Blog
Interrupting the natural flow of underground streams
Monday 23rd November 2020
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Location: Parkside.-Southwest London-basements November 2020. Issue: interrupting the natural flow of underground streams. Tayross Associates; chartered building surveyors recently became involved in a party wall dispute between neighbours in Parkside Gardens Southwest London. The issue at hand…
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – What does the Act cover?
Monday 23rd November 2020
Abbie Reid MSc BA Hons MFPWS
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 came into force throughout England and Wales. It provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes relating to party walls, boundary walls and…
Dating a residential property
Monday 23rd November 2020
Joshua Pearce Ba Hons
Location: Stanmore Dating a residential property is an important part of conducting a survey. One of the best ways to do this is by…
What to be aware of when buying a property under high voltages cables connected to pylons as part of the national grid?
Monday 23rd November 2020
Lea Streat _BSc Hons_
Location: Pinner North West London- Structural Survey November 2020. Issue: When conducting a survey a high Voltage cable connected to a Pylon was noted running over the property. Within the deeds…
Damp patch on chimney breast
Monday 16th November 2020
Lea Streat _BSc Hons_
Structural building Survey November 2020 Location: Pinner, North West London Issue: Birds nesting within chimney breasts of unused chimneys causing damp internally Tayross Associates recently undertook a structural survey on a 1930's detached three-bed property. Whilst conducting…
Building Dispute
Monday 16th November 2020
Joshua Pearce _Ba Hons_
Tayross is currently working on a building dispute on a 1930's semi-detached, three-bed property in Northwood. The original project included a side two-storey extension, rear single-storey extension, attic conversion and a complete building remodel; the…
Replacing Bressummer
Monday 16th November 2020
Carl O'Boyle _BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS_
Tayross visited a property in Fulham this week, they discovered that the front bay window needed to be rebuilt. This is because the bressummer, a common form of support for brickwork above bay windows, had deteriorated…
Party Wall - Removal of internal chimney breasts and other internal alterations
Monday 16th November 2020
Abbie Reid MSc BA Hons MFPWS
Property Type: Double fronted mid-terraced house, converted into separate units. Work Type: Removal of internal chimney breasts and other internal alterations. We were appointed by the Building Owner to notify all of the Adjoining Owners of…
Schedule of Dilapidations in Bishopsgate, London.
Wednesday 4th March 2020
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We recently carried out a Schedule of Dilapidations in a commercial offices in Bishopsgate, London. The client was moving offices due to the implications of Brexit and they needed a valuation to return the premises to pre-lease condition. We were able to…
Detailed building & structural survey pre-internal remodelling in Mayfair carried out by Tayross Associates Chartered Surveyors
Wednesday 4th March 2020
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Tayross Associates located in Pinner were recently asked to carry out a survey on £100 million property in Mayfair. The purpose of the survey was to determine any remedial works…
Recent Structural Survey carried out in Kensington, London by Tayross Associates Chartered Surveyors
Thursday 13th February 2020
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
London building surveys at outer London prices. The average cost of carrying out a detailed structural survey on an typical £5 million property in central London can cost you upwards of £5000.00. We…
Recent dilapidations schedule carried out in Soho London by Tayross Associates Chartered Surveyors
Wednesday 8th January 2020
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We recently carried out a Schedule of Dilapidations in central London at Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LJ. The property consisted of a first floor traditional build…
What is the point of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and how does it benefit me?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
What is the point of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and how does it benefit me I see as an experienced surveyor different opinions on the question "what is the…
What is the importance of a schedule of condition report, sometimes referred to as a partial schedule of condition?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
A Schedule of Condition is essential! It's like drawing a line in the sand to record the condition of all of the adjoining properties…
The Role of a Party Wall Surveyor - What Does a Party Wall Surveyor Actually Do?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
The term surveyor is defined in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 as any person who is not party to the works. This means you do not necessarily have to…
How To Inform Your Neighbours About Party Wall Works
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
It is obviously best to discuss your planned work fully with the Adjoining Owners before you (or your professional adviser on your behalf) give notice, in writing, about what you plan to…
Party Wall Disputes and Neighbours
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
At Tayross Associates we have an enviable record as acting as the Agreed Surveyor for parties engaging in building works and handling Party Wall disputes with neighbours. We regularly save Building Owners thousands of…
How to Keep Party Wall Surveyors Fees Down
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
When serving a Party Wall Notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the last thing you want to do is download a…
I Need a Party Wall Surveyor in Pinner
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Pinner is located in the London Borough of Harrow, with early recordings of its existence dating back to 1231 when it was called…
Are My Building Works Notifiable Under The Party Wall Act?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
At Tayross Associates we are happy to receive drawings from Building Owners to advise which works are notifiable and which sections apply under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Not only will we advise…
Section 10 (4) Party Wall Notices – When are they used?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
A Section 10(4) Party Wall Notices is served when an Adjoining Owner fails after 14 days to respond to an initial Notice. At Tayross Associates, we find there are a number of reasons why an Adjoining Owner…
What is an Adjoining Owner?
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, what does "Adjoining Owner" mean? Essentially, an Adjoining Owner is anyone with an interest greater than a yearly tenancy in the adjoining property, or the property next door to your…
The Pitfalls of Serving Your Own Party Wall Notice
Friday 26th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
The main issue with serving your own notices (often downloaded from Google) is that you're acting as someone who should have experience of Party Wall matters and without this experience it's…
Party Wall Injunction & Stay of Works
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
What is a Party Wall injunction or a stay of works? A Party Wall Injunction is obtained by the Adjoining Owner when a Building Owner commences the notifiable work to their property without having served a Party Wall…
How can I persuade my neighbour to use one Agreed Surveyor?
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We at Tayross Associates often get asked the question, "How can I persuade my neighbour to use one Agreed Surveyor?" I always say that the key to successfully agreeing one Surveyor operating for…
Serving a Notice under the Party Wall Act
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
It is obviously best to discuss your planned work fully with the Adjoining Owners before you (or your professional adviser on your behalf) give notice, in writing, about…
The Party Wall Act and Compensation
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Section 7 (2) Compensation According to this section, the Building Owner must compensate for 'any loss or damage which may result to any of them by reason of any work executed in pursuance of this Act.' In order for this to…
Finlock Gutters: Their Problems and The Solutions
Thursday 25th July 2019
Enrico Hernandez BSc PGDipSurv MFPWS
Finlock gutters are a concrete guttering system commonly found in properties dated between 1950 and 1970. Mainly manufactured by a company called Royston, several different styles of Finlock…
Do I need a Schedule of Condition when taking over a lease?
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
It is essential when taking over the lease from another party that a line in the sand is drawn at this stage as you will become liable…
Do I need an RICS HomeBuyer report or a full detailed Building Survey?
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We at Tayross Associates Chartered Surveyors and Building Consultants often get asked what is the difference between a RICS HomeBuyers report and a full detailed Building Survey (level 3) or sometimes referred to as a structural building report.…
Party Wall Dissent Options
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
It's not unusual for Building Owners to try and convince Adjoining Owners that they only have one option and that is to dissent to the works and appoint an Agreed Surveyor of the…
The Importance Of A Schedule Of Condition Report
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
party wall schedule of condition A Schedule of Condition is essential! Whilst not actually a legal requirement when it comes to Party…
Area Guide: Pinner in The London Borough of Harrow
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Pinner is in the London Borough of Harrow and dates back to as far as the 14th Century. Known for its wide tree-lined streets, most of…
Builder Dispute in London - Case Study
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
builder dispute in london We were contacted by our clients regarding a dispute they were having with their builder, regarding the workmanship of the works that were carried out and a pricing of the works left unfinished when…
What happens if I do not serve a valid Party Wall Notice?
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Should I serve a Party Wall Notice if I'm cutting into the Party Wall for steel beams/What happens if I don't serve Party Wall Notice for these type of works? -- We were recently called into…
The importance of a Schedule of Condition/Dilapidations
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We recently had a client that called us to assess a Dilapidation invoice for £70,000 plus VAT in the Middlesex area.…
A Useful Guide to Party Wall Definitions
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Useful Party Wall Definitions It's always useful to understand definitions when it comes to application of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. We at Tayross Associates tend to talk in plain language when discussing…
The True Value of a Schedule of Condition for a Commercial Lease
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of parties taking on new leases of properties that do not have a schedule of their existing condition carried out before signing…
My Insurance Policy Will Not Cover My Leaking Basement (Battersea)
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Last year we featured a blog post about a leaking basement in a newly refurbished flat in Lavender Hill, Battersea. We are often asked if a detailed building structural survey is necessary when buying into newly…
Do You Have a Defective Slate Roof?
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Looking at a defective slate roof in Pinner We at Tayross Associates Chartered Building Surveyors were recently asked to inspect a newly completed slate covered roof in London. We visited site when the…
Danger/Risk/Hazard of Private Party Wall Agreements
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Private Party Wall Agreements We at Tayross Associates often come across cases where the BO's (Building Owners) have privately agreed works without serving notices on their neighbours. We find that this can be a very risky and dangerous way of trying to…
Latest update and thinking on Schedules of Condition and leases for commercial properties
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
In response to a landlord's request for payment to replace the roof of a listed building, Tayross Associates have been employed by tenants of a commercial premises to…
Building near to a public sewer
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Building near a public sewer We at Tayross Associates often get that distressing phone call when a Building Owner gets into difficulties with their building works. Recently we had a Building Owner in Ruislip who got into…
Building Defect Analysis: Structural damage to stone columns in a bay window of a Victorian house
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We were recently asked by a client to visit a Victorian mid-terraced house in Highgate, London (N6) suffering from structural issues. The client was concerned about vertical cracks running virtually the full…
High/Low Voltage Cable Discovered During a RICS Level 3 Building Survey
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Manhole in garden build over agreement We were recently instructed by our Client to carry out an RICS Level 3 Building Survey on a detached house in Pinner. And as part of our Building Surveys…
Recently concluded crane and scaffolding licenses for a development in South West London
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
When carrying out building works, developers, contractors and the like should allow a minimum of 12 weeks lead in to get approval of scaffolding and…
Crane and Scaffold Licence in London
Thursday 25th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
At Tayross Associates we can provide crane and scaffold licenses for property developers undertaking major building works in and around London. To find…
How do I find a cost effective Party Wall Surveyor?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
As a Party Wall Surveyor with 25 years experience in the building industry you get to see all the things that could go wrong when undertaking a…
We have served a party wall notice on our neighbour but they are not responding or replying what should we do?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Try speaking to them about it, in fact it's always a good idea to speak to them before you issue a Notice and then it does not come across…
I have been just served a Notice how do I appoint a Party Wall Surveyor at my neighbour’s cost?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We would first check on the validity of party wall notices at no cost. If you decide that you would like a "party wall award" drawn…
What do I do with a Party Wall Notice that I have just received from my next door neighbour - should I appoint my own surveyor or should I ignore it?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
If you have received a party wall notice you would be wise to consult a party wall surveyor and subject to the…
Who pays for the Party Wall Award? / Who pays the fees?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Who pays for the Party Wall Award? / Who pays the fees? The surveyor (or surveyors) will decide who pays the fees for drawing…
Can I appoint my Party Wall Surveyor as an “Agreed Surveyor” on behalf of my neighbour?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
What is an "Agreed Surveyor" / What is an "Appointed Surveyor" Under the Act both parties can use the same Party…
Do I have to pay to build on a Party Wall?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Your agreement with the Adjoining Owner, or the Award in the event of a dispute, will set this out. The general principle in the Act is that the Building Owner who initiated the work…
Can a building owner act as a Party Wall Surveyor?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
No. The surveyor should have a good knowledge of construction and of administering the Party Wall etc. Act. A qualified building professional…
What is a Party Wall Surveyor?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
What does a Party Wall Surveyor do? The Surveyor(s) are responsible for preparing a ""Party Wall Award" in relation to proposed works on / near the party wall, after a Notice has been served. This Party…
What is a Party Wall Notice?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
When do I serve a Party Wall Notice? / How much notice do I give before starting any building works? Under…
Party Wall Act – Informing neighbours about building works?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
How do I inform the Adjoining Owner or owners? / Serving a Notice under the Party Wall Act. It is…
Party Wall - Who is the Adjoining Owner?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Under the Party Wall Act, what does "adjoining owner" mean? Essentially, an Adjoining Owner is anyone with an interest greater than a…
Can I build on a Party Wall?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Where a Building Owner wants to carry out various sorts of work to an existing party wall, then the Act provides them with additional rights which extend beyond…
The Importance of Dilapidation Schedules
Wednesday 3rd July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We at Tayross Associates located in Pinner Middlesex were recently asked to provide advice on a Schedule Of Dilapidations for Television House in Eastcote for a client. The client had been in occupation of the offices since 2003 and had…
Basement in Harrow
Wednesday 3rd July 2019
Carl O’Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
At Tayross Associates were recently asked to provide party wall services for a basement construction in central Harrow. We are now finding that more and more people in the Harrow area are planning on building subterranean…
Is it necessary to commission a detailed commercial building survey report when taking over an existing lease?
Wednesday 17th April 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Usually when taking over the lease from another party it is essential to have some sort of Schedule of Condition or Dilapidations Survey so that it is evident which…
RICS Commercial Building Survey in Harrow
Wednesday 17th April 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Overview: Commercial Building Survey in Harrow of an existing high street shop and storage area. Advice given on flat development at rear. - Flat roof issues. - Scaffolding…
Building Defect Analysis: Structural damage to stone columns in a bay window of a Victorian house
Monday 4th March 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We were recently asked by a client to visit a Victorian mid-terraced house in Highgate, London (N6) suffering from structural issues. The client was concerned about vertical cracks running virtually the full…
Party Wall enclosure costs for basements - What you need to know
Monday 4th February 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
Tayross Associates recently worked on a job in inner London where we were asked to calculate the enclosure cost for an existing retaining…
