For a home buyer it can be difficult to know where to start in the property market, and if you’re a first-time buyer it can be a minefield. Buying a new home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever … Find out more
How often have you considered the staircase in your home? Or if you’re looking to buy, do you really take note of the condition of the stairs? Unless you own, or wish to buy a bungalow, the stairs are in … Find out more
For many people, buying a home is one of the biggest decisions they will ever make so it makes sense to have the property inspected by an independent expert. Unless you are totally confident in the condition and construction of … Find out more
Last winter (2019/20) saw some terrible rainfall and flooding across the UK. Along the coast in Folkestone and Hythe (near to our Kent office), we had some fairly high tides too. It’s eight years since I wrote the original version … Find out more
Homeowners continue to add basements to their property, often because it is a cost-effective alternative to buying a bigger house, and options for building higher or outward might be limited. The process of constructing a basement is actually quite straightforward … Find out more
We have dealt with several instructions to assess the reasonableness of service charges presented by both local authority and private freeholders to private leaseholders – the service charge demand can be very high and with the current cladding issues can … Find out more
Do you have a regular maintenance plan for your home? Do you fix problems when they arise? Perhaps you should. We’ve seen some significant problems caused by the homeowner putting off small maintenance jobs or fixes. We know there’s always … Find out more
Dealing with party walls and neighbours are often not considered by homeowners when they are planning works, renovating or have a project on the go. Most people know they will need planning permission and building regs/control, but many haven’t heard … Find out more
Poorly installed cavity wall insulation can cause problems. In July 2020 the Chancellor announced a Green Homes Grant to give up to £5,000 in vouchers for insulation (BBC News, July 2020) A few years ago, we wrote this article about … Find out more
It happens all the time. You serve a party wall notice, wait and then… nothing. So, what do you do? Well, as far as the Party Wall etc Act is concerned there are 14 days to reply (in writing), after … Find out more
A large proportion of Collier Stevens’ work is serving party wall notices, agreeing awards and resolving disputes. We have a dedicated section in our Advice Hub that may help you answer any other party wall related queries. We’re often asked … Find out more
The Party Wall Act sets out what information a properly served party wall notice must contain. There is no standard format, but many party wall surveyors use standard templates to ensure that the notice provides the required information. It is … Find out more