New research by up-market property agents Hamptons shows that more and more homes are being sold without ever coming on to the market. Previously such deals were generally confined to high-end vendors, most likely in affluent parts of Central London, who wanted a discreet sale away from the eyes of the general public. However, the…
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Property and Conveyancing
Buying a house can be a daunting prospect for anyone, let alone someone who is taking their first step on to the property ladder. We all ask ourselves the same questions: Is this definitely the property I want? Am I paying too much? Can I really afford it? Buying a house or an apartment will…
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The government is to bring in new rules to the property market in order to provide consumers with essential information and to standardise the way properties are advertised. The changes form part of a project by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team and are due to come into effect by the end…
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Continued high demand coupled with low supply in the housing market has led to the biggest January price rise for 17 years. Nationwide Building Society says property prices rose by 0.8% from December to January, with an increase of 11.2% for the year. Nationwide claims the average house price in the UK is now £255,556,…
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Blame for delays and breakdowns in the house buying chain is often unfairly attributed to estate agents and solicitors, as well as other professionals such as surveyors and finance providers. House buying can be a complicated business, and with large amounts of money at stake it is essential that searches, surveys and legal documents are…
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We reported recently on the campaign by The Times newspaper to make house sales and purchases easier, quicker and cheaper in England and Wales. Adoption of the system used in Scotland is often suggested as a solution to the faults in the system south of the border. The Scottish house buying process is often held…
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The Times newspaper has announced a drive to clean up the property buying and selling process in England and Wales, with a campaign it calls Get Britain Moving. It says the focus of the campaign will be 3-fold: to Speed Up and Streamline the process, and in doing so Save Money. The covid pandemic and…
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With the whole of England under the latest national lockdown from 5th January, the Government has issued new guidance on property sales and viewings. The message is that in general terms the property sector should carry on as before, when movement and contact was less restricted. However, the current guidelines stress that all meetings and…
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St Albans is a handsome city and an attractive place to live, but few locals would describe the place as being in the country. Recent research by house-moving website Compare My Move takes a different view, placing St Albans second in its ranking of the top 50 Countryside Locations to Re-locate to across England and…
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The Bank of Mum and Dad (BoMaD) is playing an increasing role in helping people with house purchases. Research by insurance group Legal & General reveals that over the last 12 months 71% of first-time buyers could not have made it onto the housing ladder without financial assistance from family or friends. Were it not…
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