Case Studies : Authentic Stories, Professional Solutions

See how our property surveying services have empowered clients to make confident decisions and navigate complicated or new property challenges successfully.

Browse through some of our recent case studies.

This will give you an idea of what to expect from our services.

All the descriptions are based on real-life cases, but we have changed some of the details so that the identities of people and properties cannot be linked or presumed. In particular, any photographs that show an identifiable property will be a generic image from our project portfolio and is not the actual case image.

We will never disclose confidential information about any past, current or future clients, projects or cases.

Boundary Dispute - Berkshire

A case where two neighbouring property owners with large gardens could not agree where the boundary between them was. One party had historic deeds which showed a footpath within their land, but no longer in use, the other had Land Registry Title Plans which they thought showed the boundary line.

We were appointed by one of the parties and undertook an Initial Boundary Appraisal. Looking at physical site features and the historic documents, we concluded in our advice and gave our opinion that the line for the historic path could still be re-established, and that it would be within the land as shown in the historic Deeds, not as the Land Registry Plans showed.

With legal advice and after discussion, progress was made between the owners and it was agreed where the boundary is, based on our opinion. The parties then opted to enter into a 'Boundary Agreement' and have the exact line established (on a plan) for a 'Determined Boundary'. We assisted by having the gardens accurately measured and drawn on to a plan, then gave exact measurement distances for the agreed line, so that there can never be a dispute again. All lodged with the Titles held by Land Registry.

The parties avoiding legal action and going to Court. There is no longer an active Dispute to disclose.

Key Take-Aways

Land Registry Plans do not show exactly where the boundary is.
Having an Initial Boundary Appraisal early-on, avoids disputes escalating.
Where available, we will look at historic deeds and other documents.
You can avoid Court by listening to an experienced Chartered Surveyor and then entering into a Boundary Agreement, having a Determined Boundary registered.

Building Work Dispute - Buckinghamshire

When you've commissioned your dream home, and you're let down by the design team, project management and the builders... the result could be costly and is heartbreaking.

We were appointed by the Homeowner to undertake an Initial Appraisal, they had moved into their completed home, thought the work was not up to standard, but needed the professional backing of our report.

Our Initial Appraisal confirmed the poor workmanship that our clients had feared, but also a long list of other issues too. Things the builder should never have done, but also things the project management should have seen before the works were completed.

The design team and project management had 'vanished', leaving the dispute between the Homeowner and the Builder.

As settlement could not be reached initially, our involvement escalated to an Expert Witness Report, a Court Procedure Compliant document in accordance with CPR Part 35.

Before reaching Court the parties were required to attend Mediation. On the back of our Initial Appraisal and Expert Witness evidence, the case settled when the Builder finally understood and accepted their liability on the day of Mediation.

Building Defects - Berkshire

The homeowner was noticing damp patches on the walls in the upstairs bedrooms, and in the rooms below, they and their builder were perplexed as to the cause.

For our Initial Defect Appraisal we took a systematic look at the building. On arrival the parapet walls (walls above the roof line) had immediately rung our 'be alert' bells - problems with parapets are no.1 in our list of most common defects looked at - but... we never jump to conclusions.

Having discounted other issues, we were confident first suspicions would be right this time. Experienced Surveyors understand buildings, understand what works and where things can go wrong. We reported quite a long list of issues for this roof. We warned of the dangerous cappings that could slip and fall, and where the leaks would be coming from.

And cappings did slip and fall. We've seen a few properties where heavy lumps of concrete and stone fall from roofs. It is so important for regular checks to be made and maintenace to be undertaken.

After scaffolding was erected, we attended again for opening-up and further investigations to confirm what was happening and specified works to put things right.

Landlord & Tenant - Disrepair and Fitness for Human Habitation

Expert Witness Instructions under Disrepair Claims under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, mean preparing Court Compliant Reports under CPR Part 35. We are looking at Section 9A, 10 and 11, for standards of fitness for human habitation, and disrepair. Are the Tenants and Occupants exposed to one of 29 Hazards; or has the building been lacking repair and maintenance?

Every time we enter a property we do so with over 25 years of surveying experience and knowledge, but holding no pre-conception about what we might find or assumptions about the causes. Every aspect is looked at to determine... has a Tenant/Occupant caused this? Has the Landlord been properly maintaining the building? Has the building got inherent issues from the way it was designed and built? What are the effects on the Tenant/Occupants?

We are reporting and giving opinion on factors that could lead to a Court making life-changing decisions, are these conditions in which someone should/can live, do they need to be moved out urgently?

The photograph we've used above is of a building that is possibly one of the most interesting that we have inspected. The Case Study is one of an inspection on the eve of Christmas Eve. A Tenant had been experiencing water ingress for months, damp and mould to the living room, bedroom, hallway and bathroom. The issues we traced to roof leaks, arising from combined issues of a 1960's design and then maintenance issues being ignored. A 75 page report meticulously prepared, with just under 100 photographs, covering a detailed account of each room, showing the defects & conditions, every one labelled and given a description to assist the Court understand the conditions and the causation to allow their decision to be reached.

Whatever prejudices you might see or hear from others, such as about who or what has caused damp and mould, or any other part of a Claim... prejudices play no part when we inspect. We inspect, assess the issues, reflect, and then prepare our report. We approach these methodically, with care and respect. Anything less would not be acceptable.

Party Wall Surveying - Oxfordshire

The Adjoining Owner's Surveyor. The Adjoining Owner is the neighbour to where the works are being proposed. The 'site' of the works would be the Building Owner's.

The Building Owner has served Notice under the Party Wall etc Act 1996 ['The Act'] on the Adjoining Owner. Notices were under
Section 1 : new walls at the Line of Junction; Section 2/3 : cutting into a Party Wall and exposing a Party Wall; and Section 6 : excavations within 3 metres of the Adjoining Owner, and being deeper than the bottom of the Adjoining Owner's foundations. The circumstances were quite involved in this instance.

In simple terms, what was proposed included knocking down the end house of the row of cottages, excavating for proposed works, underpinning the party wall, and building new walls along the boundary.

This triggered many of the processes and good practices of Party Wall Surveyors. Roughly in order, but there is always over-lapping as surveyors 'thread' through the discussions, we provided the following .

- Kicking off with checking that the Notices were valid, ensuring whoever were thought to be the "owners" (in the normal day-to-day sense), were the actual owners as defined by the Act.

- Checking that the proposals were actually rights provided by the Act, and had been notified correctly and with the correct timeframes allowed.

- Assessing the conditions before the works and to appraise what protective measures would be needed. The Condition Survey would also act as a record further down the line, if checks were needed to ascertain if damage had been caused by the works.

- Preparing and Agreeing an Award setting out the rights and obligations of the parties. The Award also sets out who would be covering the costs of the work, and the costs of the surveyors in preparing the Award. None of the works in this instance were of the choosing of the Adjoining Owner, so all reasonable costs would be paid by the Building Owner.

- Where the works were particularly disruptive compensation would be awarded. In this instance the Adjoining Owner was temporarily relocated for the duration of the most disruptive works. Relocation would not be the norm, most often the Adjoining Owner/Occupiers would stay in their home as normal.

- Security of Expenses being Awarded where there is a real financial risk to the Adjoining Owner if the Building Owner did not for some reason complete the works. Money deposited by the Building Owner in an 'Escrow Account', released back to the Building Owner when they have met their obligations and the risks had passed. Security for Expenses is not the norm, the right to request is always there, but the need to have it imposed with any significant value is much less common.

- Where works were enacted to/in the Adjoining Owner's property, these were all checked off with the project completed.