LATEST BLOG POSTS
Welcome to Peter Barry’s blog posts. You’ll find a range of topics focussing on issues that are important to our clients where we try to answer the questions that we regularly get asked.
Who Appoints a Party Wall Surveyor?
Friday, 27th March 2026 | by: Peter Barry
If a dispute arises under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, a party wall surveyor must be appointed to resolve the matter. This usually happens when a neighbour serves a party wall notice and the adjoining owner either dissents or doesn’t respond within 14 days. At that point, surveyors are appointed to assess the works and prepare a legally binding document known as a party wall award. In ...
If a dispute arises under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, a party wall surveyor must be appointed to resolve the ...
A Guide to Serving a Party Wall Notice
Friday, 27th March 2026 | by: Peter Barry
If your building work falls within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you must notify your affected ...
Can I Do a Party Wall Agreement Myself?
Friday, 27th March 2026 | by: Peter Barry
If you’re planning building work, you might be tempted to undertake the party wall process yourself. And while in some ...
Does ChatGPT Know More Than Your Party Wall Surveyor?
Friday, 27th February 2026 | by: Matthew Price
AI tools are becoming many homeowners' first port of call when they receive a party wall notice. That's understandable — ...
Rear Extensions and the Party Wall Act
Friday, 20th February 2026 | by: Peter Barry
This is a follow up to a recent post covering loft conversions and specifically which aspects of the work fall within the ...
Loft Conversions and The Party Wall Act
Monday, 9th February 2026 | by: Peter Barry
Loft conversions and rear extension are the most common type of party wall related works that we assist owners with. I ...
Leasehold Reform Update January 2026: What the New Ground Rent Cap Means for Leaseholders
Tuesday, 27th January 2026 | by: Peter Barry
The government has now published its draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, signalling a major shift in the way leasehold properties in England and Wales are structured. Central to the proposals is a cap on ground rents — set at £250 per year — alongside a wider package of reforms designed to give homeowners more control and improve fairness in the system. For many leaseholders, ...
The government has now published its draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, signalling a major shift in the way ...
Practice Changing Party Wall Case Law – Lea Valley Development Limited v Derbyshire (2017)
Saturday, 15th November 2025 | by: Peter Barry
This is part of our series on court judgments that significantly changed the way that surveyors administer the Act. The ...
High Court Upholds Leasehold Reform: Landmark Ruling Clears the Way
Wednesday, 12th November 2025 | by: Matthew Price
Here at Peter Barry, we continue to handle a significant number of lease extension and freehold enfranchisement claims each ...
November 2025 Budget and Capital Gains Tax Valuations
Friday, 31st October 2025 | by: Steve Hobbs
Over recent weeks we’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of enquiries and instructions for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) ...
