How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

I don't think her own surveyor would have changed anything here, unless you think they can insist you build the party wall up with brick which I am not sure they can?

Hmm maybe I should approach the splitting the cost option...

The best you could hope for might have been to go halves on extending the party wall up.

A Party Wall Award will cover this (in kind), in that the person doing the work pays first pays for the wall, and the person enclosing upon it down the line will pay 1/2 the cost of the wall at current rates. Seems fair and by far offers the most robust solution. Those flashed-together dormer boxes with questionable separation leave a lot to be desired.

I hadn't seen that, it's interesting. Our side of the street put mansards on together in the 90s (long before we moved in ) - an impressive feat of co-ordination for 7 houses.

I am a little sceptical of the density argument in the paper, though. Dividing smallish terraced houses into smaller flats feels like a deeply second-best solution to the housing crisis.

Dividing smallish terraced houses into smaller flats feels like a deeply second-best solution to the housing crisis.

100%, but it doesn't hurt to do a bit of both imo

Party wall agreements don't really work like that - ultimately, they cannot refuse consent (or access) based on whether they like the work or not, providing the appropriate procedures and timescales have been followed.

As @EstelleGetty mentions, it can be used as an opportunity for them to protect their future interests, viz. not wanting to build a shitty flashed in box as an example, by having a wall built up (and potentially shouldering some of the costs).

Having an independent surveyor prevents problem down the line - a shared surveyor is a nice idea, but that independence is a coin toss.

Dividing smallish terraced houses into smaller flats feels like a deeply second-best solution to the housing crisis.

Why? You can do it almost forever, and are only limited by Planck lengths.

Our current place is a Victorian semi, where both houses were on sale at the same time, and we bought the one with the loft already done.

The neighbours went into their loft, to find that between their loft and our extension, there was no wall at all - their loft backed onto plasterboard and our eaves.

Yeah exactly my point.
Dealing with my builder is about as much fun as pulling teeth and now my neighbour wants the plans redrawn so dormers join as he wants... and thinks thats fine.

Bloody hell!

That's why I cut slices of cake in half, so I can have twice as much.

I mean, they're entitled to ask. Just as you're entitled to tell suggest that they would need to meet you half way on price difference, or they can do one.

extract from Part B...various issues and ways to solve. But yeah you don't want the hot fiery death stuff going sideways. Another reason why building up a trad. masonary wall is best

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I need some advice on external doors and windows.

If I want a natural (so not painted) timber finish outside and in, what timber would be the best to spec and what finishing coat?

There is a bit of a budget so I don't think I can stretch to oak. Someone suggested Accoya.

Or do I go for Velfac which is about £1.5k more than a London based carpenter making them out of Meranti.

anyone have a recommendation for a FIRAS accredited joiner South London?
need a third hinge fitted and improvements to an intumescent strip to a firedoor and will have to show a copy of paperwork to freehold management company so need to be accredited.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXmE4U4LoHY/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Can anyone ID this light? Thanks!

Joiners seem to like Sapele. Though a lot will come down to the tone of wood you like.

For Ali/timber I’d look at someone other than Velfac. The engineering and build is poor compared to similarly priced competitors and the customer service dreadful. Architects like them because slim frames but other than that they seem to have become ubiquitous through marketing rather than being good windows.

Asking for a friend, what should I be specifying instead of Velfac?

Kinda anything that’s made in Germany or Austria for the European market. Go there, use any window of any age in any building, then try a 1 year old Velfac and tell me I’m wrong.

Velfac are all crunchy, graunching and squealing in operation with bendy handles, weedy seals and daft fragile locks. And that’s before you try one of their horrifically clunky, wobbly sliding door systems. You need two hands to open them. It’s madness.

I guess with thin frames there’s just not enough space to fit nice hinges, catches and seals in, for me that’s not worth a lifetime of sadness every time I open a window or door.

Velfac are the Foffa of windows. They look cool to an average shopper from a distance and that’s where it ends.

Rationel we’re recommended to us and Reddit reviews also seemed to bare this out

I was very happy with ours for the three years we had them, same again for the new place, I’ll let you know in five years time.

They feel nice and solid to me. The main thing though was that the sashes sit on the face of frame and are the same size, so visually they’re much slimmer than anything else.

I’m sure you’re right about the German and Austrian windows, but I’ll bet all the best ones are inward opening, which is not my jam.

Jesus, leave @chrisbmx116 alone!

Also biased cause I've designed a frameless window-board system that works with Velfac.

Thanks bae, felt quite attacked.
I tried to get Velfac but builder isn’t capable of fitting them or supplying sizes and their lead times were 10 weeks or so.

inward opening

lol this is our top priority for when we need new windows - makes cleaning so much easier!