Party wall agreements for a wine cellar
Our building surveyors in Kent have received many interesting party wall queries involving wine cellars over the years. At Collier Stevens, our team of experienced surveyors can assist you with any party wall agreement matters, wine cellars or otherwise.
Party wall agreements for wine cellars
Spiral Cellars manufacture a pre-fabricated, circular wine cellar that can be dropped to a pre-formed hole in the ground, typically 2300mm in diameter and at least that deep. So, what that means is that if any part of the excavations is within 3m of a party wall then the provisions of section 6 will apply. In the case of a Victorian terraced house, this may mean that both sides will need a notice.
Serving a party wall notice
It is important that the right party wall notices are served at the right time – at least one month before you intend to start your installation. A valid notice will need to include a floor plan and cross sections through the excavation, so you’ll need to liaise either directly with the manufacturer or installer to get these details.
It’s quite straightforward to serve the notice yourself if you have all of the right information. We have a suitable party wall notice template that is free to use, and our party wall flow chart below should also help:
Responding to a party wall notice
After serving your party wall notice correctly, your neighbour will have 14 days to respond, otherwise they’re deemed to have dissented from your work and you will need a party wall agreement. This is not a ‘do it yourself’ process and you will need a party wall surveyor in London or Kent. Your neighbour will also appoint a surveyor at your cost.
We recommend that for works of a relatively straightforward nature such as this that your prepare the party wall notices and serve them personally.
If you don’t want to do it yourself, we can offer you two options – preparing the notices for you, or doing the whole thing from party wall notice to party wall agreement. The work falls inside the criteria for our low cost fixed fee service.
Get in touch for party wall support with Collier Stevens
At Collier Stevens, our highly experienced and qualified chartered surveyors in Kent and London can help with any party wall matters. Whether you just need a hand putting together the party wall notice, or you’d like us to guide you through the entire process, we’ve got you covered.
Get in touch for more information on how we can support you, and take a look at our party wall FAQs if you have any further questions.
Steven Way
Steven Way BSc MIHEEM MFPWS MRICS is the Practice Principal and is a Chartered Building Surveyor. With over 35 years as a practicing surveyor, Steve has a wealth of experience and expertise in both residential and commercial building surveying, party wall advice and disabled access auditing. He has also built his reputation as an expert witness.