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.
Written or Photographic Schedule of Condition?
Sunday, 21st March 2021 | by: Peter Barry
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 document in a schedule of condition was the written ...
While the current social distance regulations remain in place, surveyors are under pressure to spend as little time inside ...
Additional Storeys and The Party Wall Act
Sunday, 7th March 2021 | by: Peter Barry
An amendment to the General Permitted Development Order which allows property owners to add up to 2 further storeys to their ...
Proposed Leasehold Reform: Opportunities for negotiation
Friday, 19th February 2021 | by: Matthew Price
It is over a month since the Housing Secretary's announcement on Leasehold Reform. We wrote are response shortly after and ...
7 Common Queries About Probate
Monday, 18th January 2021 | by: Matthew Price
1. What is Probate? The definition of Probate is 'proving' which entails proving that the deceased's will in possession of ...
Our Response to Leasehold Reform
Monday, 11th January 2021 | by: Peter Barry
Following on from the Law Commissions Consultation and recommendations the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced ...
Garden Offices and The Party Wall Act
Thursday, 20th August 2020 | by: Peter Barry
A recent survey found that almost three in five (59%) said that after lockdowns lift, they would like to work from home some ...
Working hours and the Party Wall Act
Sunday, 12th July 2020 | by: Peter Barry
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 template party wall award (7th Edition): [If the ...
Section 10(12) of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 confirms that an award may cover the ‘time and manner of executing any ...
Rishi Sunak’s Stamp Duty Holiday
Wednesday, 8th July 2020 | by: Peter Barry
Of all taxes, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is one of the more debatable (and liked) as it significantly slows the pace at ...
Selling a Flat with a Short Lease
Monday, 6th July 2020 | by: Matthew Price
One of the most common reasons for leaseholders wanting to extend their leases is the need to sell. A property's value ...
Lease Extension & Enfranchisement – Inspection vs Desktop Options
Tuesday, 23rd June 2020 | by: Matthew Price
It has been 100 days since Boris Johnson announced in a televised address, that the UK was to go into lockdown. At the time, ...
