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Residential Property Blog

Is a Section 21 Notice the answer?

Stuart Long
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To be able to serve the “faultless” notice, a landlord must establish that the Section 21 procedure can be used, and that prescribed information has been served on the tenant. This procedure is often preferable as it is generally speedier and...

How does a Landlord evict a Tenant?

Stuart Long
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When it comes to evicting tenants, a landlord has several options, but which option a landlord will take depends on a variety of factors. The main two routes involve serving a Section 8 or 21 Notice on the tenant, but a landlord may be restricted to one...

PROPERTY MARKET TO REMAIN OPEN!

Laura Lineker
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The Prime Minister announced a further national lockdown on 4 th January 2021. The current guidance from the Government is that you can still move home. Estate agents and removal firms can continue to work and viewings can continue to take place....

What does Covid-19 mean for your home move?

Laura Lineker
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The property market has now reopened but Covid-19 has changed the status quo in various ways. I will now address some of the main queries that have arisen. Am I allowed to move home? Yes, the government has released new guidelines putting stringent...

Who is LISA?

Rebecca West
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Who is LISA? The Government Help to Buy ISA Scheme for first time buyers closed to new applicants at the end of November 2019.  If you opened an account in time you can continue to save into it until November 2029 and you then have a year to claim...

ACT NOW! - Help to Buy ISA deadline imminent

Laura Lineker
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The Help to Buy ISA scheme will close to new accounts at midnight on 30 November 2019.   What is a Help to Buy ISA and do I need one? The Help to Buy ISA is a savings account that you should open if you are saving to buy your first home. The...

A Trainee's Diary - Seat Two

Stuart Long
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Following my first seat with the Litigation, Commercial and Personal Injury Department, I moved to the hectic Property Department in January 2019. I have found this area incredibly interesting, particularly Commercial Property, and important to my continual...

Thinking of moving home? Top tips and things to consider!

Laura Lineker
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When moving home it is a good idea to know what you are signing up for. Conveyancing can be a lengthy and stressful process and so here are some top tips in order to speed up the transaction and help it run smoothly!   Selling Get valuations from...

The benefits of voluntary first registration

Rebecca West
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Around 85% of all property in England and Wales is registered with the Land Registry.  The remainder is known as unregistered land.  To refer to a property as unregistered does not mean that it has no owner but rather that the property or land has...

First Time Buyer's Relief from Stamp Duty Land Tax

Laura Lineker
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Do you qualify for First Time Buyer’s Relief from Stamp Duty Land Tax? A First Time Buyer is defined by the Revenue as someone who has never owned property anywhere in the world before.  So, if you are a First Time Buyer buying a property, you...

What are Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards or MEES?

Andrew Rannie
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Affecting both residential and commercial properties, MEES are, as the name suggests, the minimum energy efficiency standards permitted by law, with effect from 1 April 2018.  What does that mean? For many years now, where a property is being sold...

Evicting a tenant - Section 21 or a Section 8 notice?

Lochana Gabrielsen
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Which notice should the landlord use to evict a tenant? Both forms are used to serve notice to tenants, but they are noticeably different, and it is extremely important to serve the correct notice to avoid unnecessary delays and expenses. What is the...

Why do I need to think about extending my Lease?

Rebecca West
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If you own a flat, the likelihood is that you own a lease rather than owning the property outright.  A lease is a right to use the property for a set number of years.  Once those years have elapsed the lease comes to an end and the property reverts...

Will You Have A Flood Risk In Your Home?

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Media reporting of flooding is all too common these days and serves as a reminder of how environmental factors can affect property values. The Environmental Agency has stated that one in six homes in England is vulnerable to flooding, so it is no surprise...

I am only buying a house - why do I need a Chancel Search?

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This search is commissioned to reveal whether the property you are proposing to buy may be affected by a potential “Chancel Repair” obligation to the local Parish Church. Basically, any property located within the boundaries of a Parish where...

Does a house move really have to take so long?

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No it doesn’t. If: the house has a registered title there are no linked transactions  (i.e. no chain) the buyer has cash and does not require a survey your buyer’s Conveyancing Solicitors are geared up to do it Then it could take...