Link detached neighbor converting garage

[Sprockergirl]

Hi

Yesterday builders turned up and my new next door neighbours house and have started work on what's obviously a garage conversion. Their garage connects to our house (we are link detached). Does this mean we are now a semi and our house value has changed? I feel slightly peeved that nobody let us know even though though we essentially share the wall.

Now I'm also a bit worried they will extend over the garage and attach onto ours making us fully semi detached. Can they do this without our permission?

They aren't the most approachable people and I don't want to start nosing around and piss them off!

Read the Act. It's a party wall.

Because any significant work on a party wall, and change of use is pretty significant, needs permission:
See the first two points on the .gov link.
https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works/work-tell-your-neighbour-about
and
https://www.fmb.org.uk/find-a-builder/ultimate-guides-to-home-renovation/party-wall-agreements-what-you-need-to-know.html

I have been through this twice - once was easy, as neighbour replied to our letter with full permission. Second one ended up via solicitors letters and cost a few bob.

They may be devaluing your house - a link detached garage may not be designed for the loading of a habited room. So are they putting in steelwork - and might that go into your wall? Or have they not calculated and so you end up with your wall sinking/cracking due to excess loading? So many questions that have to be answered.

It’s already a party wall agreement- it’s a shared wall. Neighbours are adding plaster and metrics in their side - that’s all. They’re not cutting in to the wall or doing anything to the wall

Government guidance states

Work you must tell your neighbour about
You must tell your neighbour if you want to:

• build on or at the boundary of your 2 properties
• work on an existing party wall or party structure
• dig below and near to the foundation level of their property

Examples of this type of work include:

• building a new wall
• cutting into a party wall
• making a party wall taller, shorter or deeper
• removing chimneys from a party wall
• knocking down and rebuilding a party wall

What you do not need to tell them about
You do not need to tell your neighbour about minor changes, for example plastering, adding or replacing electrical wiring or sockets, or drilling to put up shelves or cabinets.

I'd go and have a chat next door. What is the plan and what have the builders been engaged to do. Point out that there is no party wall agreement in place if anyone is being reluctant to share.
Be firm that unless you can be reassured, you will have to contact local planning.
If there is no sign of the owners, tell the builders there is no party wall agreement in place and you will need to discuss what is planned. With any luck they'll be forthcoming immediately and you can decide whether your ndn is doing anything you might need to be concerned about. They might just be insulating it properly and sticking a running machine in there for all you know.

I would have thought all they're doing is putting electrics in, insulating, plastering/plasterboard, painting, lighting, putting furniture in.

Aren't garrages designed to handle x ton cars? I would guess basic furnishings and people would be actually lesser load tbh

It really depends exactly what work they are doing. Can you have a chat and ask? What are the doing with the front (the garage door), are they putting heating in or extra insulation. Then council planning / building regs can advise. The rules are quite complicated.

And building regs is important - if they need it and don’t have it you don’t know if the works are safe for your house.

our house was advertised as link semi detached. We’re like, it’s ok, you can call it a terraced house, we don mind 😂

If you’ve built over the garage already I’m not sure you can complain your neighbour may do the same
Yes if you both have two story properties touching you will be a semi and not a link detached

If the work needs structural changes to the wall or foundations of your shared garage wall the neighbours should have submitted a Party Wall Notice to you and not started work till you have The Party Wall Award

It’s the additional wall and roof thickness mainly that adds the load along with the additional protections required for humans

Neighbours are adding plaster and metrics in their side - that’s all. They’re not cutting in to the wall or doing anything to the wall

You don't actually know that, do you? And neither does the OP.

Under the law, OP, your neighbours need to pay for a party wall surveyor for you.

Agree and ensure they carry out a thorough condition survey.

Whilst you wait take dated photos now.

Could you ask your house insurers?

It is where that load is, as well as how much, that is important. OP said this was above the garage.
Also think about sound insulation from next door - currently a garage opening and a box being retrieved. Replace this with next doors kid shouting at a computer game for hours a day...
And finally, it is the requirement of the law. This is to formalise a process that may affect the structure and value of next doors house. And needs to be adhered to.

Ridiculous comment. We're talking about walls here, not floors. Are the neighbours cutting into the wall at all? Maybe by putting an internal wall in? Or fixing beams on to it? Hello, Party Wall Agreement.

As for the OP doing work on her garage - that does not invoke the Party Wall Agreement. Because it is not a party wall.

Rude of them not to tell you work was starting.

Did they not need planning permission for change of use?

You would be notified and allowed to object to a second story ontop of their conversion. Also garage conversions are usually not strong enough to build another story unless they are completely reconstructed. It’s not likely to happen

OP didnt say it was above the garage.

I see link detached as being attached by a room, ie a garage, or corridor that's not in use the whole time, like a living or bedroom would be. When that's been changed into another living room it would change the link detached into a semi detached.

As work is going on to a wall adjoining your property, and part of your property, it’s clearly a party wall. You have every right to expect a party wall agreement.

The government has a helpful description and diagrams about party walls. If they cut into that wall, for any reason, there should be an agreement and of course it covers photos of before and after for your house too. You should expect them to make good any defects they cause.

The bad news is you need a solicitor to write to them to ask them to stop work, as they have started. I’m assuming they are doing more than putting a few shelves up! Should they go higher with a first floor extension, definitely ask for PWA. The garage might not have sufficient foundations for a first floor either.

As for value - extremely annoying. Regarding going upwards, install a window with frosted glass in the wall where they might build.

Contact them and planning and see what exactly they are planning to do. If it all goes tits-up it may bite them, or their kids on the bum big time. I am trying to sell my parents' house with planning issues from 30 years ago. I was 10 and am pissed it's still haunting me...

I'm going to throw my hat in full on party wall here. Having seen all the comments so far OP what do you think?

I don’t understand why anyone would say it isn’t a party wall. Am I missing something? It’s a shared wall, between two houses, exactly like a semi or terrace has.

@Lovemycat2023 Because people don’t understand the legislation. It’s clearly a party wall.