First time buyers often still need to scrape together £50,000 deposits

The difficulty for first time buyers goes on as deposits of over £50,000 on average are still being demanding to get on the property ladder. Worrying news for first time buyers, but is anything being done and should the rest of us be concerned?

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10 Questions on…… Carrying out repairs, replacements and building work to your home or office.

We have been asked by a number of clients recently as to when they need to legally apply for building regulation approval in relation to upgrades and improvements to their properties. At some point in our lives most of us get round to changing, extending or renovating our homes in order to make them our own. This month’s 10 questions are designed to increase your understanding in this regard and help you through this process.

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Today’s Property Factlet

Induction unit – An air terminal unit placed under a window and blowing upwards that takes its air from a high-velocity duct and releases it through rows of nozzles, which cause the secondary room air to circulate through the unit. The casing can have a heating or cooling coil and filter and needs only regular cleaning, as there are no moving parts to wear out and break down.

Today’s Property Factlet

Rafter – A sloping roof beam, usually from eve to ridge. In traditional timber framing the rafters share loads in common; a full-length intermediate rafter runs from eave to ridge but a jack rafter goes only part way, meeting with hip or valley rafters. The term ‘rafter’ is also applied to all types of trussed rafter, the sloping beam of a portal frame, and the principal rafter of a truss.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Taking-off – The recording of dimensions from drawings or schedules, with a description of the work. This is the first main stage in preparing bills of quantities and is followed by ‘working-up’. Exact rules should be followed when taking off so that the work can be continued without misunderstanding, even by another person.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Patination Oil – A white spirit based liquid that helps prevent white carbonate (that can occur on newly fitted Lead) from staining adjacent materials and provides a pleasing finish to new Leadwork.

Ideal for use on Lead roofing, flashings and cladding to give a uniform, attractive appearance where Lead Sheet is visible or where water flowing away from the Lead Sheet surface may come into contact with other visible building materials. Recommended by the Lead Sheet Association.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Stripping Time – The number of days or hours that formwork must be left in place before it is removed from set concrete. For non-loadbearing vertical surfaces it may be 24 hours, but it is much longer for beams and slabs.

Stripping Time – The number of days or hours that formwork must be left in place before it is removed from set concrete. For non-loadbearing vertical surfaces it may be 24 hours, but it is much longer for beams and slabs.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for help and advice.

Today’s Property Factlet

Parquet floor – A decorative wood-block flooring of hardwood from different types of tree, arranged in geometrical patterns. Traditional parquet in panels is secret-nailed to thin battens on a wood sub-floor and polished after laying.

Your local surveyor will know all about construction techniques and their application, contact them via www.propertysurveying.co.uk for advice.

10 Questions on…..Hedgerow Regulations.

The existing Hedgerow regulations came in to force on 1 June 1997 and were created with the intent of protecting important countryside hedges from damage and destruction. The regulations are extremely complicated so we have put together a few often-asked questions that help to explain different aspects of the regulations and how they might affect you, your property and the risk of legal action.

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