Costs for a house appraisal report due to damages

Hello everyone,

we want to demolish a house and build a new one next to it.
On the neighboring property, there is a multi-family house, and the neighbor has now presented us with a letter in which we are supposed to sign that we will be responsible for any damages to his house caused by the demolition or new construction measures. In principle, I find that okay, but I would now also like to protect myself.

I was thinking of an expert who inspects the house before the demolition and documents the existing damages. This way, the neighbor cannot "assign" us any false damages.

Is this the right approach? How is this usually done?
Do you happen to know how much such an expert would cost approximately?

THANK YOU

Ok, nice neighborhood...

The building we demolished was 5 meters away from a neighbor's house. (The plots are just a bit smaller in the Stuttgart metropolitan area...).

With 8 - 10 meters, nothing should really happen with an experienced demolition contractor.

Maybe you should just talk to the neighbors again and point out that the companies involved each have appropriate insurance that covers damage to third-party properties.

Otherwise, I would offer you, if you insist on this "letter," that you insist on an independent expert whose costs are to be shared at least half.

I certainly wouldn’t pay for it alone.

Maybe this way you’ll get the neighbors to "use their brains" when it comes to their wallets...

No words.

Thankfully, they don't live there, but elsewhere and only rent it out...

Ok, and there was really nothing at the other house, right?

We definitely want to talk to them again. However, I can imagine that they will insist and also argue that we shouldn't have any problems with it since we would have taken care of it anyway if any company had caused damage to their house. (That was immediately our argument, that it would have been obvious)

We will clarify again whether we can save ourselves the expert report and instead do a house inspection with "witnesses," including a protocol, photos, date, and signature. This way, we would be somewhat protected for just in case, which hopefully will not happen.

As far as I understand, they just want a little security so they can have peace of mind....

Thanks for your answer!

Hello,

no, nothing happened to the neighboring house on our side.

Only a section of our fence had to give way, as it lost the battle against the excavator track. However, that is no big deal since the fence at this spot has to make way for our garage anyway.

The excavator also partially broke or knocked over the curb stones at the transition from the street to our property (there is no sidewalk).

However, the head of the demolition company directly commissioned our landscaping gardener to repair these damages after the house is completed.

I wish you much success with the planned meeting!

Regards,

Dirk

Hello,

Fortunately, they do not live there, but somewhere else and only rent it out...

That will also be the cause, as well as the unbearable soap operas about "construction defects" on private TV channels. For example, my partner and I were asked for the 2nd time in a short period yesterday whether our construction contractors have taken out liability insurance. We were "informed" that the neighbor of an acquaintance of an acquaintance does not get any hot water in the bathroom...

We will clarify again whether we can save ourselves the expert and instead do a house inspection with "witnesses", a protocol, photos, date, and signature. That way we would be a bit protected just in case, which hopefully will not happen.

In my opinion, clarification is necessary, namely that the shows on private TV are unisonously faked; a construction performance insurance as well as builder's liability insurance has been taken out. An inspection before the start of construction measures, as proposed above, is therefore also the right way. Otherwise, if it is not enough for the neighbors (they fear collusion), they must – in my opinion – share the costs of an independent expert evenly.

Rhenish greetings

Hello,

...That will also be the cause, just like the unbearable soaps about "construction defects" on private TV channels.....

One should differentiate. Content-wise, one can of course sometimes have a different opinion.
One thing is clear anyway, construction defects tend to increase significantly. Therefore, clients are urgently advised to have external, sales-independent construction supervision instead of complaining afterwards.

..that the shows on private TV are unanimously faked; a construction performance insurance as well as builder’s liability insurance was taken out...

I completely disagree. Nothing is certainly faked there, a bold claim from you!
Construction defects are generally not insurable, let alone within a liability insurance. Here a look into the general and special insurance conditions (declarations) helps. Financial or consequential damages are generally not covered.
For damages to the neighbor, the builder is always primarily responsible, completely independent of whether he is insured or can be insured at all.
Critical clients are indeed advised to have the policies and declarations shown by the executing contractors! Also the latest premium valuation.
A policy copy whose contribution was not paid is worthless!
In the present case, the neighbor can demand whatever he wants, I would absolutely not sign that! He cannot hinder the construction progress thereby.

Best regards