Having done everything correctly yourself and your neighbour having done nothing you would think that you could appoint your surveyor as ‘Agreed’ and save yourself a few pounds but unfortunately the Act states that the adjoining owner has a right to their own surveyor unless they agree otherwise. Surveyor’s fees are also an issue that can cause friction. Under the Act it is the surveyors that decide who pays their fees although in all normal circumstances, that will be the party planning the work which is only fair as your neighbour was quite happy with the way things were. The exception will be if the actions of your neighbour cause unnecessary expense. An example would be if they called out the surveyors to inspect some damage that was shown to pre-date the works.
Party wall issues? Here are several tips: Party walls usually separate buildings belonging to different owners but could include garden walls built astride a boundary – known as party fence walls. Where a wall separates two different size buildings often only the part that is used by both properties is a party wall, the rest belongs to the person or persons on whose land it stands. The “etc” within The Party Wall etc Act 1996 is so included because the provisions of the Act are not limited to party walls, they also include party structures and party fence walls. Section 20 of the Act defines each: “party fence wall” means a wall (not being part of a building) which stands on lands of different owners and is used or constructed to be used for separating such adjoining lands, but does not include a wall constructed on the land of one owner the artificially formed support of which projects into the land of another owner; “party structure” means a party wall and also a floor partition or other structure separating buildings or parts of buildings approached solely by separate staircases or separate entrances;
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 potential buyer can also request for a specific focus to be made on certain areas that may cause concern within the property. So say for example one of the walls within your home is bowed slightly and the potential buyer notices this, they can request for a specific focus to be made on that wall to elaborate on the possible causes for the bowing. This is why it is crucial that you keep your home in good shape if you plan to sell it on for a reasonable price.
The most comprehensive report currently available from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) suite of building surveys, based around what was formally known as a Full Structural Survey and is now known as a Level 3 survey. A RICS Building Survey is a through internal and external investigations of all the assessable areas of a building. This is then reviewed with information about the construction of the building and any information about extensions, modifications that need to be addressed. This is all then assessed in the RICS Home Surveys Suites traffic light system with each item given a rating based on its current condition and a detailed description will be given as well as advice from your surveyor on how and when to address them appropriately. Read additional info at Party Wall Surveyor Herne Bay.
At Home Heroes we provide a professional service, we are very competitively priced and you can be sure you award will be handled by qualified and experienced Party Wall Surveyors. We are a small company with a dedicated and qualified team of building surveyors on Party Wall Matters. We can deal with all types of project no matter how complicated and are able to offer a service that is both efficient and meticulous.
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 is a survey suitable for conventional properties in reasonable condition. Costs start at 400 on average. This will help you find out if there are any structural problems, such as subsidence or damp, as well as any other unwelcome hidden issues inside and outside. 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 : Go back to your Roots, Trees next to your home can give a lovely ‘rural’ feel to the property, and we love them, she even has a pear tree growing right outside her house. But, she didn’t buy the property without checking first that the roots weren’t causing any structural damage to the property’s foundations. Electrical and Gas Safety, I don’t know why, but every home I’ve ever bought has had a really useless boiler! As a result I’ve had to fork out between 1,000 to 2,000 to get a new one fitted. So, after having this happen twice, I now make sure I ask the surveyor to have a quick look and then I get a Gas Safety Registered plumber to check it out – albeit at an extra cost of up to 75. However, this has saved me over 10,000 due to the number of properties I’ve bought over the years! Discover more details at home-heroes.co.uk.