Author: admin
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Are my Proposed Works Covered by The Party Wall Act?
We thought it would be useful to have a single article summarising all works which come within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and therefore require a notice to be served. The focus of this article is alterations and extensions to residential properties. Notifiable works will fall in to one of three…
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What is a Party Wall?
In simple terms, a party wall divides the buildings of two owners with the boundary between ownerships usually, but not always, positioned at the centre of the wall. Section 20 of the The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 recognises two different types of party wall: Type A A wall that stands astride the boundary of…
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The Role of the Party Wall Surveyor
The term “surveyor” is defined in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 as any person who is not a party to the works. That rules out the possibility of an owner acting for themselves but anyone else is permitted to take an appointment. That includes whoever is overseeing the works on the owner’s behalf, be…
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What are Property Searches
Most people know that when they buy a property the solicitor carries out “searches” on their behalf. What is not so well known is what searches are and what sort of thing may be found? There are three searches that are normally undertaken by the solicitor on your behalf: Local Authority Search The Local Authority…
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Conveyancing Fees
As well as the legal costs involved in buying or selling a property there are the so-called “disbursements”. These are sums paid out by the solicitor to third parties and vary depending on whether you are buying or selling a property. These fees will remain constant from solicitor to solicitor and in most cases they…
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Conveyancing Process (Selling)
The following is a general guide to the conveyancing procedure when you are selling a property. If you are in doubt about any specific issue you should consult your solicitor directly. Initial steps Legal Work prior to Contracting to Sell Your Mortgage Signing your Contract Exchange of Contracts Between Exchange and completion On Completion
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Conveyancing Process (Buying)
The following is a general guide to the conveyancing procedure when buying a property. If you are in doubt about any specific issue you should consult your solicitor directly. Initial Stages Once you have told the solicitor that you wish to use their services you should receive a Letter of Engagement or Confirmation of Terms…
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Guide to Choosing a Solicitor
The person carrying out the conveyancing work, be that a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer, is right at the heart of every residential property transaction so it is important that you pick the best person for the job. When we compiled the list of solicitors on this site we focused on long established local companies…
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Changes to the Planning Regulations – Permitted Development
Homeowners planning to add space to their property will have less red tape to negotiate now that planning regulations covering extensions and loft conversions have been relaxed. The changes are expected to affect around 80,000 homeowners a year and came in to affect on 1st October. Since the property market picked up in 1995 the…
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Re-negotiating after Survey
It is what all homebuyers fear. You have found the property that you want to buy only to get a survey report that reads more like a horror story. You have three options; pull out, proceed at the agreed price and accept the problems or try and renegotiate. The later option should always be tried…