Overview

Question 1

What are the various processes you should take when going on 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 with you?

Answer 2

• Fully charged phone
• Camera
• Tape measure/laser – accuracy has been checked
• Files, plans and other supporting information
• Personal protection equipment
• Pen and paper

Question 3

What do you look for when considering the local area?

Answer 3

• Location, aspect, local facilities, transport connections, vacancies
• Contamination, environmental hazards, flooding risk, electricity substations
• Letting boards, local market conditions

Question 4

What do you look for when undertaking an external inspection?

Answer 4

• Method of construction
• Repair and condition (work from roof down)
• Car parking, access, loading arrangements
• Check boundaries with title plan
• Date the building – provided by the client – could also check land registry, local historical records, architectural style or architects certificate or practical completion

Question 5

What do you look for when undertaking an internal inspection?

Answer 5

• Layout and specification - flexibility and obsolescence
• Repair and maintenance
• Defects
• Services - age and condition
• Statutory compliance e.g. asbestos, building regulations, health and safety, Equality Act, fire safety and planning
• Fixtures and fittings and improvements
• Compliance with lease obligations

Question 6

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

Answer 6

• Asking the client
• Researching the date of planning consent or building regulations approval
• Land Registry
• Local historical records
• Architectural style
• Architects certificate of practical completion

Question 7

What are the THREE different purposes of inspection?

Answer 7

1. Valuation - valuation influences
2. Property management - policing the lease
3. Agency - marketability issues

Question 8

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

Answer 8

Valuation influences:
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.