Party Wall & Property Surveys in Felixstowe

Our surveyor Justin Burns recently prepared a Level 3 Building Survey on a 19^th Century detached cottage close to the village of Kirton which is located approx. 4 miles in land from Felixstowe. The inspection was completed within 3 days of our instruction being confirmed and the report prepared well within our standard 5 days turnaround for Building Surveys.

The property had a damp issue across the front wall which appeared to be caused by bridging to the damp-poof course (DPC). The report highlighted the issue and considered the methods of resolving it. Our surveyor dealt with a number of follow-up queries over the subsequent days.

With the report in hand, our client could proceed with a good idea of what to expect in terms of remedial works. They commented ‘we really love this property, and just want to make sure it’s not doomed and we don’t need to spend thousands and thousands just to make it safe. It sounds like this isn’t the case. Thank you, that helps put my mind at ease!’

We were recently instructed to schedule the condition of properties to either side of a development site on the outskirts of a village just across the River Orwell from Felixstowe. The site had been the location of a pub but would now house residential properties.

The building owner had already secured the adjoining owners’ consent under the Party Wall Act but that consent was conditional upon a local Chartered Surveyor preparing schedules of condition. The schedules are a written record of the condition of those parts of the adjoining properties at risk from the works and is recorded just prior to works commencing. The written record is supported by a set of photographs.

Our surveyor Justin Burns undertook the instruction and managed to visit both properties on the same day meaning that we could pass the saving on to our client. Work was due to commence the following week.

It’s essential to have an accurate record of the condition of the adjoining owner’s property to include in a party wall award as it may be required if there is a dispute later in the process regarding the cause of reported damage. This will take the form of a schedule of condition which includes a written description of any existing cracks together with supporting photographs.

The schedule of condition is traditionally prepared by the surveyor acting for the building owner while being shadowed by the adjoining owner surveyor who will check it later. This was the procedure followed by our surveyor on a recent party wall dispute in the seaside town of Dovercourt which is located to the south of Felixstowe on the opposite side of the River Orwell.

It’s important that the descriptions within the schedule of condition are specific as any vagueness could be misinterpreted to cover defects that occur as a result of the works. It was necessary in this case for our surveyor, who was acting for the adjoining owners, to request that descriptions were tightened up following review.

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When inspecting a property that has been empty for some time it can be difficult to determine how seriously to treat evidence of condensation – is it just the result of the property being unoccupied and unheated, or does it date back further?

Our surveyor Justin Burns faced this challenge recently when preparing an RICS Level 2 survey on a retirement flat in central Felixstowe. Mould growth was noted around the windows but, being a vacant flat, there was nobody to ask when it had first appeared. The windows were double glazed but dated and were allowing the reveals to get cold and, when combined with a dated heating system, attract condensation. Justin also included advice on what appeared to be a poorly performing bathroom extractor fan in case that was a contributing factor.

Our client appreciated the thoroughness of the inspection confirming that the report was ‘of a high standard and exactly what [they] asked for”.

Our surveyor Justin Burns recently acted as the Agreed Surveyor in a party wall dispute relating to a single storey extension to a corner property close to the town of Aldeburgh. When recording the schedule of condition, it became clear that the adjoining property had suffered movement in the past and had several significant cracks. It’s part of the surveyor’s role to anticipate the risk of damage and include safeguards in the award.

Thankfully, in this case, the designer was aware of the issue and had specified a shallow raft type foundation avoiding the need for carefully sequenced excavation. The award reduced the risk further by requiring the building owner to cover any open excavation with an impervious board in advance of heavy rain.

The building owner was satisfied with how the process was handled commenting that Justin “acted quickly and professionally to set up a party wall award”.