Inspection

Question 1

What is the four step process you should take when inspecting a property?

Answer 1

Consider your safety - know your companies H&S policy
Inspect the local area
External inspection
Internal inspection

Question 2

What should you take on an inspection?

Answer 2

Mobile phone
Measuring tools - laser, tape measurer, trundle wheel
Plans
PPE
Pen and paper

Question 3

What should you look out for when inspecting the local area?

Answer 3

The location it sits
The footfall
Public transport links
Local amenities
Contamination nearby/flooding
Comparable evidence

Question 4

What should you look out for when inspecting externally?

Answer 4

Look at the method of construction
Repair and condition of the property
Car parking/ what the access arrangements are
Confirm site boundaries with maps/title plans
Date the building - ask client

Question 5

What should you look out for when inspecting internally?

Answer 5

Look at the layout and specification
Repair and maintenance
Defects
Services - age and condition
Statutory compliance - asbestos, health and safety, equality act 2010.
Compliance with lease obligations

Question 6

What are the different purposes for inspections?

Answer 6

Valuations - Looking for things that can impact the value of the property, state of repair, contamination, defects, method of construction, tenure, location etc.

Property Management - Compliance with lease, state of repair, footfall and how the tenants are trading, statutory compliance - health and safety, asbestos, equality act.
If property is vacant then look for risks that can arise such as combusitible materials, sealing letter boxes.

Agency - current condition, state of repair, flexibility of accommodation and marketability.

Question 7

What are the different types of foundation?

Answer 7

Trench/Strip - Used for residential properties, closely spaced columns
Raft - A slab foundation over the whole site to spread out the load transfer
Pile - long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders deep in the ground
Pad - A slab foundation system under individual or group columns to distribute the load.

Question 8

What are the types of brickwork?

Answer 8

Solid wall construction - one brick thick and layed in different ways such as a flemish bond.
Cavity wall construction - Two layers of brickwork are tied together by a metal tie. Cavity in the middle that can be filled with insulation - contains a cavity tray.
Bricks - header: laid flat/stretcher: laid horizontally long side

Question 9

What is efflorescence?

Answer 9

White marks on the brick that is caused by water reacting to the natural salts in the brick.

Question 10

What is spalling?

Answer 10

Damage to the bricks caused by water being trapped within and then freezing thus expanding.

Question 11

What is the institutional specification for shops?

Answer 11

Steel or concrete framed
Concrete floor
No suspended ceilings
Services capped off
Let in a shell condition with no shop front - ready to let

Question 12

What is the institutional specification for offices?

Answer 12

Steel or concrete framed - steel has less columns than concrete
Newer offices have:
Full accessed raised floors
Ceiling height of 2.6-2.8m
Air conditioning and double glazed windows
Passenger lifts
1 cycle space per 10 staff

Question 13

What are the different types of Air Conditioning Systems?

Answer 13

Variable air volume
Fan coil
Variable refrigrant volume
Static cooling
Heat recovery systems

Question 14

What are the different types of fit out?

Answer 14

Category A fit out - Shell and core - common parts of the building are completed and the office parts are left as a shell.
Category B - Complete to the occupiers standard of fit out
Cellular offices are set out on 1.5m planning grid
Allowance for normal office use is 1 person for 7.5-9.25sqm.

Question 15

How would you discover defects in a building?

Answer 15

Inspect it thoroughly - start from the roof and work down in a logical sequence.

Question 16

What is a latent defect?

Answer 16

A defect that could not have been found from a thorough inspection. Includes things like structural integrity of the foundation being compromised or RAAC.

Question 17

What is an inherent defect?

Answer 17

A defect in the design or material that has always been present.

Question 18

What is snagging of a newly built property?

Answer 18

Inspecting a newly built property for any defects that weren’t identified during construction.

Question 19

What steps should you take if you have identified a building defect?

Answer 19

Take photographs
Try to establish the cause of the damage whilst on site
Inform client
Recommend specialist advice

Question 20

What are the three common causes of defects?

Answer 20

Water
Movement
Deterioration of building materials

Question 21

What is movement?

Answer 21

The loss of support in the buildings foundation.
Subsidence - vertical downward movement of a buildings foundation - caused by changes in ground conditions.
Heave - Expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building. Caused by tree removal.

Question 22

What are different causes of cracking?

Answer 22

Horizonal cracks in cavity wall may indicate cavity wall tie failure.
Shrinkage often occurs in plasterwork during drying
Settlement cracks - caused by differential movement
Thermal expansion can also cause cracking.

Question 23

What is wet rot?

Answer 23

Caused by damp and timber decay. Signs include wet and soft timber, high damp meter reading, visible fungal growth and musty smell.

Question 24

What is dy rot?

Answer 24

Caused by inside fungal attack. Signs include fungus known as mycelium which spreads across the timber and is white with fluffy strands, often has an orange mushroom like fruiting body.

Question 25

What is rising damp?

Answer 25

Rising damp is where moisture seeps upwards from the ground stops around 1.5m above ground level.

Question 26

What is condensation?

Answer 26

Caused by lack of ventilation and background heating. Signs include mould and streaming water.

Question 27

What are common building defects?

Answer 27

For old resi/office/retail - dry rot, wet rot, efflorescence, death watch beetle, water ingress around door and openings. Modern industrial - roof leaks around roof lights, damaged cladding panels, blocked gutters, settlement cracking in brickwork. Modern office buildings - damp penetration at roof and ground floor level, water damage from burst pipes or AC units, damaged cladding, structural movement, efflorescence, cavity wall failure.

Question 28

What key legislation refers to contamination?

Answer 28

Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Question 29

What Professional Standard relates to contamination?

Answer 29

Contamination, the Environment, Sustainability, 2010. It states that surveyors must understand their obligations and comply with law. It also states that the pollutor or landowner is responsible for the remediation of contamination. It also guides you on what to look out for in contamination such as oil drums, bare ground, chemicals etc.

Question 30

What do you need to do if you come across contamination?

Answer 30

Three phase approach. 1. Review site history with a desktop study and site inspection 2. Investigation to determine nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples 3. Remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements and monitoring standards.

Question 31

When instructed to value a property with contamination what shoud you do?

Answer 31

Do not provide any advice until a specialist report is issued. Use a disclaimer if a special assumption is being made Deduct the remedial costs from the gross value

Question 32

What is Land Remediation Relief?

Answer 32

A form of tax relief that applies to contaminated or derelict land in the UK. It allows companies to claim 150% corporation tax deduction for expenditure in remediating it.

Question 33

What is a deleterious material?

Answer 33

Materials that degrade with age and cause structural problems. Signs include brown staining on concrete. Types of deleterious materials include RAAC, Calcium chloride, woodwool shuttering, high alumina cement.

Question 34

What is RAAC?

Answer 34

RAAC is a material popularly used in the 60s especially public sector properties. RAAC susceptible to deterioration over time leading to structural issues.

Question 35

What is a hazardous material?

Answer 35

Material that is harmful to health. These include: Asbestos - always check contents of asbestos register Radon Gas Lead piping/paint

Question 36

How is water disposed of?

Answer 36

Surface water runs off into storm drains Foul water drains from pipes into sewage treatment plants

Question 37

What is Japanese Knotweed?

Answer 37

An invasive plant which can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac. Not easy to control and expensive to eradicate Specialist can remove it Purple green hollow stem with heart shaped leaves. To be disposed of legally by using chemical treatment in accordance with Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Question 38

What is the professional standard that relates to Japanese Knotweed?

Answer 38

Professional Standard: Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 2022. It includes a decision tree for what valuers should do to find the best approach for managing the plant.

Question 39

What are the criminal offences regarding Japanese Knotweed?

Answer 39

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is a criminal offence to let it spread. Magistrates can impose a max fine of £5,000 or a maximum prison sentence of six months or both. Crown court can impose an unlimited fine and maximum sentence of 2 years. If land owners ignore it Local Authorities can grant community protection notices (PCN) and fines upto £2,500 per person and £20,000 for a company.

Question 40

What are other types of invasive plants?

Answer 40

Himalayan Balsam and Hogweed