Residential Property
What do conveyancers actually do?
When purchasing a property, conveyancing fees are often considered the inconvenient cherry on top of the already expensive cake of moving costs. In this blog, we explain what our expert conveyancing solicitors do throughout your transaction, giving you a better understanding of where your hard-earn....
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Navigating the 3% Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge
In his 2015 Autumn Budget speech, then Chancellor George Osborne announced a new 3% surcharge on the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) payable on additional properties – for example, those purchased as holiday homes or buy-to-let properties. The changes, which passed into law in the Finance Act 2016, ha....
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Will a tennis court or swimming pool add value to my property?
If you’re looking to buy, or already own, a property with significant acreage, chances are you might be looking for ways to enhance your family’s enjoyment of your land and even to augment your property’s value. Frequently, high-net-worth clients will ask us about the planning implications of....
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Buying a listed property – what do I need to know?
We feel very privileged to have offices located in Hertfordshire and Essex, two counties absolutely packed full of heritage properties with origins often dating back centuries. Many of these properties are ‘listed’, meaning that they “may not be demolished, extended or altered without special....
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Remortgaging: Transfer of Equity, what it is and how it works
Remortgaging, or taking out a new mortgage on your existing property (either to replace the one you already have or to borrow a sizeable amount against your home) can be appropriate for a variety of reasons. Your current deal may be coming to an end, you might want a better rate, the value of your ....
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How remortgaging works and the benefits it brings
With the mortgage market remaining competitive, it pays to shop around from time to time as there may be a cheaper deal available that could be more cost-efficient and better suited to your needs. The process of getting a new loan put in place is referred to as remortgaging. Mortgage deals are u....
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Equity release – the questions we’re frequently asked
Figures from the Equity Release Council show that those aged over 55 are relying more than ever before on the wealth tied up in their houses. Whilst downsizing to a smaller property might be the answer for some, moving home can be a stressful and costly process, and there’s a widespread shortage ....
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Setting up home with a partner – the legal advice couples need
Deciding to move in together is an exciting time. These days, many couples live together before they get married, or choose not to get married at all. However, one of the most important things to be aware of is that, contrary to public opinion, ‘common law marriage’ doesn’t actually exist i....
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Equity Release – the myths dispelled
Homeowners aged over 55 who purchased their property a few years ago are likely to find that it’s risen a lot in value. If they don’t want to downsize to release the cash, equity release is a way of giving them access to their money while they continue to live in their home. A growing....
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Freeholders and lease extension – fulfilling your obligations whilst safeguarding your rights
Many leasehold properties were built in the housing booms of the last century, meaning that their leases are fast approaching the point where there is less than 80 years left to run. It’s at this point that these properties become more difficult to sell, and consequently freeholders can expect to ....
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How to avoid the pitfalls in lease extension
Nearly one in five of all properties in England is leasehold, with around 3 million flats and 1.4 million new-build houses being owned in this way. As many leasehold flats date from the building booms of the last century, their owners are becoming aware that it’s time to negotiate an extension,....
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Tips on selling your home in a slow market
The property market is showing signs of a slowdown. Property prices fell by -0.5% in August, according to Nationwide. This is the largest monthly drop since July 2012, and may be due to uncertainty as to how the Brexit negotiations will play out over the coming months. So, if you’re trying to sell....
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How shared ownership can be the staircase to owning a home
Shared ownership is now an established part of the UK’s housing landscape and accounts for an increasing proportion of new-build affordable housing. These schemes are basically a cross between buying and renting, and are mainly aimed at first-time buyers. They can offer a win-win situation for ....
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Why you need to get the best possible legal advice when buying your home
With Britain’s housing crisis never far from the news headlines, the government is looking at various ways to update and improve the house-buying process. As part of this initiative, the Department for Communities and Local Government recently held a consultation into ways the current procedures m....
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Joint tenants or tenants in common? What you need to know
With property prices remaining high, buying a home with family members or friends can often be the only practical way of getting onto the property ladder. There are plenty of advantages. The deposit will be lower, as will the ongoing costs of ownership such as mortgage repayments, council tax and ut....
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Equity release – weighing up the pros and cons
Figures from the Equity Release Council show that those aged over 55 are relying more than ever before on the wealth tied up in their houses. Older people who bought their properties many years ago can often find themselves asset rich but cash poor, sometimes living on low incomes whilst living in v....
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Government proposals to limit the sale of newbuild leasehold homes
When you’re looking to buy a property, it’s not uncommon nowadays to find not just flats but also new-build houses for sale on a leasehold basis. With leasehold properties, buyers can have the option to buy the freehold - the land the property stands on - at some point. Leasehold property owners....
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Luxury apartment in one of London’s finest and most expensive locations available to buy for less than £100,000 BUT there is a catch….
Would you like to live in one of London’s most exclusive locations and be able to count Nigella Lawson and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson as one of your neighbours? Well now you can, as a property in the illustrious Belgravia area is being sold at auction with a guide price of just £90,000. ....
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How long will it take to move?
This is a question we often get asked, especially by first-time buyers keen to move into their property and set up home. There is no hard and fast rule you can apply here, so no easy answer unfortunately. That’s because there are several key steps that you’ll need to go through before you get to....
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I’m looking for a property, and I see that flats are leasehold. What does this mean for me?
As you’ve noticed, flats are commonly owned on a leasehold basis, while houses are normally sold as freehold properties. In the UK, more than 2m people own leasehold properties. Many leases are granted on a 99-year basis, while some can run for as long as 999 years. If you buy a leasehold prope....
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