Faulkners Surveyors is a reputable and professional firm of party wall surveyors in Braintree, specialising in all party wall matters in Braintree and the Home Counties. The company was founded in 2010 with the coming together of three independent experienced Surveyors who specialise in this niché location of surveying.
Do I need a party wall agreement in Braintree?
When do you need a party wall notice or party wall agreement (technically called a party wall award)? Our guide gives you all the responses you require to get the appropriate approvals to perform your structure works. And, if you need one, how to find a party wall surveyor.
When do I require a party wall agreement?
- A party wall is the shared wall, generally between a balcony or semi-detached house, and divides the homes of 2 different owners
- It likewise consists of garden walls constructed over a boundary and excavations near a neighbour’s residential or commercial property (within 3 or 6 meters, depending on the depth of the brand-new structures).
- In the house, Party Wall Agreements are most commonly needed for constructing works that involve loft conversions, the insertion of wet evidence courses and the digging of brand-new structures (as would be needed in building an extension).
Getting authorization for party wall structure works.
- Before party wall structure works can start, the homeowner (Building Owner) needs a composed Party Wall Agreement from all affected neighbours (Adjacent Owners).
- Or a surveyor has to be appointed to prepare a Party Wall Award (the agreed document detailing how the works must progress). Quickly discover certified local Party Wall Surveyors with our free Party Wall Surveyor service.
- To begin this procedure, the property owner needs to serve a Party Wall Notice on their neighbours, in writing, about the prepared party wall works.
Serving a party wall notice.
Serving notice can be done for totally free, using appropriate basic kinds or by a party wall surveyor for a flat fee. A letter of recognition for the neighbour to complete and return is normally included.
A homeowner has to give 2 months written notice on structure works which affect a party wall or limit, or one month’s notification for excavations.
Planning consent is not required to serve a Party Wall notice, and as soon as notification has been served, the property owner has up to a year to start work.
Gaining assent.
As soon as notice is served, a neighbour has fourteen days to respond, after which, there are three possible outcomes:.
i) The neighbour gives assent in composing supplying the house owner will put right any issues.
- In such simple cases, there is no need to designate a party wall surveyor or have a Party Wall Award.
- The property owner must take dated photos of the party wall and ideally have actually concurred composed notes of any fractures, with copies for both.
- Or a surveyor could be designated to examine and prepare a schedule of condition to minimise the danger of disputes later on. This should be done quickly before the work starts.
Dissent.
ii) If the neighbour dissents (or if they do not NOT respond within 2 week, in which case, they are presumed to have actually dissented), a Party Wall Award is required.
- In this case, both house owner and neighbour can appoint ONE Concurred Surveyor, normally within 10 days, who can act impartially for both.
- The agreed surveyor must be independent and NOT the exact same property surveyor the homeowner might be utilizing for their own works. Otherwise their neighbour is not likely to see the property surveyor as neutral.
- The Agreed Property surveyor produces an “Award” which information the works proposed and a schedule of condition, including images, of the neighbour’s house.
- Surveyors’ rates vary between ₤ 150.00 and ₤ 200.00 per hour and a party wall award and property surveyor costs roughly ₤ 1000.00.
- Some architects are also able to act as surveyors.
iii) Each owner selects their own surveyor. This is costly for the property owner who is accountable for the costs of their neighbour’s surveyor as well as their own.
It is necessary that all these choices offered to the neighbour, are discussed plainly in the notice.
Preserving great relationships with your neighbours.
- Before publishing a Party Wall notice through your neighbour’s letterbox, which can appear intimidating, have a friendly chat.
- A shared cup of tea cultivates good will and allays fears. It is a chance to show sketches and describe the prepared works. It is worthwhile including that a formal notification will be sent out later on.
- It is reasonable for your neighbour to request for the contact details of your surveyor and/or structure company for further details and reassurance.
Typical mistakes.
i) not offering sufficient notification.
If you live in a terraced home, neighbours on both sides may be affected depending on the works. A property owner living next to flats, might require to serve notice on a number of different individuals.
iii) not explaining the proposed work exactly enough or not consisting of enough details. Notifications about excavations, for instance, need to include full structural information.
iv) not using the requirement, or incorrect form of notice. The kind of notice for excavating foundations is different from a party wall.
One building project might require more than one kind of notice served on each affected neighbour.
Timeline.
2 months and one day later: constructing works can start, presuming the party wall award has actually been concurred.
One year and one day later on: developing works should have started.
Discover a party wall surveyor.
Use our totally free tool to find a regional party wall surveyor and compare quotes.
When do you need a party wall notice or party wall agreement (technically called a party wall award)? And, if you need one, how to discover a party wall surveyor.
It is rewarding adding that a formal notification will be sent out later on.
If you live in a terraced home, neighbours on both sides might be affected depending on the works. A property owner living next to flats, might need to serve notification on a number of various people.
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Learn More about Party Wall
A party wall (occasionally parti-wall or parting wall, also known as common wall or as a demising wall) is a dividing partition between two adjoining buildings that is shared by the occupants of each residence or business. Typically, the builder lays the wall along a property line dividing two terraced houses, so that one half of the wall’s thickness lies on each side. This type of wall is usually structural. Party walls can also be formed by two abutting walls built at different times. The term can be also used to describe a division between separate units within a multi-unit apartment complex. Very often the wall in this case is non-structural but designed to meet established criteria for sound and/or fire protection, i.e. a firewall.
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