New Build Premium Gap Widening
Buyers must pay huge premiums in order to purchase their dream new-build home. New build homes cost homebuyers 19% more than a pre-owned property of the same size, and may sometimes even cost a staggering 50% extra, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted by the Monmouthshire Building Society, which looked at the […]
Lenders Need To Offer More Help To Mortgage Prisoners
Despite making changes to its affordability lending criteria in order to help around 250,000 mortgage prisoners, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates that only 14,000 homeowners will benefit. Major high street lenders have been chastised by FCA for failing to seriously amend their lending criteria following the FCA’s recent affordability assessment criteria changes. Having reviewed […]
Stressed Legal Professionals Increasingly Seeking Support
Legal professionals are increasingly turning to support frameworks because of the stresses in their work lives. The number of legal professionals asking LawCare for help and advice in 2019 increased by 8%. In total, the charity received over 900 contacts and dealt with 6,777 people asking for help in 2019. A quarter (26%) of all […]
Lack Of Confidence For Local First-Time Buyers
A study conducted by the regulated property buyer Good Move has found that two in five Brits cannot afford to buy a house in their hometown. Following the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, to give first-time buyers a 20% discount if they purchased property in the area where they grew up, Good Move’s research has suggested that the initiative would be […]
Godesdon Road – 6 Planning Changes For A Street Under Siege
Education has been Cambridge’s stock in trade for centuries. As the student population expands, so does the need to provide purpose built accommodation. The city has also undergone a massive planning transformation thanks to IT, science and bio-technology industries flocking to the area to access this pool of graduates. Things used to be straightforward for […]
Birmingham Transport Plan To Tackle Pollution
Property owners and tenants exposed to increased inner-city pollution levels may welcome Birmingham City Council’s decision to ban private cars from taking ‘through trips’ in the city centre. Air pollution is widely regarded as a public health crisis in Birmingham. 200,000 vehicles pass through the city centre every day, 80% of nitrogen dioxide emissions are […]
The Possible Backfire From Changes to Stamp Duty
One of the country’s largest property management firms, DJ Alexander based in Edinburgh, has warned that the Stamp Duty cut expected in the upcoming budget, may collapse less ‘over-heated’ housing markets. David Alexander, who started the family group 37 years ago, said: “It’s vital … that there are not too many giveaways in the Budget […]
Commercial Property Values Decline
The UK commercial property market experienced a value decline in 2019, according to a global commercial real estate services company. The CBRE Monthly Index revealed that commercial property values fell by 3.2% last year, owing to the retail market’s dire performance. On the plus side, total returns for 2019 were however encouraging at 2.2% due to income returns of 5.5%. However, the retail […]
‘Fit For Law’ Resource To Combat Stress
LawCare, the legal mental health and well being charity has teamed up with academics from the University of Sheffield and The Open University to launch the free ‘Fit For Law’ course. ‘Fit For Law’ is a free online resource which is aimed at promoting a psychologically and emotionally healthier way of working within the legal […]
LEAP 2x: The Power Of LEAP And More
The UK’s award-winning practice management provider rolls out its biggest software enhancement to date as LEAP 2x is launched across the UK. This January, lawyers using the practice management system will benefit from many new enhancements that will make practising law more efficient than ever. As well as a new, clear and sharp user interface, […]
Mortgage Lending Will Rise Owing To Less Political Uncertainty
The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) has predicted the mortgage market will bounce back in 2020 and 2021. With the election done and dusted in December 2019 and more certainty over Brexit, Brits will have more confidence in the housing market in the next two years owing to reduced levels of economic and political doubt. […]
Landlord Court Repossessions Exceed 30 Weeks
A recent freedom of information request suggests that the time it takes to evict a troublesome tenant through complete possession action increased by a third (31%) in the third quarter of 2019. Having confirmed their intention of abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions in the recent Queen’s Speech, the government will need to reassure landlords that the […]
Convey Choice Delights In Playing Key Role In First Ever Digitised End To End Property Transaction
Convey Choice delights in playing key role in first ever digitised end to end property transaction Completed last week, the digitised property transaction reduced time to exchange of contracts from an industry average of 63 days to just 11 days and marks a turning point in terms of revolutionising the conveyancing process. Frustrated by the […]
SEO For Conveyancing Solicitors
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. An SEO-optimised website will help search engines like Google to understand the structure of your website and the nature of your business, meaning you have a better chance of […]
Savills Reports UK Property Value Gains Of £190 Million
Analysis by Savills has claimed that the overall property value of the UK housing stock hit a record high of £7.29 trillion. The value is equivalent to four times the value of all the companies in the FTSE 100 index. Stating that “despite growing by just 2.7 per cent in 2018 as Brexit fears slowed […]
Deceived Conveyancer Fined After Failing To Check ID
An experienced conveyancer was fined after being tricked into believing that a woman was who she said she was without proof of documentary evidence. The solicitor had to pay nearly £24,000, including costs, for his misconduct due to failing to carry out any due diligence and appropriate identification checks. Head of conveyancing at Tait Farrier […]
Register For Today’s Conveyancer’s First Roundtable Of 2020
Do you want to meet with like-minded peers to discuss changes and opportunities in the conveyancing sector? On Wednesday 29th January 2020, Today’s Conveyancer is set to host its first roundtable event of the year at one of the UK’s oldest and largest chambers, 3PB Barristers, in Birmingham. Given the immediate impact the Fifth Anti-Money […]
Muve Automates The Conveyancing Process With Help From Hoowla
By saving time and removing the need for double data entry with Hoowla, Muve can focus on providing an exceptional client experience. As a conveyancing firm that specialises in using modern technology to make property transactions easier for its customers, Muve were looking for a tool to help them provide quick quotes and regular updates […]
Terrafirma Enhance Ground Hazard Expertise with Key Appointment
Leading ground risk experts Terrafirma continue their drive to provide helpful information on ground-related risk in property purchase with the appointment of geospatial environmental data scientist, Dr Tim Farewell from Cranfield University. Terrafirma have today announced Dr Tim Farewell as Science and Communications Director, who joins from Cranfield University with a wealth of experience in […]
Groundsure Announces New Sponsorship With Professional Conferences
Groundsure is delighted to announce it is one of the official sponsors for both Residential and Commercial Professional Conferences events in 2020. The conferences, held in various locations nationwide, are designed to bring property professionals up-to-date on current issues and latest developments affecting their day-to-day practice. Michael Tobias, Founder, Professional Conferences, said: “I’m delighted to […]
