Property renovations can be addictive, particularly if you love the thrill of transforming your property into something bigger, better and newer.
Whether you’ve been working on your home for a while or you have just moved in and are getting a head start, it is important to keep a level head when looking at a property renovation of any kind.
Properties are a big investment and they can make you a lot of money or lose you a lot of money if you don’t look after them carefully.
So you’ve gotten the majority of your affairs in order when looking at renovations in your current property and now you’re thinking about working on renovating your party wall.
Are there any specific things you should be thinking about when renovating a party wall? We list all the things you need to consider before starting any kind of building or renovation work on a party wall.
Is it Safe?
“Is it safe” in all honesty, should be a question you ask before planning any kind of renovation works, however, you can easily get caught up in the fantasy of planning your dream home and forget to factor in concepts like feasibility and safety and timescale.
Making sure that what you have planned is safe is important, and it is also important to get an approximate timescale as to how long the works will take.
A few weeks is not normally a problem, but if the project is due to last a few months or even a year, and you or a close family member is expecting a new baby, then you might have a problem. Make sure any planned works is suitable and feasible for your current lifestyle.
Permission from Neighbours
A party wall normally refers to a wall that is a structural part of two or more properties. In other words, a wall that does not entirely belong to you, so it is necessary for you to get permission from any adjoining neighbours before conducting any renovation, repair or even removal works on it.
If you have a good, civil relationship with your neighbours and you aren’t planning any extensive renovations, you should have no trouble getting permission, but getting permission is essential. If you do not get proper permission you can be prosecuted as it may count as criminal damage.
There will be some instances where neighbours can choose to be difficult, but hopefully, these are few and far between. If you give your neighbour a clear idea of the plans you have for the party wall as well as including them in discussions with the chosen project manager, they shouldn’t have anything to complain about.
Transparency is important when getting permission; your neighbour should not be suspicious of you otherwise they will be less likely to sign any documentation.
Getting Planning Permission
Permission, permission, permission! It might sound like a big pain at the moment, but it will be worse if you end up carrying out the renovation works without applying for planning permission, only to be told by your local government that the renovations have not been approved.
Then you waste money and time having to undo any work already done, and you really don’t want that. Make sure you go through all the correct channels in order to get proper planning permission for the project to go ahead.
Once planning permission is obtained, you can start to think about the project in a more proactive and positive light. You are one step closer to getting your dream home!
Next you need to hire a professional project manager who will be able to provide advice and assistance in getting everything done professionally and on time.
Having an Established Project Plan
Unless you are an expert in timekeeping and budget allocations, you’re going to need one of these. A professional project manager will be able to offer expert assistance in getting everything together and will also help to make sure that your project stays within budget and is due to finish within your estimated time frame.
If you are ever unsure or in doubt, a project manager will be able to oversee the tasks at hand to bring you back on track.
A project manager will also be able to predict if there are any potential shortcomings or problems involved along the way and they will help you manage those accordingly.
Instead of panicking and losing track of everything, if you happen across a bump along the way, an experienced project manager will be able to draw from a wealth of knowledge in order to offer a reasonable and where possible, affordable solution.
This is incredibly beneficial if you have never done any kind of renovation works before, or if you have a habit of accidentally going over budget, as this expert will keep you on track.
When everything is said and done, if you have done your research and gone through the proper channels, there is no reason why you should not be able to go ahead with your planned renovations.
Make sure to keep in good communications with your neighbours, as it is partly their property as well as yours, so keeping them up to date on progress will help to strengthen your relationship and ease any worries they might have.
Remember, it is important to increase the value of your neighbourly relationships as well as increasing the value of your property, and if you are planning on living in this property for a while you would do good to remember that.
