Basement Extension Quotations
Monday, 2nd December 2024
Party Wall Questions | Party Walls | Surveying | Valuation
When we receive an enquiry from a property owner who is wishes to undertake work, our knowledgeable team will review the project drawings and with the help of Land Registry confirm how the works are notifiable and to whom.
Where the work is straightforward such as a loft conversion or single story rear extension. And where there are a limited number of neighbours (adjoining owners) this is typically done without visiting the property. Our team will always be keen to discuss it in more detail as there are occasionally things that are not obvious from the plans and our surveyors are particularly keen to know how you get on with your neighbours!
This has historically been the same procedure for more complicated works such as basement excavations. We have however since the beginning of 2024 offered , the option of a pre-quote site visit with the building owner and where convenient or where there is additional value, the architect/designer.
Basement works in particular bring about their own unique party will challenges that’s my colleague and managing director just in Burns covered in a blog from 2016. That blog is as relevant now as it was then and it’s worth a more detailed read if you have the time. I will in this blog however offer a condensed list of key considerations that from this year’s experience, are far easier to convey with that pre-quote visit.
Security for Expenses.
This is a sum of money held in escrow to protect adjoining owners against the event of project abandonment and to cover “reasonably foreseeable damage”. Typical sums are in the region of £20,000 – £30,000 per neighbour but your surveyor will need a strong understanding of the reasoning and calculations behind these, especially if the neighbour appoints a difficult surveyor of their own.
Special foundations consent
Where the party wall is being underpinned in reinforced concrete consent must be obtained from the adjoining owner. This can lead to the building owner occasionally being held to ransom and thankfully this can be avoided by the inclusion of a section of mass concrete at the very underside of the design (nicknamed the Baily Rail after the judge would resided over the relevant Court case).
It is often on the pre-site visit that the building owner is first advised of this, so regardless of whether they proceed with Peter Barry, they have this information to feed back to their design team.
Advising engineer
This involves a secondary engineer reviewing and amending the proposals to minimalise the risk to the adjoining owners property. The handling of this part of the process does require an advanced level of experience, especially where communications are slow and in need of pushing forward.
Managing the process
The difference between a poorly and well managed basement party board job can be significant. A pre-site visit and a meeting with the building owners is a far more effective way to establish expectations then a quote that it is obtained remotely. A good party will Surveyor will be keen to understand your relationships with your neighbours, which will give a greater understanding as to how they are likely to respond.
Time invested upfront can pay significant dividends in the future and encourage more favourable responses such as consents and the use of a singular agreed Surveyor.
Our senior party will Surveyors have numerous examples of this proactive approach And the results from completed and ongoing jobs. If you are considering a basement project of your own, contact us and we were very quickly stand out from the rest.
