Measurement

Question 1

1. When was IMPS introduced?

Answer 1

RICS Property Measurement, 2nd edition, 2018

Question 2

2. What introduced IMPS?

Answer 2

a. RICS property measurement, professional statement, 2018

Question 3

3. Why was IMPS introduced?

Answer 3

a. The RICS want one international standard for property measurement

Question 4

5. What is CoMP and is it relevant to residential measurement now?

Answer 4

a. RICS Code of measuring practice 2015
b. IPMS should be used and if it is not used the reason for departure must be stated

Question 5

6. What are all the measurement methods?

Answer 5

a. Tape measure – used for narrow or complex areas or when a disto will be distorted. These can be inaccurate if not stretched or if over-stretched.
b. Disto – easy to use but requires calibration, can be distorted by light, inaccurate over long distances and can run out of battery
c. Software (Promap and Edozo) for measuring land - disadvantage is that it can be hard to pinpoint the exact boundaries or surfaces
d. Trundle wheel or trigonometry for measuring land

Question 6

7. How can you ensure accuracy when measuring?

Answer 6

a. Take measurement again
b. Check measurement against any site plans

Question 7

8. Does a disto require calibration?

Answer 7

a. Yes annually
b. Ensure its accurate by measuring against a known distance 10 times
c. Calibrate by sending to manufacturer

Question 8

9. What is Promap?

Answer 8

a. Software used to measure land area

Question 9

12. Define GIA and what it is used for?

Answer 9

a. Area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level.
b. Excludes balconies, covered ways, fire escapes, canopies.
c. Used for industrial properties, warehouses, departments stores, supermarkets, service charge calculation and new homes valuation
d. Key applications are commercial bold cost estimates and rating.

Question 10

13. Define GEA and what it is used for?

Answer 10

a. Area of a building measured externally at each floor level.
b. Used for planning purposes, build costs and council tax purposes

Question 11

14. Define NIA, what it excludes and what is it used for?

Answer 11

a. The usable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
b. Excludes balconies, toilets, lift rooms, stairwells, common corridors
c. Areas with headroom less than 1.5m
d. Used for shops, supermarkets, offices, business use, rating and service charge calculations

Question 12

22. How else can a plot of land be measured?

Answer 12

Software (promap), trundle wheel, trigonometry

Question 13

25. Does a title plan tell you how large a plot of land is?

Answer 13

a. Only if the measurements were shown on plans contained in the Title Deed

Question 14

24. What is the conversion of acres to hectares?

Answer 14

a. 1 acre is 0.4046 hectares

Question 15

27. What are general scales used?

Answer 15

a. Room Plan: 1:50
b. Building Plan: 1:100
c. Street Plan: 1:1250
d. Location Plan: 1:2500
e. Road/Walking Map: 1:50,000

Question 16

26. What is a title plan?

Answer 16

a. Shows the registered piece of land and is created alongside another document, called the title register, also known as its office copy entries, which contains information about the property, including its ownership status.

Question 17

28. What are the bases of measurement under the RICS code of measuring practice, 2015?

Answer 17

a. GEA – Used for town planning, council tax valuations and building cost estimates for houses
b. GIA – Used for estate agency, rating, building cost estimation for commercial assets, valuation of industrial/warehouses, valuation and rating of retail warehouses and food stores plus new home valuations. Approximate 2-3% deduction from GEA
c. NIA – Same as GIA but for shops. Approximate 15% deduction from GIA

Question 18

29. How do you measure land?

Answer 18

a. Check the boundaries accurately on site with an OS plan and / or land registry title document, prior to calculating the area using Promap. You could also use a trundle wheel onsite

Question 19

30. What is a plot ratio?

Answer 19

a. Plot ratio is the ratio between the size of the site and the building footprint GEA.

Question 20

32. What must RICS members do when measuring office or residential buildings?

Answer 20

a. Provide a date when the measurements are taken
b. State the measuring methodology adopted
c. Provide the reference and scale of any plans used
d. State conversion factor from metric/imperial and any rounding
e. Measurements and calculations must be clearly documented

Question 21

33. Define internal dominant face (IDF)?

Answer 21

a. Inside finished surface comprising more than 50% of the floor to ceiling height for each IDF wall section. If such does not occur, the Finished Surface is deemed to be the IDF

Question 22

35. What are some common Measurement tools?

Answer 22

a. Tape, rod, laser device and software
b. Lasers are accurate within c. 1.5mm up to 200m but bright sunlight can distort measurement
c. All tools should be checked for accuracy frequently against a known distance and the results recorded in a log
d. Lasers should be calibrated annually by manufacturers
e. Software such as Promap and/or a trundle wheel can be used for measuring land

Question 23

36. Define Mezzanine?

Answer 23

a. An intermediate storey

Question 24

37. Why has IPMS been poorly adopted?

Answer 24

a. Not enough comps to support a valuation using IPMS
b. Produces lower rent psf

Question 25

38. What does NIA include/exclude?

Answer 25

a. Measures usable area from internal face of perimeter wall. b. Includes kitchens, ramps. c. Excludes columns, areas below 1.5m, WCs, stairwells

Question 26

39. What does GIA include/exclude?

Answer 26

a. Measures area from internal face of perimeter wall. b. Includes columns, stairwells, WCs, loading bays. c. Excludes perimeter wall thickness

Question 27

40. What does GEA exclude?

Answer 27

a. Measures area from outside of perimeter walls so excludes car parking, external stairwells, patios, roof terraces

Question 28

41. What is the internal eaves height?

Answer 28

a. The clear height from the floor to the lowest underside of the ceiling

Question 29

43. How do you know where a site boundary is?

Answer 29

a. Land registration b. Fencing c. Title

Question 30

44. What is the accuracy of a disto? How does it work?

Answer 30

a. 0.01-0.03% b. Measures time for a photon to travel

Question 31

45. What is the tolerance of measurement?

Answer 31

a. Code of Measuring practice says you can be 10% without being considered negligent

Question 32

What is the RICS definition of a scale?

Answer 32

- It’s a ratio of the actual distance compared with the distance on paper

Question 33

When would you depart from IPMS and where would you state the reasons for departure?

Answer 33

- Clients instructions or when comparables are measured in GIA - State reason for departure in ToE and report

Question 34

What is the code of measuring practice?

Answer 34

- Gives guidance on measurement - 6th edition, May 2015 - States IPMS should be used and reason for departure should be stated

Question 35

Tell me about IPMS All Buildings

Answer 35

IPMS All Buildings was published in January 2023 and supersedes all standards previously published by the IPMS coalition for individual asset classes by harmonizing the concepts and objectives in those versions into one set of standards. RICS Property Measurement 20182nd Edition remains the current RICS guidance for measurement. Practitioners should continue to promote the use of IPMS to clients but if clients choose not to follow IPMS measurements, the Code of Measuring Practice 2015 6th Edition can continue to be referenced.

Question 36

* What was contained in the Title Plan?

Answer 36

o Boundaries o Scale o North/South direction o Land reg title number o Rights of way and easements