House Prices remain on the rise in spite of political tremors
It might have been expected that the political uncertainty and insecurity that Britain faced in the previous month would slow down rising house prices, as people looked to wait to move after political constancy was once again established. Yet, this does not appear to have been the case. During the election month average house prices […]
Asbestos: The Hidden Health Hazard of the 19th Century
Background to asbestos and its impact Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of many small fibres. There are three main types of asbestos – white asbestos (chrysotile), brown asbestos (amosite) and blue asbestos (crocidolite). Asbestos is most commonly found in industrial or residential buildings constructed before 1985. Many homes built before the mid-1980s […]
Beaumont Legal celebrates a decade of online success
Wakefield-based Beaumont Legal is celebrating a decade of being a “modern law firm”, after marking 10 years since moving from the city centre to its current headquarters and beginning to target online business nationally as well as in the region. While the firm can trace its roots back more than 200 years, the move in […]
Dudley Building Society selects LMS as Conveyancing Services Partner
Dudley Building Society has appointed Legal Marketing Services (LMS) to provide conveyancing services for the fees assisted and referral services. The partnership commences on the 18th May 2015. The move will see LMS, which has 25 years’ experience in the field, supporting the Dudley in its commitment to offer clients the highest possible level of service […]
PSG help to say thanks on National Secretaries Day
On 22nd April hardworking administration staff across the land were recognised with their very own National Secretaries Day. Several local offices of the market leading search provider PSG took the opportunity to help their customers say thanks to their support staff with a series of special draws, with prizes ranging from Kindles to Spa Day […]
Can you justify holding client funds?
At the end of last month the Law Society updated their practice note which provides guidance on holding client funds. The Law Society advise that the updated guidance should be read by all solicitors who hold client money. Under rule 14(3) of the SAR (Solicitors Accounts Rules), solicitors are obliged to return client money promptly, i.e. […]
Interview with Richard Cunningham, Associate at Downs Solicitors LLP
Richard Cunningham is an Associate at Downs Solicitors LLP and runs the residential property team. They have just been voted ‘Best for Customer Service’ in the SearchFlow Property Forum Awards. Richard told Today’s Conveyancer why the award is so important to their firm. What was the entry criteria for the award? “The judges asked us […]
Conveyancing value: is it all about price?
Firms must be more aware of how they are quoting for work and ensure that eye-catching “headline figures” do not mislead prospective clients and prevent them from making an informed decision on instructing legal services, according to a new practice note released by The Law Society. Referring specifically to the conveyancing market the note seeks […]
The Certainty of an Exchange of Contracts
The significance of an exchange of contracts is that the transaction will become legally binding. Accordingly the seller will be bound to sell the property specified in the contract for a specified price and the transaction should complete on the given completion date. The very reason that parties attach so much importance to exchange is […]
Property industry leaders to discuss key points to boost UK housing market in wake of the election
myhomemove, the UK’s leading provider of mover conveyancing services, will be hosting its housing conference on the 20th May at Hilton, St George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent. The event will include a panel discussion between high profile property industry leaders who will share their views on what could lead to major changes in the market. The panel […]
Gold Standard for Convey Law
Newport-based conveyancing specialists Convey Law have been recognised for their excellent record in staff welfare with a prestigious accreditation. The law firm has been re-accredited by Investors in People and has been awarded Gold Standard, the highest level, following an in-depth, independent analysis of how they look after their staff. Convey Law are the first […]
What are the transactional potholes of unadopted roads?
Unadopted roads refer to roads which do not have to be adequately maintained by the highway authority under the Highways Act 1980. A legal duty to maintain these roads still exists, but it falls onto the owners of the road, which usually consists of the owners of any properties fronting that highway. The public usually […]
Election Result Reactions
How is the General Election result expected affect the property market – in particular conveyancing? We get the reaction from industry experts who have released their predictions on what’s to come. Eddie Goldsmith, Chairman of the Conveyancing Association, comments: “The Conveyancing Association has welcomed the strong focus on housing issues throughout the election campaign and […]
Balance tips in favour of Prime Central London
Homes in Prime Central London saw the biggest rise in value during Q1 2015, as the centre starts to outperform Outer Prime parts of the capital for first time since June 2013 Buyers now pay a 34% price premium to live in Prime Central areas like Kensington & Chelsea Property growth in Prime Central London […]
OneSearch Direct Announces Record Months for Drainage & Water and Environmental Searches
OneSearch Direct, one of the nation’s leading providers of property search information, has announced that it has achieved record months for regulated drainage & water and environmental reports in March and April. Don Belcher, head of channel at OneSearch Direct, explains: “To put these record performances in context, this reflects growth of 39.4% for regulated […]
Complying with compliance – Protecting client money against fraud
Scam alerts from the SRA occur almost daily and identity theft is constantly rising, therefore the industry regulator has placed fighting fraud in conveyancing at the top of their agenda in 2015. What do you and your firm do in order to protect client money? How do you look to ensure due diligence and adherence […]
Bye, bye conveyancer! (Conveyancer Slater – Tweet of the Week)
This is certainly one way to speed up the residential property buying process – 24/7 conveyancing! Do conveyancers ever deserve a break? Think I’ve found the home buying delay. Our conveyancer was away yesterday, @TaylorWimpey ‘s is away today… Erghhh! — Richard Bairwell (@rbairwell) May 7, 2015
Marsh & Parsons ventures into Queen’s Park
Marsh & Parsons has added to its office network with a new branch in Queen’s Park, unveiled on Monday 27th April. Following the estate agency’s successful opening in Shoreditch earlier this year, the Queen’s Park office will strengthen the business in North West London, complementing its existing presence in North Kensington and Little Venice. The […]
Interview with Andrew Hiesley, Managing Director of Conveyancing Direct Property Lawyers
Andrew Hiesley is Managing Director of Conveyancing Direct Property Lawyers Ltd (CDPL). Originally from a financial background, he has grown CDPL to 170 staff with offices in St Leonards-on-Sea, Cardiff, and a rapidly expanding operation in Burton-upon-Trent. You’re from a non-legal background, how did you become MD of Conveyancing Direct? “That’s correct, yes. I completed […]
QualitySolicitors Talbots – Case Study
QualitySolicitors Talbots provides services to individuals and businesses from seven branches across the West Midlands. In early 2014 the firm took a completely fresh look at the way it handled incoming telephone calls. Here, Martyn Morgan, Senior Partner describes his experience of engaging with telephone answering specialist Moneypenny: “I’d seen Moneypenny at numerous conferences and […]
