Building Contracts – Where Do I Start?
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 […]
Who Can Survey Houses? Guidance on House Surveys
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 […]
5 Reasons You Need A House Survey
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 […]
The Hidden Dangers In Older Properties
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 […]
Neighbour Ignoring My Party Wall Notice? Next Steps
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 […]
Can I Be There When A Surveyor Inspects My New Home?
We’re asked this from time to time, when clients want to be on site to take a look around with the surveyor while they inspect the property. And we get the appeal. It gives you another chance to look around the house you’re excited about buying, and means you can be around to make sure […]
Which One is Better – Level 2 Or Level 3 Survey?
Did you know that, according to a recent poll, British homeowners move house once every 23 years, on average. We all know that moving is one of the most stressful things in life, so it’s no wonder that we don’t do it all that often! With that in mind, it isn’t all that surprising that […]
An Introduction to Access Licences
Unfortunately, carrying out construction works on your property isn’t always as simple as it sounds. You may be aware that you could need planning permission to make changes to your property, but you might not realise that you sometimes need agreement with your neighbours too, particularly if you need to access your neighbour’s land to […]
Identifying Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
RAAC is the much shorter way of saying Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. RAAC has been making headlines in the last 6 months. But why? What’s so bad about it? And more importantly for people looking after public sector buildings, how do you identify it? What Is RAAC? RAAC was a commonly used building material in […]
Why is my Landlord Claiming Dilapidations?
“The property is in better condition than when I took it on!” This is a phrase we hear all the time from commercial tenants, in disbelief that their landlord is asking them to pay money to repair or refurbish a property when they leave – especially if the property is in better condition than it […]