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 issues? Here are some tips: What is covered by the Act? There are certain items of work that you can only be done after notifying the adjoining owners and either receiving written agreement of the neighbour or with a Party Wall Award prepared by a surveyor/s. Notifiable works include (but are not limited to): cutting into a wall to take the bearing of a beam, for example for a loft conversion, inserting a damp proof course, even if only to your own side of a party wall, raising a party wall and, if necessary, cutting off any objects preventing this from happening, demolishing and rebuilding a party wall, underpinning a party wall or part of a party wall, weathering the junction of adjoining walls or buildings by cutting a flashing into an adjoining building, excavating foundations within three metres of a neighbour’s structure and lower than its foundations, excavating foundations within six metres of a neighbour’s structure and below a line drawn down at 45° from the bottom of its foundations.
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.
Likewise your property may be scouted by buy-to-let investors who are looking for a quick sale without too much trouble, or who are looking for a ‘ready’ home that they can move tenants into straight away. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your next potential buyer. Ask yourself these questions; can I move in here straight away? Will it cost me to make immediate repairs? Are these issues easily fixed? Am I willing to conduct any DIY or have repairs made by a technician?
In addition to the suite of RICS branded HomeBuyer Reports, we are able to offer the excellent jargon-free Home Condition Survey by SAVA. With its simple 1 -3 rating system which is also colour coded to indicate the risk level and the individual items rating it allows you to quickly determine the levels and not get held back by surveyor talk. In addition to this, it comes with helpful fact sheets on electrics, gas and asbestos as required. Discover additional info on Party Wall Surveyor Herne Bay.
At Home Heroes, we endeavour to provide a competitive service while attaining the highest standards of professional practice. Home Heroes although we are experienced Party Wall Surveyors, we understand that to you our clients the party wall act can be a pretty daunting experience and you have already probably been left nervous and confused, with compliance of the act. We are able to speak to you in plain English using familiar terms and sayings helping you to be put and ease and more importantly understand your obligations and rights under the act. Home Heroes Limited has experienced surveyors who are well placed to help you with your party wall requirements, be you the building owner, adjoining owner or even as an agreed surveyor.
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. A HomeBuyer Report with survey: Includes all the features of the RICS Condition Report and advice on defects that may affect the property. A HomeBuyer Report with survey and valuation: Includes all the features of the RICS Condition Report, plus a market valuation and insurance rebuild costs. 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. Once you’ve done all the checks – check again in six months time! Homes move, they leak, they get broken, every day of the week. It might be after a storm, after you have had some work done, or just because they are buildings that, just like us, need maintaining in good health. Your home is probably your most expensive asset – you wouldn’t not change the tyres on your car or let it go for years without a service, your home is the same, just a lot more valuable, so TAKE CARE OF IT! Discover extra details on www.home-heroes.co.uk.