EXTRACTED FROM: RICS professional standards and guidance, UK, Surveying assets in the built environment – 1st edition, March 2017
…There are many types of survey that are common to the various market sectors. The surveyor tasked with a survey in a particular sector should consider the following aspects to ensure their survey meets the requirements of the agreed client brief and that the desired output will be obtained. Many of the sections may form only part of a larger commissioned piece of work to be incorporated into the survey in addition to any specialist surveys.
3.1.1 Types of assessment for consideration
An assessment of assets can include many types of survey, including, but not limited to:
• Technical Due Diligence, see Building surveys and technical due diligence guidance note at www.rics.org/
uk/knowledge/professional-guidance/guidance-notes/building-surveys-and-technical-due-diligence-of commercial-property/
• Building Reinstatement Cost Assessment (BRCA).
• Fire Risk Assessments (FRA).
• Dilapidations, see Dilapidations in England and Wales guidance note at www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/
professional-guidance/guidance-notes/dilapidations7th-edition/
• Building Services.
• Party Wall Awards.
• Equality Act.
3.3 Other aspects
In addition, the surveyor is often required to produce surveys incorporating the following:
3.3.1 Planned Preventive Maintenance policies (PPM)
To assess the maintenance requirements of an asset over an agreed period of time (these can range from up to 5 years and over 30 year cost projection) in order to enable a budget to be set and a structured plan for maintenance to be developed and implemented. Often derived from an asset register, the O&Ms (operation
and maintenance manuals) and from a survey, a PPM strategy of cyclic and periodic maintenance is produced
and prioritised to provide information on a year on year projected expenditure. To help minimise unexpected failure, clients and operators like to have predictable and stable year on year expenditure.
3.3.2 Elemental life cycle cost planning/Long Term Asset Replacement (LTAR)
LTAR is the evaluation of asset components to assess their individual life cycle and future replacement. This
contributes to the overall costed profile of the asset to be assessed as a budgeting tool for asset replacement.
3.3.3 Pre-acquisition, securitisation and valuation surveys
This is a detailed survey of the asset to determine its suitability to purchase as a standing investment when
acquiring as a freehold or leasehold interest. It can be used to fully assess the condition of a building or demise and any potential, current and future liabilities. It can also be linked to the repairing and lease termination liabilities or as part of a revaluation exercise. To confirm the existence of an asset, its location, function, age and general condition must be presented to enable a purchaser, lessee or funder to assess the value and suitability of purpose. This type of survey is often geared to the financial requirements of property funding, mainly for lending organisations and funders.
3.3.4 Tenant fit out and alterations
These are surveys carried out for the benefit of tenants, often accompanied by a condition survey, to inform the occupier’s future needs within their demise.
3.3.5 Schedule of Condition
A survey to record the current condition of an existing asset as evidence of the state of repair, etc. for future reference should a dispute arise.
3.3.6 Lease and warranty compliance
A survey to assess if a tenant is undertaking a regime of maintenance and repair in accordance with the lease and to ensure warranties are maintained. Often centred around schedules of dilapidations.
3.3.7 Estate assets
Many buildings, particularly commercial, healthcare, hospital and education environments are surrounded by an estate or may have areas of public realm. It is notable that many of the hard and soft finishes, street furniture, estate lighting, public artwork and water features are bespoke one-off components of high quality and value. This information should be available from the client estate terrier defining ownership of assets. While many clients are aware of their responsibility for the upkeep of these assets, the cost associated with
these should be included in any report as they can attract significant cost. This may also encompass areas such as loading bays, yards, service and un-adopted roadways.
3.4 Specialist surveys
A brief may also require the appointment of a specialist consultant. Specialist consultancy services will include
building services, the advice of structural engineers and any specialists where there is a need for intrusive surveys of the existing fabric. These specialisms are sometimes considered outside the expertise of the building surveyor, therefore separate appointments may be needed. These appointments often form a subcontractual relationship with the building surveyor. It is important that the surveyor ensures the contents of the specialist report are compatible with other service deliverables.
3.4.1 Building services
Mechanical, electrical, above and below ground services can form a significant part of the asset and therefore the survey and report. The building surveyor should consider the appointment of these specialists in a timely manner and provide a full and clear brief.
• Structural engineers: to advise as appropriate on
structural matters.
• Acoustic engineers: to advise as appropriate on
acoustic matters.
• Energy performance certificates: the assessment of energy performance of the existing asset.
• Accessibility: to advise on the provisions of the Equality Act.
• Environmental assessment: assessment of future and current environmental impact of asset/oblique area.
• Estate security: surveyors are often instructed in matters of security on an estate or public realm. There
are regulations governing the recording and viewing of CCTV images and the siting of cameras. The surveyor should be familiar with these regulations. Advice regarding active security measures may be relevant on certain high profile sites. For example HVM (Hostile Vehicle Mitigation) can be obtained by reference to CTSA (Counter Terrorism Security Advice) publications. It should be noted that many of the requirements for
CTSA fall under PAS (Publicly Available Specification). These specifications refer to the standard of a piece
of equipment to be installed and the method of installation. There is also a list of accredited RSES (Registered Security Engineering Specialist) who can warrant PAS installations. The surveyor should seek counter terrorism advice when considering this type of security.
• Hazardous material survey: primarily for consideration of asbestos and other deleterious materials. HSE 264
Asbestos guidance refers to two survey types:
– management survey and
– refurbishment and demolition survey.
• UKAS accredited or ABICS certified surveyors should be employed to undertake these surveys….
Doyen Land provides Clients with a full range of building consultancy services on all types of real estate assets. If you feel this would help your organisation please do not hesitate to contact us.