SURVEYS
Q: Why do I need to have a survey at all?
A: OK, this is probably the biggest single investment you have made (and will remain so until you buy your next home). For goodness sake, don’t risk all that investment by buying a property on the strength of one or two viewings, when you were more concerned with whether your three-piece suite will fit into the Lounge. (see: What different types of survey are there?)
Q: Isn’t a survey included in the Home Information Pack?
A: There is currently no mandatory requirement for this. This does not mean that the Vendor cannot have such a survey report prepared and included in the HIP and you should make sure whether this has been done before instructing a surveyor to produce a survey on your behalf.
Q: What different types of building survey are there?
A: General Building Surveys fall into three basic grades. These being the Valuation Survey, the Home Buyers Survey and the Full Building Survey These types of survey will provide, in ascending order of complexity and cost, a general view of the property’s condition. If you require any of these types of survey we recommend that you obtain the services of a general Building Surveyor – Local Surveyors Direct will be able to put you in contact with a professional surveyor in your local area.
Q: Why do I need a Structural engineer’s Report?
A: Structural Engineer’s Inspection and Report is commonly required when a property has evidence of past or ongoing structural movement – such as fracturing or distortion to walls, floors, roofs or internal finishes. The Structural Engineer will use specialist skills to determine the likely cause of the movement or damage and determine the most appropriate method of rectifying the problem.
Q: What survey do I have when leasing a property?
A: This largely depends upon the type of lease you are intending to enter into. Generally however, a Condition Survey would be most commonly undertaken. This type of survey is quite detailed and will identify any visual defects that exist at the property at the date of the survey, which is usually undertaken prior to commencement of the lease.
Q: How much will a survey cost?
A: The cost of a survey and report varies widely, depending upon the type of survey you need and the property type and size. Please contact our office to discuss your requirements with one of our qualified professional staff, who will be pleased to advise you fully.
Q: Whose responsibility is it to pay for the survey?
A: Your legal adviser may well advise you to observe the principle of “Caveat Emptor” which is a Latin phrase that roughly translated into English is “let the buyer beware”. However, in the course of the sale and/or purchase of a property, the decision as to whom should meet the cost of a survey and report is down to a process of negotiation between the Vendor (usually the property owner) and the Purchaser. In rather crude terms therefore, it will depend upon whether the Vendor is keener to sell the property than the Purchaser is to buy it.
Q: How long does it take?
A: From receipt of your firm instructions to proceed with the survey, we usually endeavour to inspect the property within about one week, subject to being able to gain access. Clearly, this cannot be a fixed period as the precise date will depend upon our current workload at any time. From whenever we gain access to carry out the survey, most of our reports are prepared and mailed to our Clients in about a further five working days.
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PARTY WALL etc ACT 1996
Q: When should a Party Wall Act Notice be served?
A: It may be necessary to serve a Notice under the provisions of the Party Wall etc Act 1996 if you intend to build a new party wall or do certain works to an existing party wall, or if you intend to excavate the ground within certain prescribed distances from a neighbouring building or structure. If you are in doubt, please contact our office and we shall be pleased to advise you.
Please refer also to the Communities and Local Government explanatory leaflet on the Party Wall etc Act 1996.
Q: My Neighbour has served me with a Party Wall Act Notice – what should I do?
A: Having been served with a Notice, you are required to reply in writing within 14 days of the date of service. If you do not do so then the matter may pass into a formal Dispute, meaning that one or more professional surveyors will need to be appointed to determine the dispute and subsequently make an Award. You must state whether you agree with your neighbour’s proposals or not. If you are in doubt, please contact our office and we shall be pleased to advise you.
Q: My neighbour is about to commence building works – should I have been served with a Party Wall Act Notice?
A: Please refer to the first FAQ in this section, which outlines the type of works that commonly require service of a Notice. If you believe that the works your neighbour intends to carry out may fall under the provisions of the Party Wall etc Act 1996 you are welcome to telephone our office and we shall do our best to advise you correctly. Assuming that there is no need for us to make a site visit we do no usually make a charge for this service.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Please contact our office and we will be pleased to give you our up-to-date prices. You should remember that if the Notice is incorrectly prepared or if the neighbouring owner places the matter into a dispute, the fee costs are likely to rise significantly.
Q: How long does it take?
A: If we are provided with all necessary information, then the preparation of Party Wall Act Notices should normally be completed within four or five working days. If the matter has already passed into a dispute and you intend to instruct us to act as your appointed Party Wall Surveyor then in normal circumstances we would hope to be able to complete all matters within about four to six weeks, but of course, this timescale may be longer than this if the issues are complicated.
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BUILDING DESIGN
Q: Can I build the extension that I want?
A: Before you build you will need in most cases to obtain approval from your Local Authority under The Town and Country Planning Act and the Building Regulations. If you are unsure please contact our office and we shall be pleased to advise you.
Q: What’s the difference between Planning and Building Regulations?
A: Certain schemes will require Local Authority approval under the Town and Country Planning Act. This Act is concerned primarily with the aesthetic appearance of your proposed development and its intended use. The Building Regulations are concerned with the more technical aspects of a building’s construction, such as structural stability, means of escape in case of fire, thermal insulation, disposal of sewage and so on.
Q: Why do I need structural calculations?
A: All structural elements that are not governed by empirical provisions contained within the Building Regulations Approved Documents will usually require structural calculations to prove their stability and suitability for use. Typical items requiring calculations would include steel beams, smaller sections of load-bearing masonry, non-standard foundations and the like.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Our fees for the preparation of design drawings and structural calculations do vary, depending upon the complexity and size of the proposed development. Please contact our office and we shall be pleased to advise you as accurately as possible for your individual scheme. If appropriate, we may suggest an initial on-site consultation with you in order that we may accurately determine the complexity of the work before we give you a firm quotation. We do not customarily make a charge for this visit.
Q: How long does it take?
A: Preparation of detailed drawings for Local Authority approval for domestic schemes usually takes from 2-6 weeks, depending upon the complexity of the scheme. From submission to the Local Authority obtaining Planning and Building Regulations approvals usually takes about 8 weeks. Please Note that the actual time taken by the Local Authority to check and process your application is completely outside of our control.
When preparing structural calculations, assuming that you are able to provide us with accurate drawings showing the extent of the proposed works, we usually are able to prepare structural calculations within 3-5 working days. If we need to make a site visit to make a measurement survey then the time taken may be a little longer.
Q: Can you recommend a Local Builder?
A: Taylor Tuxford Associates does not have any formal links with firms of builders. However, during the course of our work we do come into contact with many such firms and we take note of those who appear to have made a good job of the project and who the Clients are satisfied with. Please contact our office for contact details for these companies.
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