GROVE
WEST
Condition Survey
Grove West were commissioned by a prestigious boys and girls private boarding school to provide advice on the condition and maintenance of their existing property assets and grounds.
Following a client brief we undertook a survey of the schools’ grounds and produced a detailed report providing advice on works required and budget costs over a five-year period. Works were prioritised in accordance with the Warm, Safe and Dry principals and any priority works were highlighted for client convenience.
Party Wall
Grove West were asked to provide advice on Party Wall matters for an office refurbishment scheme in central Birmingham. The site developer was due to infill the existing light to their office accommodation at first and second floor level to provide additional office space. However, notice needed to be served on the Adjoining Owners who comprised a ground floor public house and an adjacent office block.
We prepared detailed Party Wall notices and served them onto the registered owners of the adjoining premises. Following initial contact, we prepared detailed Schedules of Condition of the adjoining premises and negotiated Party Wall Awards.
Defect Diagnosis
We were contacted by the owners of a four-storey town house in London which had been converted into individual residential flats as the property was suffering from substantial cracking internally and externally.
We spoke with the occupiers to establish whether any works had been completed to or around the property in recent years, and undertook an in depth inspection of the property and its grounds to diagnose the issue. We prepared our report and arranged a conference
Specification
We were instructed to provide advice, produce a performance specification and manage a single stage selective tender exercise for upgrade and replacement of a fire alarm system to a private boys and girls boarding school.
The alarm needed to remain consistent across the school which comprised areas of various usage classes including offices, classrooms, kitchens, boarding accommodations, gyms and a swimming pool. We were able to provide advice on the most appropriate system and pre-qualify a number of contractors prior to releasing tender packs.
Pre-Acquisition
We were instructed to provide pre-acquisition advice to a private buyer ahead of their purchase of a period cottage in South Staffordshire. We identified a number of maintenance issues and areas for improvement within a bespoke report which assisted the buyer in negotiating the purchase of the property.
Expert Witness
Grove West have been appointed by solicitors on behalf of residential tenants to act as expert witness to housing defects under s.11 and s.9a of the Landlord and Tenant Act. We have undertaken a variety of property surveys providing remedial advice on the cause of and remedy to a number of defects within residential dwellings.
Measured Survey
We were asked by a residential housing management association to prepare a report confirming the height of a block of residential flats in support of an application to the Building Safety Fund. Grove West provided advice on the parameters for the funding and produced a report confirming the building height following a site inspection.
