EWS1 assessments, or External Wall System 1 assessments, were introduced in the UK in 2019 as a standardized process to evaluate the safety of external wall systems, particularly in residential buildings. The form was developed jointly by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Building Societies Association (BSA), and UK Finance in response to heightened concerns about fire risks following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
An EWS1 form is typically needed when selling, buying, or remortgaging a flat in a residential building with external wall systems, especially if there’s cladding or
The Office for National Statistics has reported that UK house prices experienced their fastest annual growth since December 2022, increasing by 6.4% in the 12 months to March 2025, up from 5.5% in February. This surge was mainly a result of impending expiration of temporary tax incentives aimed at aiding buyers of lower-cost properties and first-time purchasers.
Depending on whether a conservatory is thermally separate from the main house it may be classified as an extension.
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Unheated conservatories (i.e., those without a fixed heating system connected to the house): Must be thermally separated to be exempt from full Building Regulations.
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Heated conservatories: If connected to the home’s central heating or fitted with permanent heating, the conservatory is treated as a full extension and must meet the same insulation and energy performance requirements as the rest of the house —
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This week, the UK residential property market is experiencing a notable surge in activity, driven by a combination of anticipated Bank of England interest rate cuts and impending stamp duty changes. Rightmove forecasts a 4% rise in average asking prices for 2025, marking the strongest prediction since 2021. The market is particularly buoyant as buyers rush to complete transactions before the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers decreases from £425,000 to £300,000 on April 1st. This urgency has led to a 12% increase in new sales agreed compared to the same period last year, according to Zoopla. Despite these positive
Stoke Bishop, located on the north-west edge of Bristol city centre near Clifton Down, is regarded as one of the UK’s most desirable neighbourhoods. Highlighted by The Telegraph as one of the country’s poshest suburbs, the area boasts an average property price of £832,090, with grand Georgian homes occasionally fetching over £2 million. Residents enjoy scenic surroundings and easy access to landmarks like the Clifton Suspension Bridge and peaceful retreats such as Old Sneed Park Nature Reserve and Bishops Knoll Wood.
Despite its reputation for luxury, recent analysis found that Stoke Bishop still
Customers Comments
Below is a selection of comments that clients have kindly provided following surveys.
