Measurement

Question 1

Tell me about your understanding of RICS Property Measurement

Answer 1

• Global professional statement, 2nd edition, January 2018
• Replaces sections of the Code of Measuring Practice relating to office and residential measurement
• Replaced with IPMS with guidance on measuring offices and residential using IPMS, definitions and tolerance
• Definitions:
  
  • IPMS 1 - close to the former GEA
  • IPMS 2 - close to the former GIA
  • IPMS 3 - close to the former NIA
  • IPMS 3A,B,C - residential

Question 2

How do you measure offices?

Answer 2

• Depends on the use
• Usually IPMS 3 for valuation and agency as this broadly translates to former NIA

Question 3

How do you measure leisure?

Answer 3

GIA

Question 4

How do you measure Industrial?

Answer 4

GIA or NIA

Question 5

How do you measure a food store?

Answer 5

GIA

Question 6

How do you measure a School/Nursery?

Answer 6

GIA

(All other non-residential buildings fall under GIA for the purposes of valuation, agency)

Question 7

What is GEA and tell me the inclusions, exclusions?

Answer 7

• GEA - gross external area at each level including the thickness of the external walls
• Used for town planning, rating, building cost estimation
• Exclude:
  
  • External open sided balconies
  • Canopies
  • Open vehicle parking areas
  • Voids over or under structural or stepped floors
  • Greenhouses, garden stores etc for residential

Question 8

What is GIA and tell me the inclusions, exclusions?

Answer 8

• GIA - gross internal area excluding the thickness of external walls
• Use for building cost estimation, valuation, agency, rating, property management
• Exclude:
  
  • Perimeter walls and external projections
  • External open balconies, walkways etc
  • Canopies
  • Voids over or under structural or stepped floors

Question 9

What is NIA and tell me the inclusions, exclusions?

Answer 9

• NIA - Net Internal Area
• Used for valuation of shops, supermarkets, business use
• Exclude:
  
  • Entrance halls, landings, balconies used in common
  • Toilets, toilet lobbies, bathrooms
  • Lift rooms, plant rooms
  • Stairwells, lift wells
  • Corridors used in common
  • Permanent circulation areas and corridors
  • Internal structural walls, columns, chimney breasts, other projections
  • Areas occupied by permanent AC, circulation
  • Areas of headrooms of less than 1.5m
  • Areas rendered substantially unusable
  • (Limited use areas)

Question 10

What’s the difference between IPMS 3 and Net Internal Area?

Answer 10

• Measure to the internal dominant face
• For multi lets, measure to the midpoint of the wall
• IPMS 3 includes columns and internal walls (except for non-structural partitions)
• Balconies and covered galleries for exclusive use are included but stated separately
• No exclusions for areas lower than 1.5m

Question 11

What’s the difference between the Code of Measuring Practice 5th and 6th edition?

Answer 11

• Adoption of metric measurements
• Safeway v Kilmartin 2006 case
  
  • Changes to usable area in NIA including exclusions of corridors formed by structural divisions

Question 12

What’s the key guidance for measurement?

Answer 12

• RICS Property Measurement, 2nd edition, 2018
• A Global Professional Statement (mandatory)
• Code of Measuring Practice was a Guidance Note
• Includes IPMS
• Deletes references in the Code of Measuring Practice for measurement of office and residential