Property Surveys and Party Wall Advice in Putney

Occasionally we get an anxious homeowner contact us explaining that they have either forgotten or did not know about the need to serve party wall notices. Such an owner was recommended by a friend to get in touch with James Merewether, one of our surveyors, as she needed immediate assistance with a proposed side infill extension to her Putney property. There was pressure to complete the party wall process within a few weeks as she had builders already booked in to commence the works on a specific date and any delays would be costly.

James talked her through the process including potential responses to notices and proactively called and emailed her neighbour to chase a response. The neighbour dissented but appointed James as the Agreed Surveyor allowing him to complete the process within a few weeks, much to the satisfaction of the homeowner:

‘Great service, very friendly, professional and helpful. My application was very last minute, I didn’t understand the process and how long I needed. James explained everything well and … party wall documents were delivered on time before the work started.’

Steve Hobbs, one of our team of lease extension specialists, recently undertook a lease extension valuation for a period conversion flat on Lower Richmond Road in Putney.

This being a straightforward matter (a relatively low value extension claim due to the client having a fairly long lease) we were able to carry out the valuation on a desktop basis in order to minimise costs and produce the report quickly.

The client had various questions about the valuation and about the process in general, and was grateful for the guidance and aftercare we provided, commenting; ‘…not only their fees are very competitive, their service quality is also smooth and professional. Report was returned very quickly and liaising with team members Steve and Joanne, I felt that all my queries were dealt with smoothly. Recommend and Thank you!’

David Breeze, our surveyor, conducted an RICS Level 2 Homebuyer report on a two-bedroom apartment located in Putney, SW15.

Overall, he found the flat to be in good condition and well-maintained. However, he identified a few areas that required renewal, such as the mastic seals around the windows and doors. David discussed these findings with the client during a follow-up phone call.
He also recommended that the client review the service charge records thoroughly to check for any upcoming major works and to better understand both current and past expenditures reflected in the high service charge.

The findings were presented in our clear and easy-to-understand report, which uses a traffic light system to indicate the severity of each issue. In this system, green indicates elements in good condition, yellow highlights advisory concerns, and red signals issues that need urgent attention.
In a review left by the client, they praised our “prompt service” and expressed their satisfaction with the report.