Owning your own home

Hopefully a false alarm – builder is adamant they're not extending/doing the loft, just gutting and redoing the inside. Which is at odds with the conversation he had with my sanding guy earlier today. He was amenable enough though, I've got his number and he's got mine and he knows I'm around all day every day curtain twitching. Will see how this plays out.

When I had my loft done I was told that the party wall agreement had to be in place before it started (they couldn't start with other stuff) as pretty much the first job is to chop the holes in the party walls and put the steels in so they can build on that.

Depends on the construction of the house and if you need steels. Some don't if the roof joists are sturdy enough, although most will. You might also be able to put the steels in front to rear rather than through the party wall. Again, it depends on the construction of the house. There's usually some technical solution which can be found which means you don't have to serve Party Wall Act notices for a loft extension, but generally it's cheaper and easier just to serve the notices and following the statutory procedure.

I used to do a lot of loft conversions and they don't always involve steels - either the existing structure is sufficient, or you can reinforce it with more timber and plywood. For anyone doing loft conversions, the timber+plywood method has much to recommend it... (the difficulty is getting engineers and contractors to agree to do it).

@6pt - sounds shit though, they should've told you. Currently away but back Thursday night, will have a scope about.

wey!

sure I'll send you some live photos

...and an invoice.

Sorry only just saw this.

If that patch of damp on the wall is a party wall it's likely that something's tracking internally from somewhere above.

The damp adjacent to the door could be the result of multiple issues but would be slightly more likely to be some kind of detailing failure on the external wall somewhere.

Usually your lease will state that the extent of your demise extends up to the inner face of the external walls. I'd bounce it back on that basis and try and be as forceful as possible about it..

2.5 weeks until I set up the "man cave" in the loft and regrow my virginity.

I know most people are on Bulb already, but a mate has just sent me a £100 referral code so thought I'd share.

£100 referral code

ie - You get £100 if you switch, the other ones I've been sent are only £50.

On a dif note, finally bloody exchanged! Wahooooo.

Congrats man, did you post a link ? If so I have missed it

THANKS BRO!
I didn't post a link, is it ok to or is it considered bad form? I struggle to gauge whats frowned upon on this thread.
It's VERY different to the one I PM'd ya, but also very similar...

extension plans moodpboard is well underway already.. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/eightarmedpet/walthamstow-house/

I see you're a man of culture.

No planning is ok I think as it should come under permitted development.

Have you requested the drawings? People quite often assume that something should be under permitted development when it isn't. If it isn't, they can save themselves a lot of trouble with planning enforcement if they recognise that now. I'm not saying it isn't, but double-checking is worth your while.

A skip has turned up next door

Fill it with burning frozen sausages.

Nervous. Our house hit the market today. Need to sell at a certain price etc. Obvs. Yadayadayada. Our agent just texted there's been a bit of interest already so fingers crossed etc. Extra weird as we're on a holiday trip now and aren't really on top of things.

Ignore the agent until they tell you there's a concrete offer on the table, everything else is just noise.

I always do my best to ignore them, the scheming treacherous slimy bastards. But this time I'm selling, not buying. Which means I'm paying for the little shit to do his thing, and I expect him to. Or I will strike down with great vengeance etc etc.

Place I'm buying has an extension without planning that I think falls outside of 'permissible development', I've not been able to confirm but I think it's more than 3m from the original house. There also appears to be no building control sign off on record, except for the replacement of the roof (of the extension).

As I understand it as it's been lived in for four years, it should qualify for a 'certificate of lawfulness', so not too concerned about the permission, but should I be shitting it about the lack of building control? To my untrained eye it looks sound and I just saw the surveyor at the property and he said there were "no show-stoppers".

He did also point out that there's been a bit of movement in the end wall, but said it's not too alarming for an end of terrace. You can see where the brick has been repointed 1cm or so wider than the rest.

If that patch of damp on the wall is a party wall it's likely that something's tracking internally from somewhere above.

The damp adjacent to the door could be the result of multiple issues but would be slightly more likely to be some kind of detailing failure on the external wall somewhere.

Usually your lease will state that the extent of your demise extends up to the inner face of the external walls. I'd bounce it back on that basis and try and be as forceful as possible about it..

Thanks for this, I've spoken with two firms now (one surveyors, the other builders) and they've both said "the managing agent should be investigating this".

This.
Every person who viewed my place was a "dead cert" to put an offer in according to the EA.
Turned out to be about 1/10 offered.
To be fair the non crackers EA told me to expect that exact figure.

BBuy indemnity insurance.

Next time I use one

• I do not want you to call me unless you have an offer OR you don't have an offer after three weeks of marketing the property. I look forward to hearing from you.
  

Next time I use one

...actually I am never moving again. To be fair Currells were pretty decent but I'm done with this house moving lark!

I am never moving again.

Fair

The loft conversion in the place we purchased had no permission or sign off. We purchased an indemnity policy through our solicitor.