Latest blog posts

As we all adjust to the new reality of home working everyone is having to adjust the way they do business. Residential surveying is founded on the need to visit and inspect people's homes and properties, but there are many types of work that with small adjustments can still function remotely. Desktop Reports A report for a lease extension can be ... Read more >>

Here at Peter Barry, we have been very aware of our obligations to our clients, staff and the Country given that our job involves visiting people's homes and properties.Our Managing Director Justin Burns outlined our procedures and introduced Risk Management Plans for all work types on 16th March.  By the end of that week, we were able to ... Read more >>

This time last week the UK was forging its own course of action through the COVID-19 crisis leaving many to question whether we were doing enough.  Then came Monday 16th and Boris's announcement of mass postponement of sporting events, curtailment of social gatherings and for employees to work from home.Peter Barry, along with the rest of the ... Read more >>

The Bank of England has cut its base rate from 0.75% to 0.25%. The last time there was a cut was back in 2016 but rates have been at a very low level since the financial crash of 2008.Some mortgages will get cheaper but not all:Fixed-Rate: as the name suggests, your rate cannot change during the fixed period but you can generally start ... Read more >>

Here at Peter Barry, we serve hundreds of notices in any given year. Once a neighbour receives a notice they are a range of response options. Whilst to us as Chartered Surveyors these seem straight forward and obvious, we take plenty of phone calls that suggest that to the majority of people it is in fact not.This article will look to unravel ... Read more >>

We have previously covered worked examples of how a typical lease extension works but never freehold purchases (enfranchisements) as these are more complicated.It shouldn't really be this way, so this article will look at a typical scenario that Peter Barry encounters with a focus on simplicity. Part 1 - The Basics Of all the flat owners in ... Read more >>

We have previously written blogs on this matter first in 2013 and then in 2017 we have taken hundreds of calls from clients who thanked us for explaining an often poorly understood process.But before the author gives himself a pat on the back, it has also come to my attention that we could offer an even clearer explanation. In 2020 where time ... Read more >>