Latest blog posts

As an architectural technician working in close conjunction with our clients it has become increasingly obvious that the stages involved when wanting to proceed with works at a property aren’t quite clear. I have therefore decided that it is only fitting that the first post from the architectural team address this crucial issue as otherwise ... Read more >>

Writing as the owner of a surveying practice that undertakes a large volume of party wall work I have to say I’m happy that not all party wall notices are consented to but it does concern me how poorly the Act is understood by the general public and how many unnecessary party wall disputes arise as a result of that poor understanding. If you ... Read more >>

The UK, like any other country in the world, has various requirements and limitations in respect to non-citizen’s living and working arrangements. As we are part of the European Union (for the time being anyway) workers from within this economic area benefit from the operation of what is an internal/single market which allows free movement of ... Read more >>

Accurately recording the condition of adjoining properties is an important part of the process of producing a party wall award (many owners think it’s the only part!) so I thought it was worthy of a blog post in its own right. When our trainees start working on party wall files the skills involved in preparing schedules is the first thing ... Read more >>

The roof is one of the most important parts of a building. It is responsible for protecting the structure beneath from weather, and its failure can have a serious effect on other elements of the building. The roof structure is responsible for supporting the weather-tight roof covering, and distributing its loads (which tend to be considerable) to ... Read more >>

Notices Once you have received a copy of your report you will need to pass a copy to your solicitor who will use our best case figure to serve a formal Notice. Technically this is a Section 42 for lease extensions and a Section 13 Notice for freehold enfranchisements. Once the notice is served the freeholder has a period of 2 months to respond ... Read more >>

I thought it might be helpful to owners planning a basement extension, and indeed to those living next door to a proposed basement extension, to provide an overview of party wall procedures with the emphasis on the special characteristics of this type of work. This article could have been two or three times longer but to prevent it from ... Read more >>