General

Question 1

What are the key RICS codes of measuring practice?

Answer 1

2015 - NIA, GIA etc
2018 - introduced IPMS for residential and office

Question 2

What does the 2018 code of measuring practice dictate?

Answer 2

• Led by IPMSC - International Property Measurements Standards Council
• Aims to establish global consistency
• Replaces the office and residential guidance from 2015
• Encourages members to report on IPMS
• If departing, need to explain why and advise client of benefits of IPMS

Question 3

When would you use the 2015 code of measuring practice?

Answer 3

Still best practice for assets other than residential and offices

Question 4

When would you use GEA?

Answer 4

For town planning, council tax valuations, build cost estimates for residential

Question 5

When would you use GIA?

Answer 5

For industrial & residential - agency, rating, valuation

Question 6

What’s an appropriate deduction from GEA to GIA?

Answer 6

2-3%

Question 7

When would you use NIA?

Answer 7

Retail and offices - rating, agency, vals

Question 8

What’s a typical deduction from GIA to NIA?

Answer 8

15%

Question 9

How would you calibrate a disto?

Answer 9

Needs to be done annually by a manufacturer

Question 10

How do you undertake check measurements?

Answer 10

Measure a known distance and record results in a log

Question 11

Advantages and disadvantages of using a disto?

Answer 11

Advantages - accuracy and ease of use
Disadvantages - doesn’t function well in some conditions such as bright use, can be difficult to use in narrow spaces

Question 12

What does IPMS state about measurement accuracy?

Answer 12

1. Measurers need to state the degree of tolerance reported as a percentage (usually +/- 3%)
2. Recommends measurements are supported by computer generated drawings and on site

Question 13

What is typical laser accuracy?

Answer 13

Within 1.5mm up to 200m in typical conditions

Question 14

What distorts measurement?

Answer 14

Bright sunlight

Question 15

What is included and excluded from NIA?

Answer 15

Included - kitchens, notional corridors and lobbies, cupboards in useable areas, areas occupied by perimeter trunking, non-structural walls in sole occupancy areas
Excluded - Areas under 1.5m, corridors, cleaners and service cupboards, areas occupied by permanent air conditioning or heating equipment

Question 16

What is included and excluded from GIA?

Answer 16

Included - columns, lift wells, permanent mezzanines, loading bays
Excluded - canopies, fire escapes, covered ways

Question 17

How would you measure ancillary office within an industrial unit?

Answer 17

GIA basis

Question 18

Why was IPMS introduced?

Answer 18

To bring global transparency and avoid the current inconsistent measurement in different countries

Question 19

When was IPMS introduced?

Answer 19

Came into effect in 2018

Question 20

Under IPMS, what is a component area?

Question 21

What’s the difference between Site, Shop and Built Depth?

Answer 21

Site depth - front to rear boundaries
shop depth - notional display window to the rear of the unit
built depth - external measurement

Question 22

What’s the difference between gross and net frontage?

Answer 22

Gross is frontage to external walls or centre of party walls, net is the frontage measured to the IDF of the external walls

Question 23

How would you measure land?

Answer 23

Check boundaries on OS plan or land registry/ title docs
Use online software such as promap/ edozo
Use plans
On site, you could use a trundle wheel

Question 24

What are commonly used scales for different plans?

Answer 24

1:50 - Room plan
1:100 - building plan
1:1,250 - street/ location plan
1:2,500 - location plan
1: 50,000 - road or walking map

Question 25

What are common measurement tools?

Answer 25

1. Distometer
2. tape
3. Rod
4. software e.g. edozo promap

Question 26

How many acres in a hectare

Answer 26

1 acre is 0.4046 hectares

Question 27

Where are measurements taken to in NIA?

Answer 27

Full height glazing unless elements of the window render the space unusable

Question 28

What did the Code of Measuring Practice 2018 bring in?

Answer 28

Mandatory International Property Measurement Standards

Question 29

Under 2018 Code of Measuring Practice, what should you include when giving a measurement?

Answer 29

Date, methodology, scale, reference documents, conversion factor and degree of measurement accuracy, conversion factor and rounding, record calculations and surveyor responsible

Question 30

What are the IPMS standards for offices?

Answer 30

IPMS 1 - External walls on a floor by floor basis
IPMS 2 - Internal walls on a floor by floor basis
IPMS 3 - Internal walls on an exclusively occupied basis

Question 31

What are the IPMS standards for residential?

Answer 31

IPMS 1 - External walls on a floor by floor basis
IPMS 2 - Internal walls on a floor by floor basis
IPMS 3 - Internal walls on an exclusively occupied basis
3a - outer face external and mid-point shared walls, 3b - exclusive occupation to IDF, 3c - exclusive occupation to IDF excluding columns and space occupied by walls

Question 32

What are the key differences between IPMS 3 and NIA?

Answer 32

• IPMS is to IDF v NIA measures to useable space - particularly relevant if you have e.g. glazed office with a windowsill that renders the space unusable
• Areas under 1.5m aren’t excluded, but may be stated separately as ‘limited use areas’
• Columns included
• For walls between occupiers, IPMS 3 is taken to the mid-point of the wall whereas NIA to internal face
• Covered galleries and balconies with exclusive use by the tenant are included but stated separately within IPMS3

Question 33

Give me an overview of IPMS 1 and 2 for offices and residential?

Answer 33

IPMS 1 = External - GEA equivalent
IPMS 2 = Internal
IPMS 3= Occupier

Question 34

For offices, what’s the key difference between GEA and IPMS 1?

Answer 34

IPMS 1 includes and states galleries and covered balconies separately