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When landlords let out commercial premises, they tend to prefer open-plan premises. Not only does this make the property look bigger, it allows prospective tenants to imagine how the space could work for them. That’s the theory anyway. In practice, open plan space doesn’t always provide the most suitable accommodation for running a business. For […]
If you’ve decided to remove spray foam insulation from your home, then this article is for you. Maybe you’re concerned about condensation issues and all the problems they can cause. Or perhaps you’re dealing with issues selling the property, or obtaining finance to improve it. Whichever fits, you’ve decided the spray foam insulation needs to […]
When you’re having building or refurbishment work done, one of the most important things is to make sure you have the right level of control over all of the pieces and people that make up your project team. All of these people need to be able to work together to make your project happen, which […]
When you’re buying your first house (or second for that matter), you’re full of excitement and anticipation, thinking about moving day, furniture and logistics. But there’s a lot that needs to happen before you get the keys, and that can get confusing. You know you need to hire a bunch of people to help you […]
Buying a property isn’t something you do very often. Well, most people don’t anyway! It’s one of the most expensive purchases you’ll make, and so it’s something you’re not all that familiar with. That’s why you need to surround yourself with advisers who know the property world inside out, and can provide you with the […]
When we’re asked to do surveys, most of them are carried out on properties that were built in the Victorian era, right up to those built just a few years ago. Although we love to get a look at older and listed buildings too, the bulk of our work is properties in this 60–65-year age […]
I had planned to write another blog post today. However, in the last 24 hours the same issue has come up twice, and every time I see it, I despair at the people involved. So the normal schedule will wait, I need to get this one off my chest. In a lot of parts of […]
Every now and then someone will come to us with a tricky situation. They’re in the middle of dealing with party wall matters, and now there’s going to be a change of ownership. There’s often a lot of confusion about what should be done, particularly if the adjoining owner is in the process of selling […]
In any kind of property transaction, there will be a team of advisers and experts working to de-risk your purchase. These experts can be made up of a wide range of people, including solicitors, estate agents, mortgage brokers and surveyors, like ourselves. These experts have been around a while, and know just how profitable their […]
Sometimes you don’t want to move house. Sometimes, you just need to tweak what’s already there a bit, to make it perfectly fit your needs. This is often called home renovation or refurbishment, and as chartered surveyors, we’ve seen plenty of them! Some of them go without a hitch, but there are also some common […]
If you’re a business with a leased premises, you may not know that you face some hidden risks. In fact, you might not be aware of them until the end of the lease. That risk is called dilapidations. Dilapidations liability comes about as a result of non-compliance with lease clauses. So our question is this. […]
Picture the scene. You’re planning to extend your home. You’ve done all of the legwork, including getting a party wall surveyor to review your drawing, prepare your notices and serve them to your neighbour. You’ve done everything by the book, but you’ve hit a snag. My neighbour’s ignoring my party wall notice. Now what do […]
