In this week’s Property Surveying podcast, we are going to be discussing Party Wall Notice service and some helpful tips to try and generate the most positive adjoining owner notice response as possible.
If you’re planning on undertaking construction works that fall within the remit of the Party Wall Etc Act 1996, you will need to serve a Party Wall Notice upon the adjoining owner, a minimum of one month in advance of those construction works commencing.
Commonly, Party Wall Notices are served via the post, and are usually served by a Party Wall Surveyor, an architect, or the contractor themselves.
Here at Stokemont, we would recommend taking a more personal Party Wall Notice service approach, as this can significantly increase and improve the chances of getting a favourable party wall adjoining owner Party Wall Notice response.
Our top recommendation for obtaining a positive response, usually in the form of a Party Wall Consent, or the appointment of an agreed Party Wall Surveyor, is to serve the Party Wall Notice by hand directly to the neighbour.
The benefit of this type of approach is that it ensures that the Party Wall Notice is presented with a small owner to owner explanation, in a normal neighbourly manner, which can often go a long way in alleviating any concern that may exist surrounding the proposed works.
It also gives the two owners a chance to discuss any unrelated concerns that there may be, e.g. working hours, material deliveries, or any other type of neighbourly issues which commonly arise as a result of construction works.
If you are planning undertaking construction works to your property and would like to know if those proposed works fall within the realm of the Party Wall Etc Act 1996 and require Party Wall Surveying procedures to be followed, get in touch with our team of experienced and qualified surveyors here at Stokemont now, and we will be more than happy to assist you.
Equally, if you believe your neighbour is going to be undertaking some work shortly, and you would like to discuss the proposed works with a qualified and experienced surveyor, please give us a call now and we will be more than happy to help.