Commercial alterations can become a major issue when a lease ends. A tenant may have obtained permission to carry out works, but that does not necessarily mean the alterations can remain indefinitely. What happens to alterations at lease expiry? The answer depends on...
If your neighbour is planning an extension, loft conversion, basement or other substantial works, you may receive a Party Wall Notice. It is easy to dismiss the notice as just another piece of paperwork. However, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can give adjoining owners...
Discovering that your neighbour has started building work without receiving a Party Wall Notice can be frustrating. However, the appropriate response depends on the nature of the works and whether the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 actually applies. Does every building...
At the end of a commercial lease, attention often turns to dilapidations. But one of the most important pieces of evidence may be a document prepared years earlier: the original Schedule of Condition. Why does the original condition matter? A commercial property will...
Not all property surveys have the same purpose or level of inspection. A mortgage valuation, home survey, building survey and specialist defect inspection can produce very different conclusions because they are answering different questions. Why can surveys disagree?...
Property disputes can quickly become complicated when each party has a different explanation for what caused the damage. A specialist defect assessment can help separate the observed defect from assumptions about its cause. What does a defect analysis involve? A...
A Schedule of Condition can look like an unnecessary expense when a commercial property is being leased. After all, why spend money documenting defects that are already visible? Because those defects could become important when the lease ends. What is a Schedule of...
An asking price is not the same thing as a professional valuation. Estate agents, buyers, lenders and surveyors can all have different reasons for placing a figure on a property. What is a RICS valuation? A professional valuation is undertaken for a defined purpose...
Cracks are one of the most common causes of concern for homeowners. The immediate assumption is often subsidence, but cracking can arise for many different reasons. What can cause cracking? Possible causes include: Normal thermal or moisture-related movement....
Commercial tenants often want to adapt premises to suit their business. Removing partitions, installing new services or changing the layout may appear straightforward, but the tenant's lease can restrict alterations. Ignoring those requirements can create problems...
