Party wall basics every homeowner should know before building

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 catches far more domestic projects than people expect, not just work directly on a shared wall but excavation within three or six metres of a neighbour's foundations, depending on depth. Serving notice does not need to be adversarial, and in the majority of cases neighbours consent without a formal award being required. The mistake we see most often is leaving it until a contractor is booked, which then stalls the whole programme. Get structural drawings finalised, then serve notice with enough lead time built in.