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In many ways the licencing process came about because there was a lack of clarity in the building regulations and too many people were repurposing properties without providing basic standards. Overcrowding was one of these issues which is why they now have minimum room sizes and amenity space for HMOs. Understanding the licencing requirements allows you to proactively present a property to the LA demonstrating that it is compliant rather than leaving the decision to the housing officer. I have an HMO where it looks like the amenity space is too small for the number of occupants, however by showing that some rooms are large enough to be bedroom/living rooms, the shared space can be smaller. We got 2 extra occupants as a result of us taking the lead rather than leaving it to the housing officer.

The benefit of bringing in a new supply is that you create 2 stand alone units that can be valued and sold independently. If both units run from one supply then you need to consider how bills are managed and accept that the 2 units probably have to stay in one ownership. This will also be the case with water supplies.

That's good, it's exactly what you need at the early stage of a loan application.

The link in the post below is still the current document.

Personally I don't JV with builders and I don't recommend it as explained in the video

Hi Danny. On larger projects where more established contractors are employed it is totally possible to place them on back to back terms with the lender and indeed that is effectively the terms within the JCT Forms of Contract. As you note these larger contractors do have higher overheads so may be more expensive so you have to balance one benefit against the other. I find that showing contractors the agreement from a bank to lend is generally sufficient to demonstrate funds, the key is agreeing the terms in good time.

Thanks for watching

There are more planning conditions around these at the moment, particularly if the property is in a retail area. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the minimum space standards require flats to be 37m2 so if your commercial unit isn't of that size then at the moment it can't be converted.

I wouldn't put anything in as tenents require different things. Some will require radiators and some will go with a combined air conditioning and heating system for example.

It will be difficult to get a 5 bedroom HMO from a property that is less than 100m2 (approx 1000 sq ft). Look for properties with a living room and dining room downstairs where the kitchen has been extended plus 3 x bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. You may need an extra bathroom downstairs so scope to extend a cloakroom or convert a utility room will be useful.

With suitable due diligence in advance and therefore careful selection of the contractor you will find that they don't need random visits and can be trusted. On the flip side though, it's frequently the cheapest contractors that cause problems so you have to decide which is the most important to you - reliability or price.

Hi , thank you for sharing your insights. You may visit our Facebook Page here facebook.com/refurbishmentmastery/ for more updates and information on Property refurbishments. Cheers!

There isn't a difinitive answer to this. In theory, you require planning permission to use a property for SA on a long term basis and I believe that the conservation team will be made aware of this application even though it probably doesn't affect the fabric of the building. I'm aware that a lot of SA operators don't apply for planning and that there are also plans for this legislation to be changed so it could be something to deal with in the future. My advice is to go into the deal with your eyes open, ultimately you are working with a listed building that has the risks discussed in the video.

If you can't find a dedicated PM then either of the others will be able to do it for you. I would expect more Building Surveyors to be interested though.

No, the schedule of works sets out in detail the actual works that you require to be carried out. The sequence of works is the order that those works will be carried out and could be broken down into more detail. For instance your schedule of works may include the details relating to a new kitchen installation (units, worktops, appliances, tiling etc), the sequence of works will then show what order the works need to be done in - 1) modify plumbing, 2) modify electrics, 3) install cupboards and worktops, 4) install appliances, 5) wall tiling, 6) connect services. Please note that this is a simplified example only, there are frequently more things to consider.

Hi Sanjay, I'm based in Kent so don't have any experience of Engineers in the west Midlands

Thank you

I can't claim to be a legal expert, so if this is critical then please take advice elsewhere. I believe that a Tort is likely to be an effect of not having a Party Wall Award. I've never heard of a Tort legal agreement but it feels to me as though this is negated by the Party Wall Award. Please let me know if you find out otherwise.

Thanks Robert

Hi Priyal, I would ask for a breakdown and tell them that if they can't provide it then you won't be able to work with them. There are plenty of builders that will provide a breakdown and you should have the chance to understand it and ask questions before committing to employ a builder and certainly before signing a contract. All the best

Hi Ruairi, this is a bit of a specialist calculation outside of my expertise however you will find lease extension calculators online.

I have nothing to gain by fiddling the date

Hi Ruairi, all good points, however from a property investment perspective they won't add that much value

This is part E of the Building Regulations which you can view here - assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468870/ADE_LOCKED.pdf

Thanks for your reply Idowu