Blog
Welcome to our blog page, we love to keep our customers updated on our company updates, property and industry related articles as well as the work our teams have done within our community. For more information on any of our blogs please feel free to get in touch.
FCA presses ahead with reforms of leasehold buildings insurance
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK’s financial regulatory body, operating across the country independently of the government. It recently confirmed it would be pushing ahead with proposed reforms to leasehold buildings insurance. There weren’t really any...
Oakfield Estate Agents announces acquisition of Rowland Gorringe
Oakfield Estate Agents is delighted to announce it has acquired independent local operator Rowland Gorringe. And, with immediate effect, it will be taking over the company’s offices in Lewes, Uckfield and Heathfield. All three locations are in East Sussex, where...
Why the housing market has a spring in its step
According to at least one well-known industry online portal, buyer interest is on the march once again this spring. And we may only be two or three months into 2024, but house sales are already up on the same period in 2023, having risen by 0.4% last month. That now...
Why every landlord should have Rent and Legal insurance
One thing you learn quite quickly as a new landlord is the steps you need to take to protect yourself, your property and your tenants. Insurance is clearly one such measure. But standard home policies won’t cover rental activities, and your mortgage lender will...
Selling up this spring? How to have perfect viewings
One of Britain’s biggest lenders, Halifax, recently reported that house prices rose 2.5% in the year to January, representing the strongest performance since the start of 2023, as potentially lower mortgage rates and eased inflationary pressure boosted confidence...
The Leasehold and Reform Bill: how it could affect you
The government is working to transform the leasehold system and, as outlined in its manifesto, ‘crack down on unfair practices’ in this area. This has certainly been on the cards for a while; the government first committed to leasehold reform back in 2017. The plan is...
Zeroing in on zero deposits
Deposits can often feel like barriers to taking on a tenancy. In the UK, tenants typically pay up to five weeks’ rent as downpayment, plus a month rent upfront. Initially you will charged a holding deposit of up to a week’s rent, payable in advance, to secure a...
Agents’ negotiating skills more important than ever in 24!
The latest Halifax data shows that UK property prices went up for the third month in a row in December 2023. Meanwhile, some major lenders are already cutting mortgages in expectation of a sooner-than-expected dip in interest rates. And, according to the Guardian,...
New year, new home?
If you’re determined that 2024 will be the year you finally move house, you could well be on to a good thing. After all, there’s been more movement in the market than you may have realised, despite some gloom-laden mutterings in the media. It’s also a great time of...
Sales and lettings in 2023 – our yearly round-up
Despite some seemingly ominous predictions in the media, it’s fair to say that the UK’s housing market has actually held up pretty well during 2023. It certainly hasn’t crashed as some said it might. And while house price indices from some lenders including Halifax...