Land registration: Practice guides (PG29)
Adverse possession of registered land (PG4) Page summary: Advice for conveyancers on registration of legal charges and deeds of variation (practice guide 29). Change made: Section 4 has been amended to request that the information that is provided on written confirmations or certificates is identical to the information requested when you apply using the Digital […]
Tax adviser registration; one week to go – but is this just the beginning?
Conveyancers must register as tax advisers by Tuesday 18th August in order to comply with HMRC’s upcoming deadline, but concerns remain over the longer term impact for the sector. Registration opened on 18th May with the deadline to register on Tuesday 18th August. HMRC has warned tax advisers who miss their relevant registration deadline may […]
House price stability is indicative of a ‘steady housing market’ says Lloyds
Stability in average house prices is a sign of a “steady” housing market, said Lloyds in its latest house price index. The rebranded index, formerly the Halifax House Price Index, suggests sensitivity to borrowing costs remains in the property market, with the latest industry data, showing a “modest increase” in both mortgage approvals and completed […]
Tech round-up: free material information and new partnerships
All the latest innovations brought together in a regular round up of news, updates and upgrades for conveyancing firms. Material information free for every UK seller Cardiff-based proptech openmoove has announced it will make material information free on its portal for sellers with no cost passed to the conveyancer, agent or the consumer. The app, […]
Review of Help to Buy estimates £1.74bn profit for public purse
A review of the impact of Help to Buy on the public finances estimates the scheme has delivered £1.75 billion to the Treasury, and helped 387,000 people buy a home. The figures from Home England, published in the Payback for Good report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), show Help to Buy assisted 387,278 households […]
‘Rightsizing’ and later-life stamp duty relief ‘could add 870,000 homes to market’
A report by the think tank Radix Big Tent Housing Commission suggests ‘rightsizing’ could add 870,000 homes to the housing market. The findings in the commission’s Resizing Rightsizing report reveal households headed by someone aged 70 or over are rising by around 50,000-80,000 a year, yet relatively few people in this age group move home […]
SDT reprimands solicitor who failed to provide adequate information in property transaction
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has reprimanded a solicitor for failing to provide a client with adequate information relating to a property transaction, following an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Mark Feely, a partner of David Barney & Co, must also pay costs of £6,000. The client, referred to as Client A, reported concerns related […]
Does AI Work for conveyancers? The view from conveyancers
AI has become a huge topic of conversation for the conveyancing professional in recent times, including with the launch of the UK Ministry of Justice’s “AI Growth Labs” in June 2026 and the news that UK startup Keith has secured £2 million in seed funding to build Britain’s first AI-native regulated law firm. What is […]
Why first-time buyer deposits are getting harder to verify
Lenders have called for urgent government action, as a reported 3.5 million household remain locked out of home ownership. And with data showing solo buyers face a wait of almost a decade to save for a deposit, there’s a growing shift in how first-time buyers are getting onto the housing ladder. Alex Mangan, head of […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – A cautionary tale about modern method of auction
After my recent diary entry I have been reading more reports this week about the issues with the Modern Method of Auction (MMA); and interestingly, this is alongside more clients contacting me to say that they have bought their dream property by way of this system. Transparency is key in auctions; there is always a […]