The Party Wall Process: What You Need to Know
Have you received a ‘Party Wall’ letter through your door? Sadly, it’s not a party invite, and there’s no cake on offer. It’s a bit more boring, but much more important.Whether you’re a homeowner planning to extend your kitchen or a neighbour worried about next door’s loft conversion, understanding the party wall process can save […]
What Every Homeowner Should Know About Subsidence
You notice a hairline crack running across the wall. Then a door that used to close smoothly suddenly sticks. A few weeks later, the gap’s grown wider. At first, it feels like a small issue — maybe just an old house settling. But sometimes, those subtle shifts tell a bigger story. One that starts not […]
How To Handle Party Wall Disputes
Do you get on with your neighbours? Do you talk to them regularly, or just nod and smile when you see them in the driveway? It doesn’t matter how well you know them or how friendly you are, it’s all too easy to end up in a heated dispute about bricks, boundaries and building works. […]
Dilapidations: What They Mean & How to Protect Yourself
Whether you’re a commercial landlord or a tenant, a schedule of dilapidations is an absolute must. Landlords can use schedules of dilapidations to demand their tenants pay them tens, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds at the end of the lease. Unlike residential tenancies, commercial leases don’t have fair wear and tear clauses. This […]
Penetrating Damp – A Client Story
Gather in folks, who’s ready for a story? Today, rather than tell you about an aspect of surveying, we thought we would share a client story with you, to show you just how important having a survey can be when you’re buying a home. This particular issue is something we come across a lot, and […]
Reading Your RICS Survey Report – What to Look for
Did you know that before we write a single word of your RICS Level 3 survey, the document already contains over 5,000 words of standard content? And when we do start writing, we can sometimes hit over 10,000 words on some properties? That means that your level 3 survey could be longer than many university […]
Getting the Best Construction Costs Through Tendering
If you work in the construction industry, you must understand the tendering process. It’s a critical part of making sure you’re getting the best value for money and securing the best contracts. If you’re doing work on your own property then you need to understand it too, since it will give you the confidence that […]
What Is A Party Wall Award?
As surveyors, we often get enquiries from building owners saying, ‘I need a party wall agreement, can you help?’ The answer to that is yes! But first, let’s clarify a few things. Surveyors are the ones who prepare that ‘agreement’, which is formally known as a Party Wall Award. A single surveyor can prepare it […]
What Are Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)?
There’s something that’s been on our mind a lot lately. Why is it that so many industries have been evolving at such a rapid pace, but construction is lagging behind? We’ve gone from landlines to smartphones, post to instant messaging, and taxis to ride sharing. But what about construction? In so many ways, it still […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Building Disputes
Unfortunately, one of the most common issues we see in the construction industry today is disputes over building work. Disagreements between the different parties involved in the project, from contractors and subcontractors, clients, architects and engineers. The disputes that come up during building work can be complex and can be about fairly important things. Delays, […]