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Our key areas of expertise are listed below and this covers the main thrust of our professional services work. Quite often one service can lead into another, for instance, where a full building survey on a property might lead to design and planning instructions followed by project management delivery. All of our work is costed up front where possible or instructions can be provided on an agreeable retainer basis if more appropriate.
Not everyone will want a building survey before they purchase a property and many people will simply rely on a lender's valuation. However, typical Dobanti clients will want a full independent appraisal of the building in question to reduce risk and to help prepare them for any short, medium or long term maintenance and repairing obligations. Alternatively, you may have an issue with your existing home which needs a discrete investigation and bespoke guidance on what action to take. Have a look at our six residential survey options, one of which is bound to be appropriate for you.
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When it comes to commercial buildings your proposed purchase might be a straightforward freehold acquisition but, more often than not, it’s likely to be a lease of some kind, typically ranging from 1-10 years in length, or longer. You might therefore be requiring a Schedule of Condition rather than a conventional Building Survey. Alternatively, you might be looking to terminate a current lease with assistance needed in managing dilapidations and orchestrating a successful exit. Take a look at the six professional services which we provide.
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If it's just land that you're purchasing or you’re acquiring a property for development purposes or even purchasing a country estate, then it's quite possible you’ll need one or more of our three land survey options. Buying land is no different to any other property acquisition and clarity over access, boundaries, dimensions, services and condition is paramount. You may also find our published articles on land acquisition and bringing services onto a site useful (see articles).
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When you are considering alterations or an extension to your own property, if it is joined to a neighbour or you might be excavating in close proximity to your neighbour’s property, then there are legal obligations requiring you to notify your neighbour of your forthcoming work. Where qualifying works are involved, your neighbour may wish to exercise their right to have a Schedule of Condition prepared for the parts of their property that could be affected by your development. We can act as Party Wall Surveyors for you whether you are the building owner (planning the development) or the adjoining owner (as the affected neighbour).
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With years of experience in the construction of new, individual 'grand designs' homes, we are skilled in the design, planning and building development stages for both substantial extensions and alterations as well as new build properties. Our process is divided into four stages: this starts with design and planning followed by building regulations and engineering once planning has been approved. Stage 3 consists of specifications and tender and stage 4 covers contract administration once a bona fide main contractor has been brought into contract. Some clients choose to involve us in their projects from start to finish while others only require a part of this service. It is never a problem to tailor what we do to your needs.
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As building pathologists, our brief is to try and identify the source of building problems and then to proactively advise on how best to resolve them. The most obvious and often the most worrying issues are cracks and damp as these can both have fairly significant consequences if ignored for too long. We established our Limited Building Inspection Service (LBI) as a starting point for building pathology issues and this service covers a site visit to see or inspect the problem, a discussion with you and any other key players, followed by a short concise report with recommendations on how best to resolve the problem.
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Construction disputes obviously can unfortunately occur between property owners and contractors and in most cases will be resolved without third party intervention. However, more serious disputes will involve an expert surveyor either before or after lawyers have been instructed. The surveyor's role is primarily to demonstrate technical or contractual breach and to identify the most appropriate remedy. Some disputes can be settled with a robust surveyor’s report and without the need for formal litigation.
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Tim Doherty has had a long association with Build It magazine dating back to the early 1990s. More latterly and since Dobanti’s inception in 2012, Tim has written monthly articles for Build It on both the technical and financial implications of building houses. In addition, bespoke reports have from time to time been commissioned by industry regarding ad hoc topical discussions; some of these have involved evaluation of the use of contemporary building products and how these could perhaps be better embraced by the lending community.
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