Measurement Flashcards
Tell me about your understanding of RICS Property Measurement
- Mandatory guidance for members regarding flooding
- Sets out number of principles required
When would you use NIA as a measurement basis?
- Offices & shops
When would you use GIA as a measurement basis?
- Residential dwellings and industrial units
When would you use GEA as a measurement basis?
- Insurance Reinstatements
- Planning applications
What measurement basis would you use for office property?
- NIA
What measurement basis would you use for industrial property?
- GIA
What measurement basis would you use for retail property?
- NIA
How does RICS Property Measurement differ from the old Code of Measuring Practice?
- RICS Property Measurement makes IPMS mandatory
Why is accuracy important when you measure buildings?
- Inaccurate measurements can lead to misleading valuations, insurances costs etc
Tell me about how you use floor plans to facilitate measuring buildings?
Floor plans allow us to record various measurements that allow us to calculate floor areas
How do you calibrate a laser measurer?
- Measure a known distance to see how accurate it is
- Can manually adjust accordingly
- Some distos have an automatic calibration feature
- Can send them away to be factory calibrated
Tell me about a strength and weakness of a measuring technique you have used.
- Disto - quick and simple to use but they can run out of battery
When would you use a tape measure?
A plot of land
When would you use a trundle wheel?
An even plot of land
What is a potential source of error when measuring?
Holding a disto at an angle
What is IPMS?
- International Property Measurement Standards
- International standard which specifies how to measure property assets
Why has IPMS been introduced?
To ensure that property assets are measured in a consistent way, creating a more transparent marketplace, greater public trust, stronger investor confidence, and increased market stability
Which IPMS standards are adopted by RICS?
- IPMS Residential & Office
Explain your understanding of IPMS All Buildings to me.
- IPMS All Buildings is the most recent version of IPMS
- It was introduced in 2023
- It applies to all building types
- Supersedes all previous IPMS standards by utilising the concepts and objectives in those documents and incorpoates them into one unified document
What is dual reporting?
- Reporting IPMS measurements alongside areas calculated using another standard such as the code
What IPMS bases are you aware of and when would each of these used?
- IPMS 1 - Floor area measured to the external extent of the External Walls and to any notional boundaries, external floor areas or sheltered areas
- IPMS 2 - Floor area measured to the internal extent of the IDF and to any notional boundaries and external floor areas
- IPMS 3 - Floor area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier measured externally to any notional boundaries, external walls, demising walls and including any external floor areasn
How do they differ to their former Code equivalents?
- IPMS 1 - similar to GEA but different as it includes external areas such as balconies, colonades and rooftop terraces
- IPMS 2 - similar to GIA but different as it measured to the IDF rather than the interal face of the perimter wall
What are limited use areas and how do you report these?
- Area that are incapable of being occupied due to local or national legislation, such as a lack of natural light
- Measure and state seperate
What is the internal dominant face?
The inside surface area comprising more than 50 per cent of the lowest 2.75 m measured vertically from the structural floor surface, or to the ceiling if lower, for each Wall Section. If such does not occur or if the Wall Section is not vertical, the Finished Surface is deemed to be the IDF
How has IPMS been incorporated into Property Measurement?
IPMS Office & Residnetial have been incorporated into Property Measurement. RICS are working on an updated version that will incorporate IPMS All Buildings.
What RICS guidance relates to the measurement of land?
- Property Measurement
- Code of Measuring Practise
How do you deal with a situation where your client requests a different measurement standard to those contained within the RICS guidance?
- Advise them on the benefits of using the RICS guidance
- Go ahead with the clients request but state departure in report
How can you ensure your measurements are accurate?
- Ensure measurement tool is used correctly
- Take multiple measurements
How would you measure using a scaled plan?
Use a scale rule
How would you adjust your comparable evidence if it was measured on a different basis to your subject property?
Convert the measurements
What is a tolerance level when measuring?
It depends what is being measured and what is the purpose
At the house in Nigg, why did you use a laser measure?
Most efficient method
Why would you measure to GIA when most of the lenders ask for GEA?
Because the Single Survey format has a box for GIA
How do you measure external wall thickness?
- Normally use a ruler
- If the wall is too thick then can place reference at one edge of the wall and the disto at the other
How do you measure ceiling height?
Place disto on floor and shoot up
At the steading in Stonehaven, how did you calculate the floor area?
- Architect provided scaled plans
- I used a scale rule to take various measurements that allowed me to calculate the area
Tell me about the use of Promap at Newmachar?
Was pointed out the boundary on site which was pretty well defined. Used measure tool on Promap to mark out boundary and calculate area
How would you measure a traditional property that had a roundel or a turret?
Take diameter and use area of circle calculator
What are your level 2 examples?
Summary of Experience
- Home Report in Nigg - measured house using GIA
- Valuation in Stonehaven - was valuing proposed conversion of steading. Architect provided me with plans of completed steading and I used a scale rule to calculate various measurements to calculate floor area of property.
- Valuation in Newmachar - same example used in valuation level 3. Used Promap to measure development site to calculate the area.
What is the most recent version of IPMS?
Measurement - Level 2
IPMS All Buildings
What is a scale?
- Shows you how much you would have to enlarge the map to get the actual size of the piece of land you are looking at
- The higher the number the smaller the scale
- If something is 1:100 it means that one unit on the drawing represents 100 units in real size
Can you discuss the typical scales used for site plans and location plans?
- Site plans - 1:100/1:200
- Location plans - 1:1250/1:1000/1:500
How do you measure and calculate the floor area of an irregular five or six sided space?
Break it up into managable shapes
How would you measure a large area of land without using Promap?
Use a surveyors tape
How and why are shops zoned? Why is 9.14m/30ft used in Scotland?
- Because the front of the shop is considered to be worth more than the back
- Property is measured to different zones eg A,B,C with each representing a different portion
- So Zone A is 100%, B 50%, C 25% and then remainder is 12.5%
- 9.14m is the typical width of a tenement in Scotland
How do you deal with a return frontage? And multiple floors?
- Professional judgement based on market norms
- Surveyors often add a percentage to the rental value to reflect a return frontage
- Conversly might make a deduction for areas over stairs
Which basis of IPMS is closest to GIA?
IPMS 2
What is the definition of GIA and give examples of whats included/excluded
- Gross Internal Area is the area of building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
- Includes - Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions, Columns, piers, chimney breasts, stairwells, lift- wells, other internal projections, vertical ducts, and the like
- Excludes - Perimeter wall thicknesses and external projections
What is the definition of GEA and give examples of whats included/excluded
- Gross External Area is the area of a building measured externally at each floor level
- Includes - Perimeter wall thickness and external projections, areas occupied by internal walls and partitions, columns piers, chimney breasts
- Excludes - External open-sided balconies, fires escapes, canopies. roof terraces
What is the definition of NIA and give examples of whats included/excluded
- Net Internal Area is the usable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
- Includes - kitchens, entrance halls, built in units/cupboards
- Excludes - Toilets, stairwells, areas with headroom of less than 1.5m
What is the definition of NSA and give examples of whats included/excluded
- Net Sales Area is the GIA of a new or existing residential dwelling, subject to the following conditions
- Includes - basements, hallways, galleries
- Excludes - Garages, conservatories, external balconies
What is the definition of EFA and give examples of whats included/excluded
- Effective Floor Area is the usable area of the rooms within a building measured to the internal face of the walls of those rooms
- Includes - Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and the like, Areas occupied by fitted cupboards within those rooms
- Excludes - Bathrooms, showers and toilets, Areas with a headroom less than 1.5m
