Coronavirus Advice For Conveyancers
The coronavirus – Covid-19 – pandemic has seemingly sent the world into a spin. With people fighting over groceries and toilet roll, and organisations deciding to lock down, it can be difficult to comprehend what advice to follow. With some countries in complete lockdown, others are taking a more progressive approach. The UK is currently […]
Legal Services In A Digital-First World
Written by Chris Loagin, Managing Director, Landmark Legal It is an exciting time for the UK conveyancing industry, with all stakeholders identifying and driving towards a progressive and technology-led future. The recent Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) Discussion Paper: Conveyancing 2030 is recent evidence of the frequent projections around the advent of technology into the […]
‘Snakes And Ladders’ Sector As Construction Declines In January
Despite the positive end to 2019 and the optimistic start to 2020, the construction sector output decreased in January. According to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) ‘Construction output in Great Britain: January 2020’, output fell by 0.8 per cent between December and January. This fall was driven by the decline in repair and maintenance […]
£100 Million AML Levy Will Impact Property Sector
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £100 million levy on companies subject to money laundering regulations, including law firms and estate agents. The levy will be used to supplement public sector funding and will equip law enforcement agencies with the funds to hire additional financial investigators and supply them with new technology and will help the […]
Index Property Information At The Bournemouth & District Law Society Dinner 2020
Index South Coast is delighted to be sponsoring the Bournemouth & District Law Society Dinner 2020 on Friday 3rd April at The Italian Villa, Compton Acres, 164 Canford Cliff Road, Poole BH13 7ES. Join us, speaker Christopher Simmonds, Family Circuit Judge sitting at Bournemouth and the Index Magician, Michael J Fitch, who will be entertaining […]
Landmark Information Responds To The Spring Budget
Chris Loaring, Managing Director of Landmark Legal and Argyll Environmental, part of Landmark Information, responds to the outcomes from yesterday’s Spring Budget, which was delivered by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak: Flooding “Having witnessed significant devastation this winter from floods, we were not surprised to see the Chancellor committing to further investment […]
Experts Comment On 2% SDLT Foreign Investor Surcharge
The Chancellor’s Spring Budget announced an additional 2 per cent surcharge on stamp duty land tax (SDLT) for foreign investors from 2021. Rishi Sunak pledged the additional income generated from the tax to support preventative homelessness strategies. However, many are claiming the 5 per cent SDLT surcharge will have a negative impact on the property […]
Compare My Move Sees Record Month For Conveyancing
Comparison website and lead generation service Compare My Move are celebrating their most successful month for conveyancing! February saw an 80% increase in conveyancing partners, the best month to date since Compare My Move launched its conveyancing service in 2018. This success follows the hire of new Sales Manager Connor Bartlett earlier this year, with […]
The Budget 2020: What It Means For The Housing Market
Today, 11th March 2020, Rishi Sunak has announced his first budget, which he hopes will help to kick start the UK economy, following the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and coronavirus. Following on from the announcement from the Bank of England that they have cut the base rate of interest to 0.25%, high street lenders offering mortgage […]
Coronavirus And The UK Property Sector
Reports suggest that the epicentre of the coronavirus in China has now passed and the worst of the outbreak is behind them. In the month between January 22nd and February 22nd, the number of total coronavirus cases increased from 571 to 76,936. However, up to March 9th, the spread of the virus had only increased […]
What Can Conveyancers Expect In 2020?
The conveyancing industry has been put through its paces in the last few years and has been subjected to many changes. This uncertainty shows in last years’ conveyancing and mortgage data where continued political uncertainty has had a real impact on the house buying market. The latest UK Finance Mortgage Trends data reveals that it […]
CMA Publishes Updated Report On New Build Leaseholds
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the sale of new-build leasehold properties was never likely to make easy reading for the many developers under review, and so it has come to pass with its Update Report being published at the end of February. This is effectively the interim stage of the CMA’s work […]
House Builders Call For VAT Cuts In Spring Budget
Almost two thirds of small to medium-sized construction companies are calling for the governing body to exert their new independent muscles by announcing a cut in VAT on home repair and renovation works. The Federation of Master Builders (FMBs) survey resulted in 212 out of 357 small to medium-sized building companies have highlighted VAT cuts […]
Winners Announced: Land Data Local Land Charges Awards For Excellence 2020
Over 140 local authority Local Land Charges Officers who carry out land and property searches required for conveyancing transactions, attended the 13th Land Data Local Land Charges Awards for Excellence gala dinner, hosted by comedian Zoe Lyons. The national awards recognise the work and achievements of Local Land Charges departments in England and Wales. More […]
Market Remains Buoyant In February
Activity in the housing market is continuing to increase according to the Halifax House Price Index. The Index has claimed that transactions, mortgage approvals and house prices all climbed in February, following a strong December and January. HM Revenue and Customs data indicated that the 102,810 residential transactions in January represented a 4.1 per cent […]
4.3 Million Non-Decent Homes Damaging Occupiers
According to the ‘Home and Dry’ report, carried out by the Centre for Ageing Better and Care & Repair England, 4.3 million homes do not meet ‘basic standards of decency’ because of ‘serious hazards’ which can affect an occupant’s health and wellbeing. Despite evidence highlighting a link between poor homes and poor health, the report […]
More Knotty Problems For Homebuyers
Recent cases brought against homeowners for potentially misleading buyers about the presence of Japanese Knotweed on or near a property have resulted in the Law Society providing advice to sellers and their lawyers in the new Explanatory Notes for Sellers and Buyers on Form TA6 issued in February 2020. The notes relating to Question 7.8 […]
Speak Freely At Inaugural Conveyancing Summit
Today’s Conveyancer is hosting an industry summit where professionals can discuss their personal challenges and issues within the sector with their peers. The summit takes place on Thursday 12th March at the prestigious Montcalm Royal London House in the city of London, commencing at 6.30pm where you can relax and enjoy an evening of drinks, […]
Mortgage Market Shrank By 1.5% Last Year
Gross mortgage lending experienced the first annual fall since 2010 last year. According to UK Finance’s ‘Household Finance Review – Q4 2019’, mortgage lending to all buying demographics fell in 2019, despite the strong end to the year. The overall market loans fell by 1.5 per cent between 2018 and 2019, falling from 776,200 to […]
What Can Conveyancers Expect In 2020?
If recent pronouncements from various stakeholders in the property sector are anything to go by, 2020 may be something of a busy year for Conveyancers. ollowing the recent election, the number of agreed sales between mid-December 2019 and mid-January 2020 increased 7.5% on the same period in the previous year. Rightmove now believes that we […]