
  • Atria
  • Internal balconies
  • Loading bays
  • Pavement vaults
  • Garages
    • Conservatories
99
Q

What does GEA exclude?

A
  • Canopies
  • Roof terraces - state seperately
  • Open sided balconies
  • External fire escapes
  • Open vehicle parking areas
  • Greenhouses
100
Q

What does GIA include?

A

Same as GEO, but from the inside of the wall

101
Q

What does GIA exclude?

A

Same as GEO, but from the inside of the wall

102
Q

What does NIA include?

A
  • Atria (if let to a single tenant)
  • Skirting and perimeter trunking
  • Pavement vaults
  • Kitchens
  • Notional lift lobbies
  • Stationary cupboards
  • Ramps, internal steps but not stairwell
103
Q

What does NIA exclude?

A
  • Atria and entrances (where share in multi-let)
  • Areas under 1.5m
  • Protrusions more than 0.25m (heating or cooling units)
  • Usable space less than 0.25 wide (fire place)
  • Internal structural elements
  • Corridors (if has a single function and not useable)
  • Continuous heating or cooling accross the whole wall
  • Vehicle parking areas
104
Q

How does GIA differ from NIA?

A

NIA measures useable space only

GIA is measured up to perimeter walls and includes structural partitions

105
Q

What changes were made in the RICS Code of Measuring Practice 6th edition, 2015?

A

Required after Kilmartin v Safeway 2006 → highlighted the need for clarification of useable space

→ Ramps, slops and steps included in NIA

→ Measurement of heating and cooling apparatus

→ Measurement of full height glazing

→ Leisure is special use and defined seperately (using GIA)

106
Q

WHat does RICS say about using m or ft for measuring?

A

Adopt metric units as standard

→ if Client requires imperial uits, they can be provided as supplemental information

→ Market practice is £psf so measure in M and convert to FT

107
Q

How do you measure a return frontage?

A

Measure from the main frontage, then apply an additional % to the Zone A space

108
Q

What issues might you come accross when measuring period buildings?

A

Fireplaces → viewed same way as heating apparatus. Exclude if protruding 0.25m into usable space

Mansard roof - a lot of space and under 1.5m

Having to exclude any unuseable circulation space

109
Q

What basis would you use for insurance to estimate building re-instatement cost?

A

Use GEA for residential

Open for commercial, thought note we use GEA here too

110
Q

How do you work out how big a plot of land is?

A

Look at plan → disto → trundle wheel

→ 1acre = 4,000 sq m , 45,000 sq ft

111
Q

How do you know where the boundaries are?

A

Look at OS map or title plans

112
Q

How do you know if your tape measure is accurate?

A

Use Steel rule

113
Q

What scales are used on plans?

A

1: 50 - room plan (1cm = 50cm)
1: 100 - building plan
1: 1250 - street/location plan
1: 2500 - location plan
1: 5000 - road/walking map

114
Q

Have you ever measured an office building? How do you deal with radiators?

A

→ if intermittent then include

→ if continuous or protrude over 0.25m then exclude

115
Q

What basis of measurement do you use for rating?

A

The usual basis used

→ NIA - offices, shops

→ GIA - supermarket, warehouse, industrial, leisure

116
Q

What is an appropriate level of accuracy

A

Depends on:

How difficult to measure

Site specific conditons

May range from +/- 1% to +/- 10%

→ greater margin acceptable when measuring car park vs central london office

117
Q

How does a laser disto work?

A

The time for the laser to go there and back