Restart And Renew – Housing Secretary Statement
Yesterday, the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced the restart of the property market, claiming it was an opportunity to ‘restart and renew’. Amongst his comments, Mr Jenrick highlighted the importance of opening the market and ensuring buyers and sellers were motivated to complete transactions. This seems to be the case according to Rightmove who have […]
Today’s Conveyancer Community Comment On Property Restart
The property sector is collectively breathing a cautious yet overwhelming sigh of relief today following the reopening of the property market. According to data analytics organisations, this means the estimated 163,000 properties worth £55 billion which have been frozen at sale agreed with searches completed can now start to add a welcome cash injection to […]
Law Society Encourage Adaptable Cautious Return To Work
The Law Society of England and Wales is urging law firms to remain cautious when entering ‘unchartered waters’ as the lockdown restrictions are lifted and legal businesses are free to work form their offices. Simon Davis suggests all law firms adapt and embed new risk assessment protocols to ensure employees and clients are kept safe. […]
Housing Minister Provides Further Clarity on Market Re-Opening
The UK Government have this evening provided further clarity on their intentions to kick-start the housing market. The daily briefing was this evening conducted by Housing Minster Robert Jenrick who provided an update on the government’s position regarding re-opening residential sales and lettings, and construction. The update comes following the steady stream of guidance published […]
Cross-Industry Guidance Launched On Safely Reopening Market
A cross-industry guide, co-authored by a number of residential sector and professional organisations’ representatives, has been launched today in a bid to provide practical guidance on how to ensure all aspects of the home buying and selling process is completed safely. The guide, “Re-Opening the Home Moving Market Safely” has been approved by the Council […]
Conveyancing Association supports COVID-19 Industry Guide To Support A Safe Home Moving Process
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today announced its support for a cross-industry guide on re-opening the housing market, enabling people to move safely. The collaborative industry guide, ‘Re-Opening the Home Moving Market Safely’, sets out in detail how home moves can take place while still fully complying […]
Government Issues Removers Safe Moving Guidance
Removers were among the home buying and selling industries offered safe moving guidelines to ensure their transition back into work is smooth and safe. The sector was already gearing up for a return after removal giants, Pickfords, announced that they were fully operational and open for business from Monday. The firm had already written and […]
Landmark Information Group Welcomes Safe Working Charter To Restart England’s Property Market
Landmark Information Group, the leading provider of information to the UK’s property market, is today welcoming the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, to today restart England’s property market, which includes a Safe Working Charter plan. Landmark Information Group was one of three leading organisations*1 in […]
Surveyors Given Updated Guidance On Home Surveys
Home surveys and valuations are an integral and fundamental part of the home buying and selling process and the sentiment from the sector welcomes recent government advice and guidelines permitting physical valuations and surveys to resume once again. The headline change in the guidance for surveyors is the fact that they are now ‘free to […]
Working In The New World – Conveyancers And Estate Agents
The government has updated the advice on home buying and selling which was issued on March 26 effectively freezing the property market. The new advice informs the industry about how to comply with ‘safer working’ guidelines and how each sector should operate during next phase of lockdown restrictions. Let us take a look at what […]
Landmark Information Group Extends Its Support To The Virtual Doctors Charity
Landmark Information Group, the leading provider of information to the UK’s property market, is pledging its ongoing support to the Virtual Doctors charity, which provides clinical officers in rural Africa with access to a network of doctors that volunteer, predominantly from the NHS, in the UK. This comes at a time when the charity, which […]
BREAKING NEWS: Property Market Reopen From Today
The Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, has announced plans for the UK to safely move home, from today, as long as social distancing advice is followed. Estate agents’ offices can reopen, buyers are free to view properties, show homes can reopen and removal companies and surveyors are able to complete their work with immediate effect. As […]
FCA To Suggest 1 Year Mortgage Holiday Extension
In a bid to avoid repossessions, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are looking at various scenarios of extending mortgage holidays for up to a year. Although the economy is set to bounce back fairly quickly, the financial sector is concerned that the initial three month mortgage break will not be enough to prevent defaults and […]
Celebrity Law Firm Hit By Ransomware Attack
A New York based law firm, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, who are predominantly used by the world’s rich and famous, have suffered a substantial cyber attack. The cyber criminals claim to have access to over 756 gigabytes of the law firm’s and its client’s personal data, including legal contracts, personal email accounts and email […]
Introducing Japanese Knotweed Detection Dogs
In these unprecedented times, we’ve all been finding different ways in which we can work, and complete the day to day tasks we would usually complete. Environet UK have revealed that they’ve trained two dogs, Mick and Mack to detect the Japanese knotweed rhizome present in a garden or development. The dogs can ‘sniff out’ […]
Housing market to re-open for business
It is anticipated that Housing Minister Robert Jenrick will tomorrow (13/05/2020) announce the re-opening of the property market in some capacity. Amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 published this evening indicate the government’s position on the resumption of buying, selling and letting of property: (iv) in sub-paragraph (f), omit the words […]
Pickfords Fully Operational Following Government Advice
There are indications that removers Pickfords are open for business once again. Following the amended social distancing and working guidelines from the government on Sunday which stated that if you cannot work from home you should be encouraged to return to work, Pickfords have resumed their full packing service which was suspended on March 24 […]
BREAKING NEWS: Furlough Extended Until October
The Government has just announced an extension of the furlough scheme to October with no changes before end of July. Details of changes after that will be provided by the end of May but are likely to require an employer contribution. The Chancellor confirmed employees will continue to receive at least 80% of salaries and […]
Return To Work Guidance Expected This Week
Despite reports highlighting the post-lockdown social distancing measures for estate agents being leaked last week, the government’s 50 page document detailing the phases of lockdown relaxations and subsequent return to work guidance omitted the property sector. Whilst this means property stakeholders are placed in the non-essential set of businesses which could be permitted to return […]
Diary Of A High Street Conveyancer – 11th May
Monday I thought it would be busy with telephone calls asking me about the Prime Minister’s statement last night. But it was quieter than ever and I had to phone myself to check if the phone was working – the same as you do when you are a teenager, waiting on a call! More guidance […]
