Party walls and neighbours

[lamandler]

We are in process of buying a house - terraced, London - and will be doing quite a bit of modernising. Survey was fine, nothing we didn't expect, but I have funny feeling about neighbours that I can't shift. The house was owned by elderly lady who passed away (and had dementia) and her eccentric son - the next door neighbours did some building work and didn't 'make good' the work on party walls.

Since we are refurbing, I am not that worried about the quality of the finish from their end, but I am a bit about them potentially taking the piss out of vulnerable people by not finishing the work properly. I have introduced myself to the woman in the couple (her partner is a builder and did all the work himself}.

There were no party wall agreements, the vendor thinks the next door neighbour is a "cowboy" (his words). I don't understand enough about the law on party walls, but I know that moving into a house and immediately starting a dispute with a neighbour is not wise!

Not sure what I am asking after all of that! I suppose I am just unsure about what kind of neighbours they would be given how they seemingly taken advantage of pervious owners. And wondering what the deal is if it's not just a shoddy finish on the party walls but crap work.

And I am probably panicking about huge mortgage, debt, and hell of building for months!

What sort of work did the neighbours undertake? Was it substantial such as chimney breast removal? And did they defo do work? I ask as you mention the son is a little eccentric and maybe next door's works weren't in need of a PWA (although that would mean they did little more than put up a few shelves). Have you spoken to next door yet? We've just finished modernising a London terrace and I am knee deep in party wall agreements and surveyors' fees...

Go and introduce yourself to the neighbours before you exchange. If they are a nightmare you might not want to live there anyway!

Call building control beforehand and check if they had an application in. If so you can get the description of the work. If approved then not having party wall approval at the time is not so much of an issue.

When speaking to the neighbours you can also ask what they had done and the gauge whether it is important. Ie realise your options are limited if they have removed chimney breasts and left unsupported stacks etc.

Good luck

Have since found out that lady of the house like to water the plants naked (not a euphemism) so I don't care now about Party Walls once they are high enough not to scare the children.

Am also worried she may be barmy

And the work was a loft conversion and a side return extension quite far out into their garden.

Presumably the party wall you're concerned about is the one on the new extension? Perhaps it's just that the previous owner of the house you're looking at wouldn't let them onto her property to build it (if I recall, there's something in the party wall act about allowing access for neighbours onto your land if they're building an extension - far as I can recall you don't have to do it, but it can mean that the wall you get to look at looks nicer - it's easier to get a good finish if you've got access to both sides of the wall...)
It doesn't matter that there was no party wall agreement. Yes, they should have done one, but even if they had, it's a ridiculous law, given that it's pretty much unenforceable and it gives you nothing that building control wouldn't. So they'd be my first port of call.