INDEPENDENT ARTICLES, CLEAR INSIGHTS, STRAIGHTFORWARD ADVICE FOR INFORMED PROPERTY DECISIONS.

If you believe a Party Wall Award is wrong, unfair, or doesn’t properly protect your property, you do have options—but the key point is that the main legal remedy is time-critical. Under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, either party can appeal the Award to the County...

A Licence for Alterations covenant is a clause (most commonly found in a lease) that controls what changes you can make to a property and requires you to obtain the landlord’s written consent before carrying out certain works. In practice, this covenant is the reason...

A good Level 3 Survey (often called a Building Survey) is more than a report—it’s a way of taking control of one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. At its best, it gives you clarity, reduces uncertainty, and helps you act with confidence whether you...

These are two different ways of challenging an Award, and they are based on different legal ideas: An appeal accepts that the Award is a valid Award, but argues it should be changed or cancelled because the surveyor(s) made an error (law, procedure, or...

One of the most common reasons a property transaction fails in 2026 is the discovery of an unauthorised extension, loft conversion or internal structural alteration. At Howorth, we specialise in Licences for Alterations and Party Wall matters, meaning we have a “sixth...

When a neighbour dissents (or doesn’t respond) to a Party Wall Notice, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires surveyor involvement. At that point, there are usually two routes: An Agreed Surveyor (one surveyor acting impartially for both owners), or Two Surveyors (each...

Getting a Licence for Alterations approved is rarely about “arguing your case” — it’s about making it easy for the freeholder/managing agent to say yes by presenting a clear, low-risk proposal with the right paperwork. Most refusals and delays happen because the...

In the volatile property market of 2026, the terms “market price” and “true value” are often confused. A house is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, but its value is a much deeper calculation. At Howorth, we bridge the gap between building pathology and...

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can give a neighbour (the “building owner”) a statutory right to enter onto adjoining land, but that right is limited, controlled, and purpose-specific. It is designed to allow notifiable works to be carried out safely and properly—not to...