Some tips about party wall surveyors in Kent UK
People often find that implementing the Party Wall Act can be frustrating and expensive. It is not unusual for a building project to be delayed by a couple of months and surveyor’s fees to run to a couple of thousand pounds just for the Party Wall aspect on what might be considered to be a fairly straightforward alteration to a domestic property. To help you navigate your way through the Act we will take a look at the most common problems from the point of view of the party planning the works.
Party wall problems? Here are several advices: In most cases, if the adjoining does not respond within 14 days then a deemed dispute is said to have occurred and the person carrying out the work must appoint a surveyor to act on the adjoining owners behalf. If adjoining owners provide written consent to the works as set out within the notices, then there is no dispute to resolve and no further need for party wall surveyors or, indeed, the Party Wall Act. Assuming work proceeds as detailed within the notice and no damage is caused, then no further involvement is necessary. Resolving Disputes: If adjoining owners dissent to the works (or if no response is received and a deemed dissent has arisen) then a dispute has occurred which must be resolved under the requirements of Section 10 of The Act. It is worth reiterating that the Act is one of enablement, it is not there to prevent works from taking place and it offers a route to end disputes at every stage. Where written agreement is not given, the solution the Act provides is for both parties to appoint an ‘agreed surveyor’ who will act impartially or for each owner to appoint a surveyor who in turn appoint a third surveyor. The surveyors then work together to agree the terms under which work may proceed. The surveyor(s) will review the plans, notices and structural details of the works and, after considering the impact of the works, will draw up an agreement which sets out the terms under which work can be carried out (the Award).
Plants and any other large object present on windowsills should be removed, as these will also be assessed by the surveyor. This saves the surveyor from having to move things around themselves. Mould is one of the most obvious signs of damp in a home and must always be dealt with as it can thrive if left alone. Make sure you scrub away any mould that is present in your kitchen or bathroom, fix dripping taps by replacing the washers.
A Building Survey, otherwise known as a Structural Survey, will detail the condition of each element of the house while suggesting which aspects are of immediate and major concern and may need further investigation. This type of survey will be carried out by a Chartered Surveyor and is an ideal report for most property types.
Our Director Nathan Foley is a degree qualified building surveyor with over 20 years of construction experience starting out as a plumbing and heating engineer and then moving on to construction and building surveying. Having worked within the construction industry covering a number of different disciplines including project management and contract management, this wealth of experience working at all levels of the construction industry is backed up by educational standards including a BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying and NCRQ health and Saftey Diploma in addition he has also achieved the following technical levels of recognition. Find additional info on Building Surveyor Canterbury.
The Party wall act, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 act to give its full name is a piece of legislation that was mainly transferred from Part VI of London Building Acts (amendment) Act 1939, it applies in England and Wales. The main purpose of the act is to provide a framework for amicably preventing and resolving disputes between neighbours in relation to Party Walls, boundary Walls and Excavations near neighbouring buildings. Building owners are given statutory rights that did not exist in existing common law, when undertaking certain types of construction as defined by the Act. As well as these rights it obliges Building owners to give appropriate notice and for the relevant notice period if they intend on carrying out the defined work.
The most frequent question we get asked is, but we’ve had a survey the bank arranged it while it true that you can have a Level 2 or 3 survey through your mortgage provider. It is more likely a valuation report that has been commissioned and these are there purely to make sure the bank has the ability to get back from the property in resale what you’ve asked it to lend you. It doesn’t report on lots of things and in most cases, you never get to see it. The full Building/ Structural Survey cost will vary from 500 to 1,300; the survey cost will depend on the property type, size and location. To save you money on your survey, compare fees by filling in our simple and quick form and receive up to four instant quotes from our RICS regulated Chartered Surveyors. As one of the most comprehensive surveys available, more often than not a building survey will be requested by potential buyers of your property. It is a wide range inspection of the entirety of a property done in more specific depth than a Homebuyers Report or a Mortgage Valuation. A Building Survey’s purpose is to give a detailed report of the condition of the property in question.
Home and building survey tips and tricks : Is your Home Cracking Up? Many cracks that appear in houses, new or old aren’t a major problem, just something that happens as properties settle on the ground they are built on. Some properties though suffer severe cracks which are structural problems, many of which can be easily fixed. Any cracks that take a 10p piece fitted in sideways, to should be checked by a local independent property surveyor. Make sure Windows are Doors are Water and Wind Tight, If you have wooden windows, check they are painted properly, sealed and there are no cracks in the windows that would allow any wind or water to get through. If they are plastic and double glazed, check they are well fitted and there are no draughts coming through. Make sure that the glazing meets current standards. Find additional info on https://www.home-heroes.co.uk/.