Property prices soar above £350k – and fraudsters know it, too For most people, buying a property is likely to be the largest transaction they ever make. In March this year, according to Rightmove’s House Price Index, the average property value broke the £350k mark for the first time, with the average house price now […]Read More
Following an in-depth Phase 2 investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that the acquisition of tmgroup by Dye & Durham substantially lessens competition in the supply of property search services and has now instructed Dye & Durham to divest the business. Dye & Durham, an international provider of cloud-based software and […]Read More
Despite a strong start to the year where house price growth is concerned, a month-on-month dip in mortgage approvals has caused many to speculate whether the pandemic property market boom may soon fizzle out. However, latest market analysis from specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, has revealed that new buyer activity may already be slowing, […]Read More
Following the Queen’s Speech earlier this week, Parliament is set to schedule digital identity legislation into the next session as part of a data reform bill. This will ensure that digital identities, however they evolve, will be trusted and secure. The property industry and Government recognise that identity proofing is often a frustrating part of the […]Read More
LexisNexis Bellwether Report: legal tech is dividing firms
Many small law firms are thinking big when it comes to the tech they need to see them through another period of profound change. But the latest research from LexisNexis’ Bellwether report shows that 47% say they have no plans to invest in any technology at all. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional released the 10th […]Read More
RICS Residential Market Survey: prices remain firm but sales outlook
The April RICS Residential Market Survey shows that would-be buyers are still on the hunt for a new home, whilst stock levels and new listings remain scarce. This means that house prices continue to be pushed higher across all parts of the UK. This month +10% of respondents reported a rise in new buyers’ enquiries, […]Read More
Queen’s speech: planning reforms to be tackled via Levelling up
This year’s Queen’s Speech has today outlined several legislative changes and the overhauling of laws around levelling up, planning and economic crime that could affect conveyancers. At the state opening of Parliament this morning, Prince Charles delivered the Queen’s speech as the monarch missed the opening for the first time in almost 60 years as […]Read More
As partners of Women in Residential Property (WIRP), we’re delighted to offer our readers an exclusive discount of 15% on tickets for the next WIRP lunch at Bank Restaurant in Birmingham on 23rd June. The event is open to anyone working in, or with an interest in the residential property industry. Guests will be treated […]Read More
I was thinking about the ongoing debate on LinkedIn about additional enquiries, and I think that there is something firms could do which would help with the need to raise what many would see as unnecessary enquiries. So, without being controversial and trying to teach lawyers how to do the job properly, can I please […]Read More
New research has revealed that new-build home sales have declined by 46% in the past year and, perhaps more strikingly, 39% in the past decade. In 2020, there were 76,764 new-build sales in Britain, while in 2021, there were just 41,634, according to Warwick Estates. This 46% drop is significant but is likely a result […]Read More
The latest mortgage approval statistics from the Bank of England (BoE) have been published. In its most recent release the figures show that mortgage approval levels dipped by -0.4% between March and February of this year. Figures were also -14.5% lower when compared to the same time last year. Experts from around the industry have […]Read More
Boris Johnson is reportedly considering a return of Margaret Thatcher’s “right to buy” policy of the 1980s. Such a move would give people the chance to buy the property they rent from housing associations for a discounted price of up to 70%. According to The Telegraph, Johnson is “very excited” about the potential revival of […]Read More
Halifax HPI: average prices increase by £47,500 in two years
April’s Halifax House Price Index (HPI) reveals average prices are up 10.8% in a year, to a record high of £286,079. The latest Halifax HPI report shows that house prices increased by 1.1% in April, and is the tenth consecutive monthly rise, the longest run since 2016. Prices have now increased by £47,568 in two […]Read More
It is interesting that, as we enter Mental Health Awareness Week, I have just had one of the worst weeks. I cannot say specifically what was so bad about the week; it was just a culmination of things which led to a feeling of despair on Friday and a “I don’t think I can do […]Read More
The monetary policy committee of the Bank of England voted 6-3 to increase its base rate of interest by 0.25 percentage points to 1% on Thursday. This fourth consecutive interest rate rise means rates are now at their highest level since February 2009 in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. The move will […]Read More
Today’s House Price Index from Zoopla has calculated that three million homes in the UK are now in a higher stamp duty bracket than at the start of the pandemic, thanks to rising house prices. The report, released today also reveals that first time buyers spend an average of £225,000 – up £27,000 on two […]Read More
Following on from last week and my thoughts about additional enquiries, I note that the discussion surrounding this rumbles on. Everyone seems to object to the raising of enquiries, so who is raising them? And what are the particular questions that everyone seems to be objecting to? This week, I received a letter from a […]Read More
House prices are set to fall by 5% between now and the end of 2024, according to the latest research. Such a drop would reverse a fifth of the surge in house prices since the pandemic began. The research, which is adjusted for the rise in interest rates, was conducted by independent economic research consultancy […]Read More
Following a string of irked LinkedIn posts surrounding the issue of enquiries, Today’s Conveyancer has set out to discover exactly how the “black hole of conveyancing” is affecting conveyancers. Peter Ambrose, owner and Managing Director of The Partnership, explained how the “inexorable” number of enquiries is “causing tempers to fray”: “The latest focus for our […]Read More
The Building Safety Bill which started its passage through parliament last July received royal assent on Friday. Among the changes, which are now law, is the creation of a new building safety regulator for buildings higher than 18 metres as well as “waterfall” protections introduced to ensure leaseholders avoid footing the bill for remediation costs. […]Read More

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