Latest blog posts

In an ideal world the appointed surveyors would have all the information they require available and be in a position to cover all aspects of the work in detail in the award but there are situations where that is either not possible or pragmatic. We refer to these as ‘reserved matters’ i.e. a matter where some additional information is required ... Read more >>

When a party wall award has been agreed it should be served on the owners without delay or ‘forthwith’ as the authors of the Act put it but how does that happen in practice? Until section 15 of the Act was amended by the Electronic Communications Act in 2016 all awards were generally served either by post or in person. The typical procedure ... Read more >>

A recent survey found that almost three in five (59%) said that after lockdowns lift, they would like to work from home some or all of the time in their current job. The creation of a home office space is therefore going to be a priority for many people in the months ahead. If you have the luxury of a spare room that’s great but won’t be the ... Read more >>

If you’re familiar with party wall procedures you’ll know that the award is the document produced by the surveyor(s) to resolve the dispute which arose when an adjoining owner dissented to the notice(s) but that's not always the end of the story. The 6th Edition of the RICS template award included a clause stating that the surveyors ... Read more >>

Section 10(12) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 confirms that an award may cover the ‘time and manner of executing any work’. As one of the key principles of the Act is to avoid adjoining owners suffering unnecessary inconvenience, it is logical that the appointed surveyor(s) should have this power. This is the relevant clause from the RICS ... Read more >>

Of all taxes, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is one of the more debatable (and liked) as it significantly slows the pace at which the housing market can operate. It is particularly restrictive on first-time buyers who make a significant contribution to a functioning market. Less first time buyers, less second-time buyers to buy their next property, ... Read more >>

One of the most common reasons for leaseholders wanting to extend their leases is the need to sell. A property's value decreases along with the lease, with a 70-year lease worth around 90% of a 100-year lease, whilst a 60-year lease is more like 80%. The basic mathematics of the lease extension process means that the cost of extending, plus ... Read more >>