Latest blog posts

While the current social distance regulations remain in place, surveyors are under pressure to spend as little time inside occupied properties as possible. One way of doing that is to rely upon a photographic only schedule of condition instead of the traditional written record but can it ever be as useful?Prior to the pandemic the primary ... Read more >>

An amendment to the General Permitted Development Order which allows property owners to add up to 2 further storeys to their property without planning consent came in to force on 30th December 2020. So does this mean we’re going to see houses all over London being extended upwards despite how incongruous such an extension may look? A scan ... Read more >>

It is over a month since the Housing Secretary's announcement on Leasehold Reform. We wrote are response shortly after and have been advising numerous clients, new and existing on what this means for them.Our pithy answer is "there is great opportunity but it all depend on your personal circumstances". The vast majority of clients already ... Read more >>

We get 2 or 3 calls most weeks from owners whose neighbour has gone ahead with work which comes within the scope of the Party Wall Act without serving notice.They are surprised to hear that there are no penalties for such behaviour and their only remedy is to apply to the court for an injunction. Gaining an injunction seems to most owners to ... Read more >>

1. What is Probate? The definition of Probate is 'proving' which entails proving that the deceased's will in possession of the Executor is their last. Probate is granted by the Court which determines that the Executor has the power to administer the estate.Once Probate has been granted the Executor is able to sell the decease's property. 2. ... Read more >>

Following on from the Law Commissions Consultation and recommendations the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced “the biggest reforms to English property law for 40 years, fundamentally making home ownership fairer and more secure”.Peter Barry Surveyors have been fighting the corner for Leaseholders since 2010 and know too well ... Read more >>

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 has been with us for almost twenty-five years but it is still clear that the public has, at best, a tenuous grip on its details. I have outlined a few of the most common misunderstandings below:My extension will be on my own land so the Act does not apply.Section 6 of the Party Wall Act covers adjacent ... Read more >>