Templars Building Surveyors Ltd

Indicative Guide prices would be:

Building Survey: £900- £2000, for most properties but dependent on type of property, age, size etc.

Home Buyers' or Home Condition Report: £600 - £900

Principal Elements Survey: £700 - £1200

Targeted Surveys: These are charged at a time charge rate of £120 per hour.

Once we have full details to hand we will provide a fixed price.

We do not charge VAT on our fees.

VALUATIONS:

We do not undertake valuations. It is prudent to have a separate Valuation carried out before we survey, in case there are problems or issued raised by the Valuer.

Our survey can answer any of the questions or queries raised by the Valuer.

We do not include a Fire Insurance Valuation figure in our reports but if you are taking out a mortgage then the Mortgage Provider will normally include this in their report.

PARTY WALLS

THE PARTY WALL etc. ACT 1996:

This Act is an enabling Act for owners of property, known as Building Owners, to carry out building works for which they have lawful permission. Neighbours, known as Adjoining Owners, cannot frustrate the process. However in so exercising this right Building Owners must neither damage nor unduly inconvenience neighbours. The Party Wall Act is a mechanism to resolve these neighbourly matters.

NOTICES:

The serving of correct notices lies at the heart of the procedures for implementing the Act and are served on the three specific clauses:

Section 1 Notice - Construction and repair of walls on line of junction.

Section 2 Notice - Repair etc. of Party Wall

Section 6 Notice - Adjacent Excavation and Construction.

Notices are actually seeking the consent of neighbours to the works. In order for neighbours to give their consent the consent must be informed i.e. they must know to what they are consenting. This requirement is normally complied with by the issuing of drawings.

For notice under Section 6 drawings are required which show the depth of any proposed excavations .

Notice is generally served once planning permission has been obtained and more detailed working drawings are being prepared. The drawing accompanying the notice may be altered and amended before it forms part of the final Award document.

There is no specific requirement to serve notice under the Party Wall etc. Act for demolitions of buildings wholly on your land. If the buildings in question abut or are connected to buildings in the ownership of other persons then notice is required under sections 1 or 2.

RESPONSES:

a) Written Consent

If Adjoining Owners, having received the notice(s) agree to the proposals in writing then that is the Act complied with and no further actions are needed.

b) Consent with undertakings

If Adjoining Owners having received the notice(s), whilst agreeing in principle to the proposals, nevertheless want reassurance the Building Owner can confirm that they will make good any damage and address any other issues the Adjoining Owners may have. This should be done in writing.

The responsibility for this rests with the Building Owner and cannot be passed over to their contractor.

If requested we can provide a Schedule of Condition which will describe the condition of the Adjoining Owners' property before the Building Owner commences works. This Schedule of Conditions can act as a referral document in the event that damage occurs or is alleged to have occurred.

The advantage of this method is that it is less expensive as a full Award is not issued. The disadvantage is that in the event of a dispute the procedures for resolution, which form part of the procedures of the Act, are not available and must be resolved via other means, possible involving solicitors which may prove expensive.

We would only advise this course only where there is goodwill between the parties.

c) Party Wall Award

If the the Adjoining owners' do not consent to the notice (i.e. do not agree to the works), this is termed 'dissent' and a 'dispute' is deemed to have arisen under the Act.

Surveyors are only appointed if there is a dispute/disagreement, and have a quasi-judicial role.

Both sides can each appoint a surveyor to resolve the issues, or both sides can agree on a joint surveyor, known as The Agreed Surveyor.

The surveyor(s) will examine the drawings and site conditions and may request further details, method statements and other changes. The design responsibility will remain with the Building Owner's architect and/or Structural Engineer.

The surveyor(s) then carries out a Schedule of Condition to establish the condition of the neighbouring properties before works start. This Schedule of Condition is in written form accompanied by photographs which are normally held on the files of the surveyor(s).

The final drawings, which may have been amended from the initial drawings accompanying the notice(s) and Schedule of Condition is then attached to a legal document (known as 'The Award') which stipulates matters relating to hours of working, access, fees, compensation etc.

The surveyor(s) have the power to determine these matters. Surveyors once appointed cannot be sacked, but their decisions can be appealed -initially to a previously designated Third Surveyor and ultimately and if necessary to a Court.

Typically fees for a Party Wall Award for straightforward domestic properties are between £900 and £1200 for each property and/or surveyor. The Building Owner is responsible for all fees, unless the neighbours are considered to be acting vexatiously.

REGULATION

As an RICS regulated firm our files may be subject to monitoring and will need to be provided to RICS upon request .

PRIVACY POLICY

Templars Building Surveyors Ltd takes your privacy seriously. Our Privacy Policy sets out how we use and protect any information about you which we collect. If you have any queries about the content of this policy or would like to see a copy please e-mail enquiries @templars-bsl.co.uk

COMPLAINTS

In the event that you are dissatisfied with our service this company has a formal Complaints Procedure