OUR PROPERTY BLOG

Back in the summer, we reported on Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a stamp duty holiday until next spring, which has meant that house buyers haven’t paid a penny of the property tax on any transaction valued at up to £500,000 – as long as the house or flat...

As a landlord, you can’t legally allow someone to live in a rental property as their sole or main residence under a tenancy agreement unless they’re a UK citizen, from Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA), or have what’s called a Right to Rent in this...

Speaking at the virtual Conservative Party conference last week, prime minister Boris Johnson promised a return to long-term, fixed-rate 95% mortgages for those buying their first home, in a bid to turn ‘generation rent into generation buy’. In his speech, Johnson...

Any landlord needs to be sure their rental property is a viable investment, and, from time to time, it may be necessary to increase the rent charged to guarantee a level of income and to stay in line with what is being charged for similar properties in an area. You...

Terms like ‘Managing Agent’ and ‘Leasehold’ are regularly bandied about, but what do they actually mean? To start by explaining what Leasehold is, it applies to virtually all flats across England and Wales, as well as some houses. If you have one, technically you...

Especially if you’re new to letting out property, you may, understandably, be feeling slightly nervous. After all, you’re allowing relative strangers to live in a house or flat you own, knowing that you depend on their rent for at least part of your income.  The...

If you’re living in a flat as the leaseholder, one thing which can often seem unclear is where responsibilities lie in your building, and who should be taking care of what. Here, we try and clarify some of the key areas, so read on if this situation applies to you....

Earlier in the summer, a report from respected estate agency association NAEA Propertymark revealed that one in 10 homes had sold at above the initial asking price. What’s more, this was the second time in a row this trend had been seen. Yearly and monthly figures...

Scammers are signing off External Wall Fire Review (EWS1) forms, often using the fake identity of a ‘chartered surveyor’ who doesn’t even exist, according to consumer group Which? These forms, launched in December 2019 and which can only be signed by someone who is...

Earlier this summer, we reported on the government’s initial two-month extension on the ban of all eviction proceedings in England and Wales until August 23. This was aimed at giving struggling tenants, who may be facing financial difficulties in the light of the...

It’s been the case for a while that levels of mortgage approvals are an important indicator of housing market activity, at least in the short term. So it was good news when the Bank of England reported earlier this summer that recent figures had exceeded expectations....

A new law is set to allow homeowners to add up to a couple of storeys to their properties without the need to apply for planning permission in the usual way. This ‘fast-track’ system is aimed at allowing families to extend their homes to accommodate growing numbers of...

The reopening of the property market following weeks of lockdown has spurred numerous people on to looking into moving house. Equally, the reopening of pubs has seen many of us heading out in search of a pint or other refreshment, and perhaps the chance to catch up...

For those looking to buy a new home, a stamp duty holiday applies until March 31 next year, as we’ve reported previously. Meanwhile, if you have a property to sell, Bloomberg reports that UK house prices could grow by up to 3% throughout the rest of 2020, driven by...

For anyone taking on a new tenancy, deposits have traditionally been the greatest source of headaches. Typically, tenants are asked for four to six weeks’ rent as down payment, while also having to pay for a month’s rent upfront at the same time. Especially if you’re...

Summer vacation plans may remain somewhat curtailed for now, but one holiday that’s just become highly attractive concerns one of Britain’s last popular taxes; stamp duty on property transactions. A newly announced break, the first since 2008, aims to encourage people...

The media may be full of the dire economic effects of Covid-19, but one area where the news is distinctly less gloomy is when it comes to being a buy-to-let (BTL) landlord, i.e. purchasing properties purely for the purpose of letting them out. The sector still offers...

You may have seen various less than positive stories about house prices in the media in recent weeks. But look at little more closely and the news is far from all bad. One major national online property portal says prices are set to continue on an upward path over the...

From July 1, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 come into force. It may sound a bit of a mouthful, but, in a nutshell, it means: All fixed electrical installations in privately rented homes need testing and...

Those renting their homes across England and Wales who may have struggled to make their monthly rental payments during lockdown will enjoy greater breathing space following the government’s announcement that it is extending the suspension of all eviction processes...

Open any newspaper or log on to any news website and you could be forgiven for thinking Britain should be bracing itself for a huge slump in the housing market. But look a little closer – is that really what is happening? Britain’s biggest mortgage lender Halifax, for...

As the housing market returns to life following the easing of Covid-related lockdown restrictions, there are strong indications that interest in the rental sector could surge in the weeks and months ahead. One online property portal reported a jump in demand for...

We’ve written recently about how pleased we were to report that the UK housing market has reopened for business, albeit with strict social distancing rules still in place. So as we move towards midsummer, we’re sure we’re going to be busy helping people move house, as...

The government has outlined proposals to unfreeze and kick-start the housing market, covering every step of the letting and sales process across England. (The Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh markets remain frozen for now.) The announcement, of course, follows seven...