Experts predict that the housing market will face some challenging times in the months ahead as the number of sales continue to fall. With the average house now taking over 19 weeks to sell, the outlook may appear disheartening if you want to sell. There are still buyers out there, searching for their next home …
The Government has published a consultation on a new national model for shared ownership to make it easier for people to buy more of their own home, including a proposal to allow them to buy in 1% increments. The Government sees the key to improving housing affordability is to build more homes where they are …
The Tenant Fees Act 2019 came into force on 1 June 2019 and seeks to introduce protection for most residential tenants in the private rented sector in England. The Act covers restrictions on: the type and amount, of payments that landlords and letting agents can require from tenants of most assured shorthold tenancies, student accommodation …
For the first time on record, the average age of someone moving to the countryside is now under 40. More of us, it seems, are cashing in on our city homes and using the sale proceeds to buy somewhere with more space and a greater sense of community. However, if you want to swap the …
With time running out for certain septic tank owners to make their septic tanks legally compliant, is this something that you need to consider now? Legislation surrounding septic tanks The current minimum standards against which septic tank systems are judged are known as the ‘General Binding Rules’. These rules deal with the type of system …
Programmes like Homes Under the Hammer have certainly raised the profile of property auctions. Although auctions still only account for two per cent of all property sales, some experts believe this proportion will rise. In an increasingly stagnant market, selling at auction may appear an attractive choice for sellers. However, if you are thinking about …
If you have an elderly parent, you probably worry about the difficulty of looking out for them, particularly if they live some distance away. The spiralling cost of care can be another concern, especially if they become frail and less able to cope on their own. A granny annex may seem like the perfect solution, …
A recent survey by conveyancing software company InfoTrack shows that more of us are shopping around for legal services. If you are buying or selling a house, you may search for the ‘best’ conveyancing deal, just as you would for your car insurance or gas supply. Online conveyancers often appear to offer the cheapest option, …
The Help to Buy scheme was originally introduced in April 2013. Since then, it has helped nearly 170,000 households onto the property ladder. However, as with any such scheme, over time a few issues have started to emerge which buyers need to be aware of. Here Claire Wicks, Legal Executive in the Residential Property team …
The Government has removed the ‘no cost to the landlord’ exemption from the list of exemptions from the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. What does this mean? Well, now landlords must pay to bring rental properties in line with EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) standards before they move people in. But does this affect you as a …
