Understanding A Party Wall Agreement

Before you get down to the nitty-gritty of what this agreement is, you should first get a clear picture of what a party wall is defined as. A party wall is what you call that dividing partition that is placed between two adjoining buildings or apartment units that are shared by tenants that live in each of the residences or even businesses. There are times when the party wall is built over the center of the property line that divided a couple of terraced flats or some row houses so it happens that one side of the party wall is one each side of the property. There are times when there are two abutting walls which are built at different times. This term is also used to describe the kind of wall that divides separate units that are located inside a multi-unit apartment complex. Oftentimes, the wall is non-structural but designed to measure up to the set criteria that are set in place to make sure that sounds are muffled and fire is prevented from spreading. These party walls are usually made of a non-combustible material and are sometimes called fire-walls. This whole business of sharing and demarcation lines is what makes it important for you to know about the party wall act and what a party wall agreement is about. When you and your neighbors want a party wall agreement, you will have to call on a surveyor for help since you will need a piece of paper which is the party wall agreement or sometimes called the party wall award. This party wall agreement or party wall award is a document that sets out the rights of each owner. It also covers such things like the responsibilities of each owner in relation to the proceedings of the work to be done and also the working hours. It also covers such issues as what happens in case there are any damages while the wall is being erected.

If you have no idea what a surveyor is, the term "surveyor" has been defined in the Party Wall Act of 1996 as any individual who is not party to any of the works that need to be done. By getting a party wall surveyor, the possibility of an owner acting in his or her own is ruled out. Anyone else is permitted to be

a surveyor of course, and this includes anyone who may be there to oversee the works on behalf of the owner. These surveyors though are usually professional surveyors or architects because they have the necessary knowledge and experience when it comes to things like construction and design. Plus, they already have knowledge about party wall procedures. The most popular choices include the aforementioned building surveyors and also structural engineers. If you believe that your neighbor will not be very agreeable to the planned works, you should get a surveyor involved in the earliest stages so as to prevent further conflict. The whole process is started by serving your neighbor with a notice, although you should really talk to your neighbor first before you just drop the notice on their doorstep to prevent bad feelings. If you don't want to hire party wall surveyors London experts advise that you can use a notice template. However, remember that if your template does not contain all the pertinent information, it can be rendered moot and void. If the notice is also improperly served, it can also be rendered invalid, which is why people turn to surveyors for help.

The work that these surveyors do involves the most time consuming step, and that is the preparation of the schedule of condition concerning the lot of the other owner. It is important that this step be done correctly so that any damages which the property may incur can be attributed properly. If you want to look for these surveyors for your own needs, you can try to look online at http://www.greyandassociates.co.uk as they will have the services that you need. They will also have surveyors with the necessary experience so your party wall concerns are concluded as quickly as possible without any incidents or hassle between you and your neighbors.