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

If building work is planned next door—or you’re planning work yourself and want to protect your position—few documents are as practical and reassuring as a Schedule of Condition report. It is a detailed written and photographic record of a property’s visible condition...

It depends on what you’re buying and what risk you’re trying to manage. A snagging list and a Level 2 Home Survey are designed for different problems: A snagging list is about workmanship, completion, and defects in a new or recently refurbished home (the “is it...

Schedule of Condition reports are often treated as a “surveyors’ document” that sits in the background. In reality, they can have a direct impact on how smoothly your project runs, how quickly concerns are resolved, and whether minor issues escalate into costly...

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies when building work could affect a shared wall/structure, a boundary wall, or the ground near a neighbouring property in a way that may influence support, stability, or cause damage. If your project falls into one of the categories...

If building works are planned next door—or your neighbour needs access near your boundary—one of the most practical protections you can put in place is a Schedule of Condition report. It is a detailed written and photographic record of your property’s condition at a...

These two documents are often mentioned together, but they do very different jobs. Understanding the difference helps you decide what protection you need—and what you’re paying for. What is a Schedule of Condition? A Schedule of Condition (SoC) is a detailed record of...

A Schedule of Condition report is a detailed written and photographic record of a property’s condition at a specific point in time—typically prepared before nearby building works begin, before access scaffolding is erected, or before any activity that could lead to...

A Schedule of Condition (SoC) is a written and photographic record of the condition of an adjoining owner’s property before notifiable building works start. It is one of the most useful documents in the Party Wall process because it creates an agreed “baseline”...

When building work is happening nearby, it’s common for people to notice cracks, marks, or changes they hadn’t paid attention to before. Sometimes those changes are genuinely caused by the works. Sometimes they are historic defects or natural movement that happens to...